9 Financial Shocks for New Parents
" . . . Diapers and wipes: The average baby goes through ten diapers a day. If you use disposable diapers, that'll cost you about $2,000 by the time your little one is potty-trained! Add to that the cost of cleaning their little bottom with a wet wipe or two at each diaper change and youll be adding about $100 to your monthly grocery bill. Even using cloth diapers can be expensive if you use a diaper service.
To save money in this area, you can use cloth diapers and launder them yourself. Jennifer Herrin of Tulsa, Okla., found it easy to use cloth diapers with her children.
"These days you can buy them with Velcro or snaps and elasticized leg openings so they fit just as snugly as the expensive disposable diapers," Herrin says. She washed them at home and saved a bundle."
For more news on how to help that new mom, check out MSN's tips feature entitled "Save a bundle on your new baby."
Grown ups and toddlers alike have to chow down, so if you're feeling the grocery pinch or know someone who is, do the free sign up at MSN's SmartSpending blog. Get hot tips on how to trim back that gargantuan food budget!
