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One of my biggest worries before the twins came was how we were going to afford it all.
I mean, two of this, two of that.. it all adds up SO quick!
But what if I told you I have spent less than $800 on the twins first year.
And I am not even kidding.
It might even be less than that, but I am rounding up. $800. For twins. That is $400 per kid ladies.
You’re probably thinking one of two things- 1. That $800 is still a lot of money or 2. There is no effing way.
Well, first off- $800 isn’t that bad at all. Think about everything you have to buy within the first year. Cribs, clothes (sets of clothes for newborn, 3m, 6m, 9m, 12m and maybe even 18m), car seats, strollers, diapers, wipes, bottles, carriers, butt cream. I have an entire list here that knocks everything out.
Now the $800 isn’t sounding too bad, huh? Oh and that isn’t even including formula. I didn’t include food in this post. But you can read about how you can save on formula here.
But a good car seat runs you $100-200 a piece, stroller another $100. Clothes?? Jeez could be thousands. You get the picture.
Now you’re probably thinking #2. That I am f****** nuts. There is no way.
Well, there is! Want to know my secret?
I shop smart.
The only things that I’ve bought NEW are diapers and carseats.
Everything else was used. I would love to have been able to buy everything new and get matching sets of this and that for the twins, but that would have been so far out of my budget. It wasn’t possible for me. It isn’t possible for a lot of people.
I’ll get into how I shop smart in a second. First we are going to talk baby shower because that is where you are going to save the most $$$$$.
How I have saved big on the twins first year
First, get that registry in order girl.
Do NOT keep anything out. Put all of the big ticket items on there. Who knows? Aunt B might want to snag it for you, or mom might find the exact stroller you want at a garage sale down the street from her house.
Mention on your invitation, facebook party group, whatever you plan out, that used items are PERFECT! They might be great thrifters and be able to find huge sets of hand me down clothes for cheap! My mom did exactly that for me and I have not had to buy any clothes for the twins. Not even kidding. I have bought a few matchy outfits here and there- but I didn’t need to.
I was set with what I was given!
Next- don’t forget about a diaper raffle. I missed out BIG because of this.
A diaper raffle is where guests at your baby shower bring packs of diapers for raffle tickets. All you have to do is provide some kind of prize for your guests. It doesn’t have to be a big gift at all, It could seriously just be a white elephant type gift! It is entirely up to you! But I have friends that didn’t even need to buy diapers for the first year of their kids lives because of their raffles!
Okay now after the baby shower, the key is to make an inventory.
If you need to, enlist your mom or friends of yours that are moms. Go over what you have and what you are actually going to need. Then make a plan.
Still need cribs and mattresses? Wait.
You have some time to look for great deals on used ones. I didn’t even put my twins in their cribs until they were about 9-10 months old. They slept in pack and plays before that, and their rock and plays before that! It gave me plenty of time to shop around and find cribs for SUPER cheap. I even ended up finding a matching set from different people! Score!
Keep your list out all the time. Stick it to the fridge if you need to. Look for great deals throughout the months rather than jumping the gun and buying everything in one day. I always try to keep myself one foot ahead. I always have diapers to get through the next month, next size of clothes lined up, you get the picture.
But the biggest tip for saving money with twins?
THRIFT THRIFT THRIFT.
Use the facebook marketplace, offer up, Goodwill, resale shops, any and everything!!
I somehow scored an adorable teepee that the twins are obsessed with for $5. I snag things left and right for very little. Baby items have barely any resale value- so take advantage! Don’t buy new yourself and fall into the same pit.
A great way to find stuff for cheap is to join your community. My local mom groups host swaps though out the year where everyone gathers what they no longer need and donates it all to the group. We rent out a location and lay everything on tables for each other to go through. And everything is 100% free.
Entirely worth diving into, in my opinion!
Another great way to save with Facebook is to join your local Buy Nothing group. It is seriously just that. A group in your community where people gift things to each other for FREE! My local group has been an absolute blessing. I have also had the opportunity to gift what I no longer needed for the twins to new moms in my area!
I hope you enjoyed my tips and they inspire you to save some money and that if anything, a baby doesn’t have to be crazy expensive!
Make sure to check out my post from a few months back on tips for affording twins next!
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