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Home › Articles › Preparing for Baby › Anticipating Baby

Anticipating Baby

The Unexpected Cost of Parenthood

By Jenn Director Knudsen

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Formula costs differ depending on the brand and type (such as powder, premixed, hypoallergenic) but can be quite high overall. Shu says the average cost of ready-to-feed formulas is 25 cents an ounce. If your baby consumes 20 ounces a day of that kind of formula for one year, you'll pay nearly $2,000.

And Walker says some specialized formulas for medical conditions can run upwards of $50 a can. She says parents can take action to lower their formula costs. "The first thing to do is ask for as many samples as you can before you leave the hospital," she recommends. Then, hit up your pediatrician; they often have samples on hand. She further recommends contacting formula manufacturers directly. "Often, these companies will budget for donating cases of formula to those parents who are having a hard time paying for it," such as parents of multiples, says Walker.

Baby Stuff
Feeding your newborn may be expensive, but feeding paraphernalia doesn't have to be. In fact, you can skip some things, such as bottle warmers and bottle coolers, Shu says. She adds that diaper-wipe warmers and even diaper pails with "odor systems" are unneeded, more costly items. "There are definitely places where you can cut out non-necessities," she says.

"In this day and age, there's simply no reason for anyone to pay full retail price for anything," Walker says. "From online discounters to local resale shops, the second-hand baby merchandise is definitely the way to go [for baby items]."

With one caveat: You must be cautious when purchasing safety-related items such as car seats secondhand. Check the U.S. government's Consumer Product Safety Commission's Web site for recalled or old items.


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