OK guys, this page is probably one of the most exciting for me personally and I’ve thought for a pretty long time about what exactly I should write here. Even though I’m in my mid 30-s, I only became a mom of my baby son this very year, so parenting experience is totally new to me! 🙂 My son is 5 months old right now and I’m learning something new and absolutely surprising like every single day if not every hour, I’m reevaluating all my previous life and discovering new horizons all the time because of my baby. 🙂

AFFORDABLE AND CONVENIENT BABY IDEAS ON A BUDGET

I honestly can’t give much of advice on how to raise kids so far so that’s what we’re gonna do: I’ll tell you about my experience of pregnancy, having a baby and taking care of a newborn on a low income. After that I will keep sharing my experience as is just as soon as I earn it – in short, this section will grow together with my baby and will describe the issues me and my boy face while he’s getting older. How does that sound? 🙂

Frankly, I’ve found out I was pregnant by a pure accident and noone was more surprised of those news more than myself!!! LOL Literally, it all has started with my trip to Walmart to buy the cats litter and dropping into the nearby Dollar Tree to buy a potato peeler. And – just to check it of my to-do list – I’ve also bought a $1 worth pregnancy test (my cycle got irregular, but since I’ve been diagnosed with infertility back long time ago like in my early 20s, I couldn’t care less being more than sure that I couldn’t have children at all). You should have seen my face when that test came out POSITIVE!!! :O Not for even a moment I’ve believed the dollar test, nah-uh, so needless to say that I’ve immediately ran out for 2 more tests of a better value, doubting the quality of a first one… Well, after a while I had one positive, one negative and one undefined results.

The next morning being frustrated beyond any describable measure I’ve searched ‘free pregnancy tests’ online, found the address and went downtown to get that cleared and certain at last… I must say, the situation I’ve been in at that time could hardly be more uncertain – I was in the middle of divorce, my new relationship was only a couple of month long, I was on a leave absence because of my medical condition and my household yearly income has droppeded drastically from a middle-class level to like hardly around $20k. I was 33 years old, just moved to a different city and state to live with my new boyfriend. Out of my belongings I only had my personal things and a couple of credit cards (with like $2000 of debt!) – no funds, no savings, no investments, I mean totally nothing. Neither did I have too much hope for improving my situation significantly any time soon… 🙁 And now – A BABY?!!

That’s how I showed up at the doorstep of Women Care Center of Duluth for the first time. A friendly councelor kindly evaluated my test results to tell me that I’ve already been 10 weeks and 2 days pregnant by that moment! After that I had my first free ultrasound taken and saw my precious little baby moving! I still have that silly smile on my face and my eyes watering when recalling myself looking at that screen for the first time – that was one of the most weird and amazing moments of my life indeed! Needless to say, of course I’ve decided to keep this baby even though it was the most unexpected blessing ever! 🙂

WCC was helping me on every single step on my way, not only did they provide me with necessary parenting educational classes and taught me some practical skills — by the time I was ready to give birth to my son I was totally prepared to my delivery and postpartum process and all newborn care! The educational materials and experience I’ve received there is incredibly hard to overestimate, starting with video classes and ending up with personal consultation from experts like police officers, doctors, college teachers, certified nutrition specialists and doulas! Their educational program also included gardening, exercising, cooking, CPR and much more.

Not only they’ve made a pretty confident mom-to-be out of me, but they’ve also gave me an opportunity to obtain so much needed baby stuff, diapers and clothing, encouraged me to keep hopeful and inspired, provided all the help I could need at that time! I can’t imagine how I would have done it without WCC, I’m endlessly thankful to them for everything they have done for me and my little family! Earning priceless knowledge of taking care of my future baby during WCC classes I was getting packs of diapers and attendance coupons, which could be later exchanged for baby stuff.

Here’s what I’ve earned and got from them for being actively involved in educational programs:

• Crib&matress
• Changing pad
• 2 baby gates
• High chair
• Crib bumpers and nursery stickers set
• Plenty of bibs
• Crib sheet sets
• Feeding bottles
• Medela breast pump
• TONS of free baby clothes
• Car seat and a stroller
• Baby bath tub
• Diapers &wipes enough for 3 months!
• Feeding cover
• Warm winter car seat canopy
• Toys, pacifiers, baby boots, socks
• Memory book, photo phrases
• Blankets, towels & swaddling blankets
• Baby bath care sets, lotions, wash
• Useful literature
• Baby formula
• Prenatal vitamins and mommy stuff 🙂

I’m not even sure that I’ve got the full list here, there was so many things I was able to obtain for absolutely free that I couldn’t really believe that was actually happening especially after I’ve window shopped for baby stuff and was stunned by the prices I most certainly couldn’t afford! I’ll tell you one thing – NEVER decline an opportunity to get involved with a charity organizations like Women Care Center if you need them! They are a true kindness and sympathy of this society, helpful, caring and friendly. And they are honest and transparent pro-life, they don’t want ANYTHING  – just for you to have a healthy happy baby and stay healthy and happy yourself. I’m sure you can find organizations like WCC in your city, as for this particular Women Care Center, I’m proudly and thankfully providing more detailed information about them HERE.

There are many ways nowadays to track your pregnancy day by day, learning how your baby grow and develops. The easiest way to keep yourself in the know is by using special pregnancy mobile apps like these:

1) Ovia Pregnancy
2) Baby Center
3) The Bump

Those apps are truly amazing, they provide you information and support by using the most relevant articles and researches, keeping you in touch with the other moms-to-be in support groups and communities, help get the answers to your questions and let you keep your own sweet memory albums by uploading your photos and notes as you go through your stages and changes. They also keep reminding you of your scheduled appointments, important events and other errands, milestones and happenings (I personally live this function since it’s pretty hard to keep everything in your head while having that ‘pregnant brain’ LOL). So don’t hesitate to download some pregnancy apps, they are free and tremendously useful. Besides, most of them are real fun too! 🙂

First and the foremost what you need to do as soon as you find out you’re gonna have a baby is to schedule your doctor’s appointments where you will get pregnancy scans, tests, ultrasounds and OB GYN observation during your pregnancy term, delivery and postpartum period of time. Let’s assume you’ve taken care about your health insurance (if not – HERE you can find how to do that asap), so now you have to choose your clinic and your doctor. I wasn’t going through any customer reviews or grading, I’ve just put my trust into my local clinic personnel and not even once have I ever regretted it – my experience was flawless and exceeded any of my most daring expectations. But you of course can use all those recommendations and patient ratings when you choose your OB or midwife, clinic and birthplace.

As soon as you find you’re pregnant on of the first things that comes to mind is eating more healthy, right? I’m not even gonna waste time describing that healthy options are more expensive – it’s true, but there’s still a way to get your healthy diet on a low income and on a low cost. Since I prefer describing my personal experience, I’ll tell you that WIC program is a true blessing for helping out with receiving more healthy food items. They provide you certain foods which guarantee your better nutrition while you’re pregnant. Do not hesitate to get involved with them, since it’s not only for food but for education, personal help and counseling, medical services, free baby stuff and books, Baby Box full of goodies and just some human support which is so valuable when you are pretty much alone!

And after your baby is born, WIC program is a LIFE SAVIOR, I kidd you not! From my personal experience, they save me more than $100 per month just on baby formula, I have no idea how hard it would be to fit that in my tight budget without them helping me out, I appreciate their help so much!!! Unfortunately, my baby boy was on combined feeding type — both breast milk and formula – from the very beginning. Of course if you have an opportunity to exclusively breastfeed your baby you should opt for this way of nursing as the most healthy and natural one. If you choose otherwise – WIC is there to help you out big times. HERE you can find more information about them.

When I found out that I’m pregnant I knew pretty little about baby stuff at all – well, like that they need some gear, toys, clothes and a lot of diapers. 🙂 Searching some Internet and following the advice of the pregnancy apps and parenting classes, I came up with my own baby registry list. As I happened to find out later, I didn’t really need some of that stuff I’ve purchased but being a scared overexcited first time mom I’ve included everything I thought was best for my future baby. Behold – here comes The Big List:

MY BABY REGISTRY:
1) Wooden crib+mattress 2) Portable crib/playard 3) Changing table
4) Baby bath tub 5) Protective net (anti-cats!) 6) Big pile of diapers (growing)
7) Lots of baby clothing+wardrobe 8) Diaper Genie 9) Soothing sleeping machine
10) Bottle warmer 11) Bottle sterilizer 12) Bottle drying rack
13) Craddle&rocker high-tech baby chair 14) Bibs&washcloth (growing pile) 15) Take-me-home set
16) Bathing towels set 17) Lullavibe 18) Activity center/gym
19) Baby monitor (audio+video) 20) Hanging nursery organizer 21) Baby high chair
22) Blue Angel sensor system 23) Car seat 24) Stroller
25) First aid newborn kit, thermometer 26) Toys and rattles 27) Pacifiers, fever teller pacifier
28) Car seat canopy 29) Room humidifier 30) Crib bumpers set
31) Breast pump parts set 32) Waterproof mattress covers 33) Hanging crib organizer
34) Baby care set 35) Books&DVDs 36) Water temperature sensor
37) Swaddlers, wearing blankets 38) Small diaper bag 39) Big diaper bag
40) Bibs&burp clothes 41) Baby wipes 42) Socks, hats, mittens
43) Multisensor for nursery 44) Wipe warmer 45) Changing pad+covers
46) Rubber bath toys 47) Cuddle toy 48) Breastmilk storage set
49) Playard anti-cat net 50) Baby carrier 51) Breastfeeding cover
52) Bottle&food cooler 53) Newborn Car seat pad 54) Sleeping sound machine
55) Electronic mobile 56) Diaper trash bags to go 57) Water bath towels
58) Playard mattress 59) Light dimmers 60) Baby clay prints kit
61) Baby safety car stickers 62) Baby mirror for the car

Wow, looks impressive indeed, huh? 🙂 Well, at the same time it was a little overwhelming, I mean it looked kinda scary also… I was shocked by the amount of stuff I needed all of a sudden!!! Even though of course I knew that on my low income I certainly could go with the basic minimum, somehow in this particular case I’ve set my saving habits aside and decided to do all it takes to get a full list.

‘Holy cow, now that’s one expensive list of items!!!’ – that was a milder version of what I’ve thought when searched for the items from my baby registry… 🙁 I had no clue how the heck I’m gonna get money for buying all that baby stuff at the same time I’ve desperately wanted to provide my little peanut with all those things more than anything in the World! I remember as if it happened yesterday – there was that electronic rocker&chair combo with the mobile, music and lights and a possibility to connect a cellphone to play your own music lists or cartoons… It was like a shiny dream, so awesome and convenient, I constantly kept imagining having my baby relax in it… It was priced around $160. 🙁 Well, I’ve carefully told my boyfriend about it and how much it was and heard one word in response: ‘Ouch…’ 🙁 That was the very moment when I’ve understood that on our income being that low I would have to take care of my baby registry all bt myself for like 95% of items… I was desperate – where do I get money for all that stuff???  For certain reasons I couldn’t be employed at that time. Neither me nor my boyfriend don’t have our families anywhere even close and our friends aren’t exactly numerous and wealthy either so there was a zero hope for a baby shower. BUT I WANTED THOSE ITEMS FOR MY BABY! And that was the primary goal for me, no excuse was good enough to step back.

Luckily, I was able to find some ways not only to complete my baby registry but also buy necessary things for the house and myself and make sure I’ve got some money left for future baby needs. Ok, sitting at home on a low income, no job, no funds or savings – HOW?! 🙂 I’ve told you multiple times – WHERE IS A WILL, THERE IS A WAY. 🙂 I was literally exploiting Internet for hours trying to find some ways to earn money from home, went through tons of unrealistic scam and false promises, but finally found my own way to make my baby registry list into a huge number of boxes with my below ed and so mighty desired items for my son.

I was spending my days earning and finding ways to earn some additional income. The most effective ways to complete my so badly wanted registry were:

• Amazon and Walmart gift cards
• PayPal payments
• free stuff from different subscriptions
• hunting every single discount and sale,
• surfing Chinese websites
• taking classes at WCC
• surfing thrift stores

Let’s stop at earning gift cards and payments now. I’ve set myself a goal to earn $10 gift card per day and I was doing everything possible to keep up with this goal!  Yes indeed it took me a while, sometimes making enough to redeem a card took like 2 hours and sometimes all 10 hours, sometimes it was very easy and sometimes exhaustingly hard, to tears and backpains… But my dreamed rocking chair was delivered to my front door in a little bit more than 2 weeks… The other items followed slowly but persistently. In like 5 months all my lists (worth more than $2000) – baby registry, mommy registry and home registry – were complete and there was a little gift card fund left for later. 🙂 Where is a will, there is a way. I felt so proud and confident – of course this sounds ridiculous, $10 per day only seems so little! But at the end it was so big for me and it was so important that I could give my baby those items!

Here are some ways to get some additional income if you need one, just like i did for my registries. Needless to say that these bonuses can’t pay your bills or be the only way you make a living, but they can play a crucial role too. At least they did for me… 🙂

I’ve mentioned a couple of times the so-called mommy registry and house registry, here’s what they are. 🙂 There’s no secret that pregnant women and new moms need a lot of stuff too, postpartum items included. It was a heck of surprise for me too, by the way since this was my first pregnancy and I knew very little – to put it mildly, I was deeply ignorant! LOL – about childbirth and postpartum needs. After a little bit of research, my mommy registry looked like that:

MOMMY REGISTRY

1) Nursing bras 2) Nursing pajamas 3) Shapewear
4) Shaping lotions&creams 5) Breast&nipped creams 6) Mommy pads
7) Postpartum belt 8) Corsets 9) Active wear for exercising
10) Stretchmarks creams 11) Nursing nipped pads 12) Gel breast therapy pads
13) Sleeping comfort bras 14) Nursing push-up bras 15) Always Ultra Heavy Flow
16) Waterproof underwear 15) Nightgown 16) Supporting belt
17) Pain relief spray 18) Face illuminating kit 19) Wraps&serum set
20) Silicone leakage proof pads

As for the house, it needed some things for the nursery and some general needs to provide convenience for the new baby and myself. We rent a very tiny cheap apartment and it most certainly wasn’t the best place for welcoming the kid, but some items helped me prepare it to my baby’s arrival. First I had a list of necessary reorganizing and cleaning (I also need to mention that I have two cats… 🙂 )

Getting the house ready

1) Clean the carpets
2) Sterilize the kitchen, bathroom
3) Organize new nursery
4) Equip and clean the car
5) Put up the chandelier &dimmer
6) Organize the wardrobe in the attic
7) Make shelves, pantry
8) Plant a garden
9) Make the backyard baby-comfortable

HOUSE REGISTRY

1) Ceramic pots&pans set
2) Professional carpet cleaner
3) Steamer mop
4) Car vacuum cleaner
5) Air conditioner
6) Freezer

I’m just gonna remind you about some major points you need to follow, no big lectures here! 🙂

1) Get all the baby documents ready asap
2) Make sure you apply for health and life insurances for your newborn
3) Set your pediatrician appointments and vaccinations
4) Follow the baby weight gain for a couple of weeks
5) Get your OB check up scheduled
7) Take care of your birth control plan
8) Watch your own mental & physical health closely
6) Enjoy being a brand new parent!!! 🙂

After my baby was born I didn’t really have too much spending since I was mostly prepared working on my needs beforehand. I had enough baby clothing, all necessary gear, plenty of diapers, ect. Since I had a pretty ‘boring’ pregnancy and almost no weight gain (all together I’ve only gained 15 lbs, including the baby) I was my pre-pregnancy size in like a week or so and my size didn’t change enough to haul for a new wardrobe. 🙂 If your case is different, make sure you buy a couple of new outfits that match your new size and look good – you need to feel good with your body, it’s critical for your mental health and overall wellbeing and good mood! 🙂 Having a baby is a wonderful reason to experiment on your style and try something new and beautiful!

Baby clothing is the next big part of expenses and the more your kid grows the more expensive that clothing gets! Luckily, I had a lot of experience getting adult clothing on a tight budget so I’ve treated getting a baby wardrobe just the same way and it was even easier and more cheap! It’s a lot of fun also, love shopping for baby clothing! 🙂 Here’s the places to keep it free or affordable on a low income (as mentioned above, those aren’t much different from the ones you’re already using to ensure your high life looks 🙂 )

• charity organizations
• church sales
• thrift stores
• mass market sales
• mobile sales apps
• Chinese websites
• family & friends giveaways

Oh, a little warning – Chinese website stuff have horrible detailing, so make sure you’ve got a cheap sewing kit, Velcro kit, zippers and clippers and some buttons (can be found for $0.97-$2.00 at Fabrics & Crafts department at Walmart, for example).

Well, my son is a little bit over 5 months old now, he’s developing and growing every day leaving me totally stunned and amazed every day. 🙂 There’s not too much stuff he needs in addition right now but I’m trying to keep making some additional income to keep up with his growth and stages. 🙂 As promised at the beginning of this page, I’ll keep my growing parenting experience together with practical solutions as my baby gets bigger. For now, I’ve recently finished working on this little list of items he will need in closest future.

Recent baby needs:
1) Clothes, diapers (lots) 2) Shoes, socks (plenty)
3) Toys (plenty) 4) Books, CDs
5) Jumperoo 6) Puree&baby food recipes
7) Baby Bullet+storage 8) Sitting support pillow
9) Baby dishes 10) Digital developing toys
11) Potty 12) Doorway jumpers
13) Full baby proof safety kit 14) Baby gates
15) Protective crawling pads 16) Movies, cartoons, music
17) Potty-training diapers 18) Baby food cooler
19) Sitting trainer 20) Floor baby mirror
21) Crawling mat 22) Baby steamer
23) Stroller windchime toys 24) Travelling outside bed
25) WubbaNub 26) Teethers&soothers
27)  Amber teething necklace

Please feel free to share your experience, I’d love to hear your advice!