Four Ways New Moms Can Save Money

1. Babies and toddlers grow so fast that it rarely makes sense to buy brand-new expensive clothing for them. Seasonal consignment sales and consignment stores are your best bets for buying gently used name-brand clothing for a fraction of the retail price. It's also better for the environment to buy second-hand. Win-win!

2. Repeat after me: you do not need alllll the new baby gear. Almost every mom will tell you that they rarely used every piece of baby "equipment" that they bought or were given the first time around. And again, for most baby gear like swings or soothers, you can save big money by shopping second-hand at consignment stores or consignment sales.

3. The fewer toys, the better. Children get overwhelmed when there are too many toys to choose from. Select a few items that suit your child's age range and don't go overboard buying everything you think they would like. If you have a larger collection of toys I'd also recommend breaking them up into a couple different bins or boxes and rotate the box every week or two.

4. Save some cash by using a convertible car seat from the beginning instead of going from an infant carrier to a convertible seat. Many convertible seats can accommodate babies as small as 5 lbs and will last/convert up until your child is in a booster seat.