[Note: This information is current at time of writing (May 2012). For up-to-date or more specific information, check out the government websites listed in the resources section below or linked to in the article.]

There are currently a number of options when it comes to Australian government financial assistance for families. This assistance can go a long way in helping to cover the costs of raising a family and living on a reduced family income.

Below is a list of assistance programmes available to those who meet the eligibility requirements. Nearly all families in Australia are entitled to at least one financial assistance option listed below.

Paid Parental Leave

Paid parental leave is $589.40 per week (at time of writing – based on the Australian minimum wage) for an eligible working parent (usually the mother) for up to 18 weeks.

You can find more info here and here.

As of January 2013, the government is also offering paid paternity leave for fathers. This leave is for two weeks paid at the minimum wage.

The Baby Bonus

The Baby Bonus is an alternative to Paid Parental Leave and is $5,500 paid fortnightly (at time of writing). It is now income tested.

You can find eligibility requirements and more info here and here.

You cannot receive both the Paid Parental Leave and the Baby Bonus. If you are eligible for both, it’s a good idea to use the Paid Parental Leave Comparison Estimator to work out which assistance benefits you the most.

Family Tax Benefit (Part A & B)

The Family Tax Benefit Part A is a payment that helps families with the cost of raising children. It is paid for each dependent child up to the age of 21 (under certain circumstances. This payment may stop at age 16 if they stop full time study. The amount received depends on the age and number of children as well as family income. See here and here for more details.

The Family Tax Benefit Part B is to assist single income families, including sole parent families. The amount received will depend on the age of the youngest child. This benefit is income tested and eligibility requirements need to be met.

You can find more information here and here.

You can choose to have these payments paid either fortnightly or annually.

Child Care Benefit and Rebate

The Child Care Benefit is to help pay for the cost of child care, assuming you meet the eligibility requirements (the child care centre has to be government approved and your child has to be immunized, for instance) and you pass the income test. The payment amount depends on your family income and is paid either as a lump sum at the end of the financial year, or as a direct reduction in child care fees throughout the year.

You can find more information here, here and here.

The Child Care Rebate is available for those already receiving the Child Care Benefit and is a rebate for 50% of out of pocket expenses on child care costs (to a maximum payment of $7,500 in the 2012 financial year). You can elect to have the rebate paid fortnightly, quarterly or annually.

You can find more information here and here.

Maternal Immunization Allowance

The government provides an extra incentive for immunizing children. Immunization is free and if you follow the proscribed schedule of immunization, you get a bonus payment for each child between the age of 18 – 24 months and then again between the ages of 4 and 5 years.

You can find more information here and here.

Parenting Payment

The parenting payment is for very low income families – at the time of writing to receive the maximum parenting payment with one child, a couple’s combined income can be no more than $174.60 per fortnight. If you receive this payment, you will still be eligible for other parenting benefits.

You can find more information here.

Other available benefits

If your income is under a certain amount, you may be eligible for a low income healthcare card. At the time of writing, the maximum income you can earn over an 8 week period is $6,944 – anything under and you may be entitled to this card (assuming you meet the other eligibility requirements). The card entitles you to free or cheaper medical expenses, including prescription medication, as well as other discounts, depending on what state you live in. For example, some states give a discount on electricity or public transport to card holders.

Once again, go to the Centrelink website for more details and here for income test info. To find out what additional discounts you are entitled to, check out your state government’s website.

Depending on your circumstances, you may also be eligible for rent assistance, you can find more information here, or visit your local Centrelink Office.

Other payments available include the Double Orphan Pension Scheme, the Child Support Scheme and the Assistance for Isolated Children Scheme.

The school kids bonus is a benefit that was announced this month as part of the 2012 federal budget. This bonus will replace the Education Tax Refund. The bonus will be paid to families with school age children twice yearly – at the beginning of term one and three, starting in June 2012.  You can find more information here.

This article is just a summary of the current government assistance available to families in Australia – check out the relevant government pages for more information on each payment. It’s a good idea to know what assistance available to you and, if you are in a position to be choosing between the baby bonus and the paid maternity leave, how to calculate which is the best option for your circumstances.

resources

• Centrelink Payment information
• The Family Assistance Office

Have you read these articles?:

1. managing electronic bills

Part four and the last in the series on saving money when having a baby. Today’s post is about how we save money on clothes, toys and other miscellaneous things.

As always, it would be great to hear your tips on how you saved money when having a baby.

Living in a warm climate, I find the best way to save money on kid’s clothes is for them not to wear any. Eating something messy? Top off. Finger painting? Much more fun when you can paint your own nipples (I’m talking about the little fella here. It’s not something I’ve tried, but now that I think about it…) Mud pies? Bring it on.

And there’s less washing – an associated cost of wearing clothes.

Toys are another area where we don’t spend a lot of money, although we do have some favourites. Teddy is the most important toy in our house. The other night, the little fella woke around 3am upset. DH went in to settle him and find teddy, who had fallen under the bed. As DH walked out, I heard:

‘Daddy’

‘Yes?’

‘I love teddy.’

The other commercial toys that are very popular in our house at the moment are matchbox cars and Duplo. However, both these toys are much more fun when they can be played with in the dirt or if the little fella builds ramps and bridges with scrap wood offcuts.

Below are some more ways we save money on clothes, toys and miscellaneous baby items.

Clothing

As babies grow out of clothes so very quickly, second-hand clothing is great. $20 Target clothes at 20% off doesn’t feel like much of a bargain, when you can pick up similar for 50c – $1 at the op-shop.

A tip for op-shop buying is to get clothes in a range of sizes if you see some good ones, and put them away until baby grows into them. There’s stuff the little fella is wearing now that I bought over a year ago at 50c. And I have a few items stashed away that he’ll fit into next summer.

There are however, times when I’ve found Kmart clothes to be cheaper than the op-shop, so keep an eye out for end of season sales.

The other source of second-hand clothes, if it’s available, is friends who can pass down unwanted baby and kid’s clothes, or older siblings. If our bub is a girl, she’ll be wearing blue occasionally.

Lastly, I find Nanna to be an endless source of clothes. Nannas love shopping for baby clothes, between the two of ours, I don’t have to get much.

As a commenter mentioned in a previous post, brand-name / designer clothes aren’t that great. We’ve been given a few and I haven’t liked any of them.  Firstly, they are usually not designed to fit over cloth nappies. Secondly, as the clothes are designed to look pretty, there’s lots of zips and buttons and other annoying things you don’t want to be mucking around with every nappy change. Finally, they are often made of stiff fabrics or the design is constrictive and doesn’t allow for freedom of movement, which is very important in the first few years of life. Tracky-daks or cotton onesies from Big W are more comfortable for baby, they can move more freely and it’s cheaper and easier for you too!

toys

For the first few months, a baby doesn’t really need any toys at all. All those flashing, whirring, elevator-music mobiles over the cot…just make it harder for baby to sleep. On the other hand, ceiling fans are endlessly fascinating.

I was tempted by one of those play mats that have dangly things over the top; if I did it all again, I wouldn’t buy one. They aren’t bad actually, the little fella enjoyed it and I will use it again, but it’s just as interesting (and a lot cheaper) for bub to lie under / near a chair with a few things hanging off the chair (just make sure they are secure and bub can’t get tangled in them!).

Once bub can sit up, a treasure basket (see here and here for ideas) filled with things from around the house can keep a baby amused for ages. The items are free and more often than not, a child will be interested in them more than commercial toys. The old ‘prefer the cardboard box to the toy’ is very true. What’s more, open ended toys are not only more interesting, they encourage creativity, imagination and problem solving.

Since the little fella was about 8 months old or so, I would encourage ‘independent play’ in the afternoon after his nap – when he was at his best and I was at my lowest. That’s when I would pick up a book and read while sitting next to him and watching him play. Some days I would get in 10 minutes of reading, other days up to 1 hour. Now that the little fella is two, that time is an accepted part of our routine.

Here are some posts on frugal toys and keeping young kid’s amused:

• frugal toy ideas for baby
• best frugal toy we’ve ever bought (it still get’s played with almost daily, 1 1/2 years later in ways I could never have come up with myself)
• rainy day activities for young toddlers
• a roundup of ideas from other blogs

miscellaneous

We purchased a baby bath. I’m thinking of planting potatoes in it. It barely got used, it was a back strain and I don’t think we’ll use it again this time around. After a couple of months, we ended up lying the little fella down in a very shallow (inch or so) amount of water in the normal bath. This meant he could splash around happily and it was easy to wash his hair. We’ll do the same this time around I think, except use the laundry tub for the first few months – much easier on the back! It’s one of those things though, that you don’t know if you’re going to use it until you try it – some people (and babies) love baby baths. If you can, borrow one, at least for a little while. If you don’t like it, you don’t have to worry about where to store it.

Other things you might want to consider (good to put on your baby shower / nanna list or wait until after bub is born to see if you really want / need them):

• an extra towel or two (or use ones you already have)
• cot sheets – if you’re handy, you can make your own from old bed sheets
• nappy bag (you can see the one I made here along with the nappy stacker, change mats and burp cloths)
• wraps – some babies do, some babies don’t.
• Burp cloths – we made a few from terry nappies
• portable cot – we actually use ours quite a bit
• sunshades for the car windows
• nappy rash cream – wait till baby is born to see if you need it. The little fella got thrush from me taking antibiotics to try and get my milk to come in. Now I swear blind by Daktozin – cleared things up within hours! Paw paw ointment was never effective for us.
• a thermometer can be useful – we got an inexpensive digital one, which works fine for a baby, not so good for a squirming toddler. An in ear one can make life easier.
• Baby proofing stuff. What you get will depend on your home. Good for keeping little fingers out of the sharp knives drawer while you’re having a cup of tea with your feet up doing the vacuuming. We purchased stair gates, which we no longer need to use (at least not until the next baby starts crawling). They do come in handy at night though, in case the little fella wanders around in the dark while we’re asleep and he’s asleep (sleepwalking is genetic and DH is a sleepwalker).
• High chair – I love our high chair! It’s fully adjustable up and down, folds away, the tray is removable (the little fella eats at the table with us now, but sits in his highchair so he can reach), it can be tilted back for comfort… and it cost us $15 from the op-shop. If I had to buy one new though, I would get your basic, inexpensive, plastic-moulded chair – much, much easier to clean!!

Things I wouldn’t buy:

Pretty much everything else on the market .  Because I feel babies will sit up / crawl / walk in their own time, and it can be better for their body not to force them into positions their muscles aren’t developed enough to cope with, I never got a bumbo or walker etc.

My only caveat to that is we did find a baby bouncer invaluable! A light, inexpensive one, like the old-fashioned wire and string ones, is all we needed (ours did vibrate – we never used that option). It meant the little fella could look around (which he always liked) while I vacuumed and I could put him in it while I had a shower or hung the washing outside.

Every now and then, you will come across an article in the paper, or in a magazine, stating how expensive it can be to have a baby. It doesn’t have to be expensive at all. For the first few months you will probably have free milk. Cloth nappies are inexpensive. A lot of baby gear can be purchased second-hand (most of it is only used for a little while anyway). Most of the rest isn’t needed. 

What are your best tips on saving money when having a baby? What are your must-have items and the items that you regret buying / wouldn’t buy?

Have you read these articles?:

1. saving money when having a baby part three–asleep and on the go
2. saving money when having a baby part two–the other end
3. saving money when having a baby part one – feeding

Today’s article is the third in the series on saving money when having a baby as I count down to ‘labour day’ for baby number two.

Today I look at sleep and transportation. As always, it would be great to hear in the comments your experiences, products you would swear by, others you would avoid, things that worked for you, things that didn’t.

The third major way to save money on bub that I mentioned in part one, is to buy as much as you can second-hand. Before getting into sleep and transport options, I wanted to go over some tips for buying second-hand with particular emphasis on ensuring you are getting products that meet today’s Australian Safety Standards. Second-hand gear is great – babies grow out of things so fast! It does pay to keep safety in mind when purchasing goods, both used and new.

Some general tips on buying second-hand:

• When it comes to buying second-hand baby products, you want to make sure they are both clean and meet current Australian safety standards.
• Inspect all second-hand goods well for wear and tear, possible hazards and cleanliness.
• Get the brand and model number of the product you intend to buy and do a search online to make sure it hasn’t ever been recalled. We were going to purchase a second-hand cot and after some investigation online, found that model had actually been recalled as unsafe!
• Look online also for reviews and comments on the second-hand product you intend to purchase.
• Look for sellers that kept the tags, manuals and safety information. If you are buying a new cot and intend to sell it second-hand later, keep all tags and manuals to show prospective buyers.
• Obviously, you have to be more rigorous with items that are required to meet safety standards like cots and prams than with things like clothes, which are great second-hand.
• Another option is to choose to buy second-hand goods from a friend or someone you know and trust. While I wouldn’t buy a second-hand car seat (you never know if it’s been in an accident and it’s recommended that they not be used after an accident), if I had the option to buy one from a friend who I knew well, then I wouldn’t have the same qualms.

Sleeping

When it comes to sleeping there are many options, the best option is the one that is right for you. Options include: co-sleeping in the parent’s bed; co-sleeping with a ‘sleeper’; using a bassinet or similar either in your room or a separate room; using a cot either in your room or a separate room, putting baby on a mattress on the floor for the first few months, either in your room or a separate room. If you’re not sure which is the best option, try some and see.

Obviously, the cheapest option is to co-sleep with baby in your own bed [here’s an article I found really interesting on co-sleeping. I’m not generally the biggest fan of Dr. Sears, but the article was definitely food for thought.]

We chose to buy a cot and our little fella slept in our room next to our bed for the first six months of his life. I have to admit that all three of us slept much better once he went into his own room, however, we are going to use the same arrangement again with our next baby.

We chose to skip the bassinet / Moses basket and go straight to a cot – we felt in was an unnecessary expense to buy a basket that he would grow out of so quickly. I think the little fella would have gone to sleep easier in those first few weeks, if he had the closeness and security that the baskets offer.

We purchased the cot brand new and on sale with a new mattress for $130 in total from a baby store. Because it was the New Year sales, we managed to get a significant saving off the ticket price. If you are having a baby and looking at buying a cot, start looking early and keep an eye out for sales.

Second-hand cots are another valid option – check the tips on buying second-hand at the top of the post to ensure you are buying a cot that meets current safety standards. You may or may not prefer to buy a new mattress.

Speaking of mattresses, I think a mattress on the floor can be a great option, depending on your circumstances. If baby rolls, there’s nowhere to fall. As the guidelines for co-sleeping safely recommend avoiding a soft mattresses and to be carful baby can’t fall down between the wall or bedhead and mattress, a firm mattress on the floor or even two – one for you and one for baby – can be a great way to co-sleep comfortably.

If you opt to have your baby in a separate room or eventually move bub into their own room, you may want to consider a monitor, especially if there is some distance between your room or your living space and their room. Again, keep an eye out for when these go on sale or purchase one second-hand. You don’t need a state of the art monitor, a simple radio one is enough to let you know that bub needs your attention.

As well as something to sleep on, your baby will need something to sleep in. Swaddling wraps are great for the first few months and make a great baby shower gift. They come in handy later on as play mats, breastfeeding covers and something to wipe up spills.

As the little fella grew older, I found the baby sleeping bags to be excellent at keeping him warm and covered. Again, we either used second-hand sleeping bags or purchased them on sale. A tip on keeping up with sales – ‘LIKE’ baby stores on Facebook. We purchased our baby sleeping bags at 50% by keeping up with sales via Facebook. Also, if you’re like us and don’t get junk mail, you can subscribe to store catalogues and keep an eye out for sales that way.

Transportation

Car seat

A car seat is essential…if you have a car. There are several options available.

You can choose to hire a car capsule. The QLD Ambulance service hire and fit a baby capsule for newborns up to 6 months old for around $90. The upside to these carriers is that you can remove the carrier from the car, rather than the baby from the carrier, if bub is asleep.

You can also choose to purchase one of these outright from a store rather than hire it.

A third alternative is to purchase an all-in-one, convertible type car seat that starts out as a rear facing seat for baby (often with inserts for small babies) and then turns round to be front-facing for older toddlers. The upside to this option is that it’s cheaper than buying or hiring a separate capsule and then another seat for when baby gets older. The downside is that you have to take baby out of the seat rather than leave baby in the carrier if he/she is sleeping. We hired a capsule last time; as an infrequent car user, I didn’t feel it necessary this time.

While I wouldn’t necessarily buy a car seat second-hand (see tips above as to why), this is another item to have on the list early and keep an eye out for sales. We recently purchased a car seat, getting the toddler to eight year old model (with built in MP3 speakers would you believe, lol) on sale for a significant saving (and the baby will get the hand-me-down convertible car seat). The sale, coupled with some gift vouchers from Christmas, made it a much cheaper purchase.

Prams

Last time I wrote about saving money on our first baby, I was unsure whether or not we would get a pram.

Well, as we are a single car family and as I walk just about everywhere, the pram was probably one of the best investments we made! It gets a lot of use. Daily. The alternative – using the car more – would end up costing much more in extra petrol than the pram investment.

If you drive a car, stay at home a lot or prefer to use a baby carrier, a pram may not be a worthwhile purchase. What we did (and what we are doing now in regards to possibly getting a double pram) is we saved up before bub was born to purchase a pram, and then waited until after the baby was born to decide whether we needed one or not.

We purchased a pram on sale from Target. It’s not a state of the art pram but it has all the necessary features like a cover and a basket underneath (good as I usually walk rather than drive to the shops).

A good alternative is to purchase a pram second-hand either through eBay, through your local classifieds or your local Facebook buy, swap and sell group, or through the Baby markets.

Baby carriers

I really like the idea of baby carriers, I just didn’t have a lot of success the first time around.

After doing a lot of research, we opted for the wrap type carrier. I have to say, these are very comfortable and I’m a big fan. We purchased one of these wraps off eBay brand new and fairly cheaply.

The problem was, all that material wasn’t great for our climate. Both the little fella and I got quite overheated wearing it. His birth weight was also 4kgs and I was both quite unfit and had a lot of pregnancy arthritis and other pain, so I found carrying him to the shops and back was a strain.

This time around I intend to give the wrap another go – a winter baby will make a difference to the overheating problem. Also, I’m much fitter and stronger this pregnancy, so I’m hoping we will make do with a single pram and a baby carrier rather than one of those unwieldy double prams (we’ll see how we go).

When the baby is older and if baby carrying is working out well, I was thinking of getting one of the Ergo carriers. Has anyone had any experience with these? They look comfortable for both mum and baby (no dangly legs) and you can wear baby easily on your back, which again I think would be more convenient, once bub is older, than having one of those double prams.

If you’re wondering about the different carrier options, Stephanie at Keeper of the Home has a great post about her experiences with the different variety of baby carriers.

To save money on baby carriers, purchase second-hand, buy online or on sale or make your own.

You don’t need to buy a $700 cot with matching bumper and quilt cover for baby, nor do you need an expensive pram (or even a car seat with built in MP3 speakers – it was the only one there, I swear ). You just need a safe place for baby to sleep, and way to get from A to B comfortably, safely (and legally). In other words, it’s not necessary to spend a fortune when having a baby.

Now over to you – what worked for you in the sleep and transport category of baby rearing and how did you save money on these things?

Have you read these articles?:

1. saving money when having a baby part one – feeding
2. saving money when having a baby part four–clothing, toys and miscellaneous
3. saving money when having a baby part two–the other end

Last week I looked at ways to save money on feeding a baby, this week I’m covering the other end…with nappies.

Using cloth nappies rather than disposables is the second major way of saving money on having a baby (along with breastfeeding). Below are a few ways that we used to reduce the cost of nappies.

As usual, I’d love to hear about your savings tips and nappy experiences in the comments below.

Cloth v Disposable Nappies – a cost comparison

Using cloth nappies is almost always cheaper than using disposables. I say almost because if you buy the most expensive modern cloth nappy or MCN on the market, wash in hot water, use brand-name detergent, and dry using a dryer, then yes, you may end up paying more for cloth nappies (although the initial capital outlay is offset if you have more than one child).

On the other hand, if you buy cheaper nappies, wash in cold water and line dry, the cost of cloth nappies is much, much cheaper than disposables.

And of course, the environmental impact of cloth nappies is much less than disposable nappies.

When the little fella was younger, I ran a cost comparison between our costs, based on our usage, and the cost of disposables, I’ll reprint it here:

We use the flannel flat nappies which cost $1.70 each. I wash every two days and each nappy gets worn approximately three times a week. Over the course of the first year, the  amortised capital outlay is less than 1 cent per wear (the little fella is still wearing these nappies at two and they will be used for the new baby, so actually, the capital cost is much less, but we’ll stick with 1 cent for simplicity).

We soak the nappies in commercial nappy soaker, wash in cold water, make our own laundry detergent and line dry. Electricity is around 4 cents per wash (calculated as per our electricity bill), water is around 6 cents (as per our water bill) and detergent and soaker around 20 cents for a load of 14 nappies. This makes the cost of each wash approximately 30 cents – 2.14 cents per nappy (incidentally, costs have risen since I first did this calculation, it is probably closer to 3 cents per nappy now).

We also use a liner in our nappies for convenience, which adds another 3 cents to the cost of each wear.

Adding together the amortised capital cost, the cost of washing and the cost of a liner, the total cost per wear is 6 – 7 cents for the first year (again, a little less if the same nappies are used for more than one year or for more than one child, which is our case).

To compare: Woolworths homebrand disposable nappies are around 30 cents each. Huggies brand nappies are around 70 cents each. Assuming we average about 6 nappies per day throughout the first year, we save around $500 in the first year compared to purchasing homebrand nappies or $1,380 compared to the Huggies brand.

Saving money on cloth nappies

I know that a lot of people swear blind by the Modern Cloth Nappies – we tried both the MCNs and the old-fashioned flannel flats and actually preferred the flannel nappies.

The upside to the MCN is that they are easy and quick to use– their design being very similar to that of a disposable. If you get the ‘all-in-one’ design, then you don’t have to worry about separate pilchers. Depending on the material, they can also be quick drying. The downside is that they can be expensive and depending on the type you purchase, you may have to buy different sizes for your growing bub.

Flannel flats are a lot cheaper (as stated above, around $2 each, compared to around $10 – $30 each for an MCN if purchased new). We found the flannel nappies to be easier to use, one-size-fits-all and easily adjustable to suit bub’s (and now toddler’s) size and shape, easy to wash and very quick drying. They are also multi-functional – we cut some up to use as bum wipes and burp cloths, clean nappies (as they are) are good for vomit spills and burp cloths, they’ve also become part of play as tents and blankets for teddy and the little fella can help me hang them on the clothes horse (I’ll talk more about pilchers and fasteners below).

[For more information on our nappy system see: In one end and out the other – cloth nappies six months on.]

So, if you’re looking for the most inexpensive option, flat flannel nappies are the way to go.

However, there are ways you can reduce the cost of MCNs. You can purchase them second hand at baby markets, eBay, Gumtree, or other dedicated websites like this one.

You can also make your own MCNs using recycled materials. I’ve written an article in the past explaining the different types of nappies available (because it can be a bit confusing – at least I found it was), different materials used and tutorials on making your own nappies. You can read about making your own nappies here.

Another option is Elimination Communication (not using nappies for either some or all of the time). We used this method with success for the first few months until the little fella was more interested in crawling around than sitting, at which point we reverted to solely using nappies – it was easier both for us and the little fella. You can find out more on EC and our experiences here.

The final option, which I haven’t explored myself and maybe if you have, you might tell us about your experiences in the comments below, is a nappy delivery service. I once knew people who ran a nappy service and it was very popular and profitable (although a lot of hard work). The Eco Mum (a great blog) also runs a Modern Cloth Nappy service in Sydney (soon to expand to other regions), if you are interested in looking at how these services work.

Saving money on disposables

At around 8 months of age, we found that the cloth nappies were leaking at night and we were changing clothes and bedding several times a night. We tried a few MCNs without any luck and decided to use a single disposable nappy for over night.

If you have any suggestions for cloth nappies that don’t leak at night and that keep baby dry when they sleep through, I would LOVE to hear about them in the comments below (I found one that looked promising but is not available in Australia). We would really prefer to go back to a cloth nappy for the night times also.

When it comes to disposables, we found the homebrand ones to be just as effective as the more expensive brand variety, for half the cost. Other mothers I know swear by Aldi nappies, although I haven’t tried them myself.

I’m a little hesitant when it comes to bio-degradable or ‘eco’ disposable nappies, mostly because we can’t afford them, but also because generally for something to bio-degrade, it has to be exposed to air, water and critters, not buried in a plastic bag deep beneath the earth. On the other hand, they may use less chemicals and have less of an environmental impact during manufacture, which is the other important factor to consider when it comes to disposables and the environment.

Aside from buying homebrand nappies to save money, you can keep an eye out for specials and discounts and stock up during sales. Discount chemists are also a good source of cheap nappies and sales as well as discount stores like Big W. When comparing brands, don’t forget to look at how many nappies come in a packet and go for the smallest size range that fits your child, because as they get older and the nappies get bigger, there are less in a packet and therefore more expensive per nappy!

The extras

Wipes

We use a combination of homebrand ‘chux’ cut up into little squares, and cut up flannel nappies that can be washed and reused, for wipes. A little squirt of natural soap on a chux square helps clean a dirty bum when bub is older (we just used water for the first couple of months).

You can make your own wipes with chamomile or other scented natural products, but I neither had the time nor did I think that stuff was necessary.

When out and about, I always carry a bottle of water for myself (and now the little fella), so I can use that to dampen a chux square. Plain old toilet paper is a good alternative if necessary.

Liners

Liners are completely unnecessary but convenient for poo disposal. As the little fella is fairly regular, I don’t always use a liner. We use homebrand liners, although these are not flushable, Eenee has flushable, bio-degradable liners. I like Eenee products – not so keen on the cost of their postage (they are in Tasmania). Biome Stores also stock their products, which is more convenient if there’s a store near you.

The little fella went through a stage of doing a poo as soon as we put on his (disposable) night time nappy. Using a liner (and changing it immediately) kept the nappy clean so we could continue to use it rather than using two each night.

Pilchers and Fasteners

If you use flannel flats, you will need pilchers and fasteners.

You can buy plastic pants very, very cheaply from Kmart or Big W – they last about 5 seconds before tearing.

I found the best ones are the Eenee plastic pants – they are supposed to last 100 washes and can be tumble dried as well as being ‘breathable’. So far, they have lasted very well for us. Although much more expensive than the cheapo plastic pants, as the Eenee ones last longer they end up saving us money (and less waste!) in the long run.

Old fashioned nappy safety pins are very cheap from discount stores or chemists. For convenience, I found the Snappi to be an excellent alternative and also inexpensive. I used to be able to buy the Snappi in Kmart, but they don’t seem to stock them anymore. Any suggestions on where to find them (apart from online) would be welcome.

Change table and change mat

A change table is one of those things that comes down to personal preference. My friend is a chiropractor and is eternally aghast that I never used a change table.

We used the bed (or the floor) instead. It was just as convenient. When bub was little and I was changing way more nappies, I just knelt down to prevent a sore back. I did make a vinyl change mat from recycled materials, which was invaluable for the early months when accidents happened, but now we just use either an old towel or a clean flannel nappy as a change mat.

Buckets and Soakers

To soak or not to soak? We experimented with both options and found soaking the nappies kept them cleaner, smelling fresher and the little fella suffered from less rashes (he gets eczema, and ironically, un-soaked nappies would actually make it worse).

We have tried soaking in vinegar and this works a treat, but if you are (ahem) lazy and leave the bucket for a few days, it does get pretty nasty in there.

Homebrand nappy soaker is much cheaper than the brand alternatives (see ingredients here) – this is what we use. Alternatively, you can use eco soaker, but it costs a small fortune – try vinegar (and bi carb) first.

A bucket (or two) with a tight fitting lid is invaluable if you decide to soak nappies. A regular cheap bucket is useful to put nappies in to carry to the laundry.

Finally, a good pair of rubber gloves saves hands (I also get eczema) as well as reduces ick factor when rinsing ‘number threes’.

That’s it for our nappy experiences and how we saved money over the last two years. As you can see, I’m a big fan of cloth nappies, both for financial and environmental reasons.

What are your tips and experiences on saving money on nappies? I would love to hear about them in the comments below.

Have you read these articles?:

1. saving money when having a baby part four–clothing, toys and miscellaneous
2. saving money when having a baby part one – feeding
3. saving money when having a baby part three–asleep and on the go

Last time I wrote about saving money when having a baby, I was on the other side – pregnant with my first and pondering how I was going to save money.

Now that that baby is over two years old and the second is due in only eight weeks, I can speak more from experience when it comes to saving money on baby stuff.

There are lots of ways to have a frugal baby. This series of articles is a reflection of my own personal experiences.

There are three major things you can do to save lots of money when having a baby:

1. Breastfeed
2. Use cloth nappies
3. Borrow or buy second hand (checking safety standards)

Below (and in the following articles in the series) is a list of lots of little ways to save money. Little savings add up to big savings over the course of the first two years.

Breastfeeding

As you already know, breastfeeding is pretty much free, so if you want to raise a frugal baby, breastfeeding is the way to go! And, of course, it provides the ideal nutrition and immune protection for bub as well as numerous other benefits. But like I said, you already know all that.

As it turns out, I’m no expert in this area, being one of those women who had no milk at all. I did spend the first two months or so trying to encourage a milk supply, breastfeeding and supplement feeding at the same time, so here are a few things I learned during that time.

• Try using a normal, cotton non-underwire bra and stretchy tops / button shirts before buying special maternity bras and feeding shirts (or just buy one maternity bra to try – you can always get more later). This is going to be a very personal thing, for some ladies (erm, those that may be flat chested like me) you may find that regular clothes suit you just fine. Others will swear by the specially designed maternity wear. You won’t know until you try.
• Cotton breast pads are washable and reusable and will save you money (and the environment) over the disposable ones (and they are much more comfortable). If you are crafty, you can make some of your own with recycled materials.
• If you need help with breastfeeding then there’s lots of free advice available to you. If you were in the public health system, then you can seek the advice of a lactation consultant for free in a private consultation. Also, your local drop-in centre or baby clinic will have trained midwives (sometimes lactation consultants also) for you to talk to – this is also free. Finally, the Australian Breastfeeding Association is not only a great association to join, they offer free breastfeeding advice over the phone. I used all of these services and highly recommend each.
• Wraps or muslins work as feeding covers without needing a separate cover.
• If you want to use a breast pump, compare the prices between hiring one (you can hire one for half price from the ABA if you are a member) and buying one. Sometimes it is cheaper to purchase one outright. I would wait until after the baby is born and you have a bit more familiarity with it all before deciding to get a pump.
• If you are looking at buying a second hand pump (I sold one second hand), look for ones that have a detachable milk collection kit and buy just those parts new for hygiene reasons.
• Alternatives to an electric pump is hand expressing (think of it as a massage, actually a microscopic amount of olive oil may make it easier) or manual pumps (which is what my mother used when I was a baby).
• Wait until after the baby is born to get things like nipple cream as you may not need it. Now I’m going to be controversial here and say that smearing your nipples with breast milk is a bit of an old midwives tale (particularly if your baby has a really strong suck and you’re bleeding). The best and most compassionate midwife I had was a male midwife who had just become a father himself. Men tend to be more practical (I would even go so far to say, more reasonable) about these things. He told me to stop sucking up the pain and get Lansinoh and I swear by it.
• For info. on bottles and sterilisers etc., see below in the formula feeding paragraph.

Formula Feeding

As I said above, I happened to be one of those women who had malfunctioning mammaries. I’m guessing it will be the same for this baby. I won’t go into the emotional turmoil we went through in those first few months, nor the unsuccessful efforts we went to to get milk into production. It was hard, we tried hard, I’ll leave it at that.

The experience, however, puts me in a unique position for a frugal blogger; one that allows me to talk in detail about formula feeding. So if you find yourself in the same position as me, or you opt to formula feed for whatever other reason, then here’s some tips on saving money.

• Formula itself is the biggest expense (we spent over $1,500 on formula in one year). Like any grocery, keep an eye out for specials and stock up when formula goes on sale. That’s the number one way to save money on formula. Don’t forget to keep an eye out in discount chemists and discount stores (like Big W). Just remember to check the used by date on the bottom of the can before stocking up.
• As far as my lactation consultant was concerned, all formulas are the same, and there are minimum regulations and standards that all brands must meet, so there’s no need to buy the most expensive one on the market.
• If bub is having feeding issues, it can be tempting to switch formulas. Talk to your GP or paediatrician before switching to the specialty (and more expensive) formulas (like soy or reflux formula).
• Formula needs to be made up strictly according to the directions on the can. Brands will vary, but as an example, one scoop usually makes up around 60mls of formula, 2 scoops 120mls, three scoops 180mls and so on. But what if your baby drinks around 80mls? You have to make up the whole 120mls. Not only that, to ensure bub is getting enough to drink, you want to have formula left in the bottle after each feed. Babies will naturally stop drinking when full (which is good, don’t force them to finish the bottle). However, that remaining formula must be thrown away. Over the course of a year, that’s a lot of wasted formula. So here’s what we did to reduce the waste safely: make up a bottle of formula according to the instructions on the tin in a sterilised bottle and keep it in the fridge (it’s ok to keep formula in the fridge for up to 24 hours). At feed times, make up a bottle as usual and according to instruction, and then top it up with a little of pre-made formula from the fridge. Then warm as usual. That way you are still making the formula up exactly according to direction, while being able to vary the amounts offered and reduce waste.
• Skip the pre-made formula or formula sachets when you’re out and about and get a formula container. I got a Pigeon brand container than can be used when bub gets older for snacks. Fits the perfect amount of sultanas in for a toddler! Take the formula and a bottle of boiled water, shake and serve. Just as easy the pre-made stuff and less waste. You don’t need to warm the bottle (it’s up to you, but I never did when out of the house). Depending on your timing and climate, you can take the bottle with warm water and it will still be at body temp when it’s feeding time.
• Even though I wasn’t breastfeeding I preferred to get a bottle with a wide mouth, for two reasons: it’s ‘supposed to’ encourage a wide mouth motion that helps work jaw muscles, similar to breastfeeding and necessary for later speech and chewing (again, according to my lactation consultant). Secondly, the sippy cup spout (at least with the Pigeon brand) also fits the wide mouth bottle which can be convenient (and cheaper) for the bed time drink of milk when older.
• We got by with six bottles, you might prefer eight. Save money by starting out with the bigger bottles; you’re only going to grow out of the smaller ones very quickly anyway. The teats fit any size bottle and you’re the one holding it. While you can’t fit 240mls of formula in a small bottle, you can easily feed a baby with 60mls in a large bottle with a small teat.
• Teats come in different sizes, you will need to get the correct size for the baby’s age and move up the sizes as they grow. As well as moving up through the sizes, you will need to replace any teats that have deteriorated, have holes or that have been chewed through.
• Teats and bottles can be purchased for less in discount chemists.
• Bottles will need to be sterilised; after boiling the single bottle we started with 12 or more times a day (which is almost free but labour intensive), we invested in a plug-in steriliser (on sale) and it was the best purchase we made!
• You will also need a bottle brush; grab one with a teat brush and brush gently to make the teats last longer.
• Cotton bibs are a great investment for keeping clothes stain free. Just soak and wash with the sheets and towels.

solids and beyond

When the little fella started on solids, we skipped the rice cereal altogether and just started with vegetables and fruits. After doing a lot of reading, I felt this was better nutritionally. It’s also a lot cheaper. Here are some tips for saving on solids.

• Skip the pre-made baby food in jars and squeezy baggies (who eats food by squirting it into their mouth?) and make your own baby food. The quickest way is to mash up extra veg that you’ve steamed while making your own dinner. To start with however, I preferred to make up a few batches of fruit and veg to freeze in ice-cube trays. This was more convenient for me for the first few months of solids. Baby food in jars costs a small fortune and tastes like rubbish! Much cheaper to make your own, although the occasional convenience can be worth it.
• If you’re on the go, pack your own mush in a small container and place it in a small wet pack with an ice pack.
• Cloth bibs are inexpensive and can be soaked, washed and reused. We also have a pile of flannels/face washers for hand and face wiping after a meal. These too go into the soaking bucket, ready to be washed with the towels (btw, this is a separate bucket to the nappies.)
• When it comes to snacks, avoid the individually packaged servings and make up your own snacks. A compartment container or small containers are useful for slices of cheese (sliced off the block), sultanas (bought in a bulk pack), thin slices of apple or cruskit.
• Carry a full water bottle everywhere for both yourself and your toddler. A damp flannel in a little baggy is useful for hand and face wiping on the go.
• Once bub is a toddler, consider feeding them the family meal. We eat as a family at 5:30pm each night. If that sounds ridiculously early, it did to me too! But we tried it anyway and loved it (obviously, it’s not going to suit everyone). By 7pm everything is washed up and tidy, the little fella is in bed and we have the rest of the night to ourselves! Within reason, the little fella eats everything we eat (I don’t serve hot chilli, for instance, although he doesn’t mind sweet chilli sauce). This saves time as well as money.
• Serve really small meals. Smaller than you would think is enough. As a child gets a little older, their appetite actually lessens. If there are leftovers in the kitchen these can be easily refrigerated for later, reducing waste and saving money. If there are leftovers on the plate (that have been mashed, partially masticated and spat out) well, I tend not to keep those . And if your toddler is still hungry, it’s easy enough to get seconds.

I’m sure that there are lots more ways to save money on feeding a baby that I haven’t covered, and that the many mums who read this will be able to add to! Next week, I’ll write about the other end – nappies.

What are your tips for saving money on feeding a baby?

Have you read these articles?:

1. saving money when having a baby part three–asleep and on the go
2. saving money when having a baby part four–clothing, toys and miscellaneous
3. saving money when having a baby part two–the other end

The best toy we’ve gotten for the little fella so far is a set of plastic picnic cups that I picked up for $3 at Kmart. They have kept him amused for the last five months and there is still plenty of future fun potential for these cups. Here are some of the games we play with the cups as well as some games I can envision for the future.

• Stacking and unstacking
• Building towers and knocking them over
• Listening (ocean sounds in the cup)
• Using as a phone
• Talking into the cup and making funny noises
• Wearing a cup as a hat (gets endless laughter)
• Putting stuff into the cup and tipping it out again
• Hiding toys beneath the cups and finding them again
• Scooping water
• Playing skittles
• Spinning the cups
• Rolling them
• Banging cups together
• Throwing them (which is fun when you’re eight months old)
• Learning colours (putting same colour objects into the right cup)
• Building sandcastles and mud pies
• Tiddlywinks and throwing things into the cups from a distance (this keeps mummy amused at the moment)
• Catching things using the cups (like indoor lacrosse)

Oh yeah, and when all the games are over, we can use them to drink out of.

I honestly believe that more fun can be had with simple objects rather than the battery powered ones, particularly at this age. Relatives have given battery powered toys that make music and have flashing lights, and the little fella’s attention span for these things is only a couple of minutes at most. An empty greengrocer box, on the other hand, keeps him amused for ages. In a world where you can buy everything and anything, kids really benefit from frugality. It helps them develop attention and concentration, as well as imagination and creativity. But more importantly, it is a whole heap more fun to play with stuff yourself rather than watching a machine do all the playing for you.

Have you read these articles?:

1. how to remain a great mum while being frugal
2. fun frugal summer holiday ideas
3. frugal toys for baby

I admit that this article a little bit of an apologetic for the humble cloth nappy. So many times I hear that it’s too much of a hassle to use cloth nappies, that it’s too time consuming. That it’s too hard. So I’m writing in defence of the cloth nappy.

Apparently, Australians go through 800 million disposable nappies per year, producing 145,000 cubic metres of landfill. Not only do disposables present a problem at well, disposal, there is the pollution caused from manufacturing the plastic (a crude oil by-product) and the endless shipping to a household near you.

Six months on, and we’re still using and washing our terry flats. Yes, we use water and our detergent (homemade) ends up in the water ways. It’s not perfectly environmental, but a lot better than disposables.

If you’re considering using cloth nappies, but thinking there is too much time and effort involved, I thought I would share with you our nappy system and just how long it takes to wash nappies.

Honestly, it doesn’t take much more time and effort to wash cloth nappies than it does to throw out disposables, especially if you consider the extra time spent having to go out and buy disposables. Which brings me to the savings. We calculated that we would save around $2,000 in one year by using cloth nappies instead of disposables.

Our nappy system, timed

• We have 22 terry flat nappies and 4 modern nappies with boosters for night time. Terry flats dry in 24 hours maximum on the worst weather days or within a couple of hours on a sunny day. No need for a dryer. Best place to hang them for us on wet days is in the garage on a line strung over the bonnet of the car. The heat from the engine when DH gets home from work dries them in no time. Actually, as an aside, the bonnet of the car after it’s just got home is a nice place to warm your bath towel or jammies for bed time.
• We have a nappy bucket in the laundry tub to soak the nappies in. We use regular old nappy soaker to soak them.
• We also have a regular 80c bucket upstairs in the little fella’s room to put used nappies in. That gets carried down stairs at nap time or play time so there are usually two or three nappies to throw in the soaker bucket. Total time to throw nappies into soak: 20 seconds – 1 minute (depending on whether I have to add water and soaker also) about 3 times a day.
• We do use liners in the nappies to help with poo disposal. I have an old frozen vegetable bag or flour bag or whatever is empty, sitting in the laundry to dispose of the liners and wipes. I know, not entirely environmental, but I think the liners are biodegradable. These get put in the bag at the same time the nappies are put on to soak. Time: no extra.
• About once a day I wash the nappies. Cold water wash with a little homemade detergent is all it takes. I add a little eucalyptus oil to the final rinse to freshen them but it’s not necessary. The nappy soaker takes care of sanitising the nappies, but if you can hang them in sunlight, there is nothing like the sanitising effect of the sun. Total time to transfer the nappies from the bucket to the washing machine and throw in a bit of detergent: 1 minute.
• If you want to wash less often than once a day, you will not only need more nappies, but also another bucket to soak them in. I’m hard pressed to fit more than 12 nappies in the bucket.
• I hang the nappies on an airer and transfer it outside into the sun. That way if it rains, we can whip the whole airer inside without any mucking around. Hanging the washing is a nice time actually, because the little fella plays outside on a rug and gets a bit of fresh air and Vitamin D. Either that or I wash the nappies at night and hang them on the airer right beside the washing machine. Either way, total time to hang nappies: 2 minutes.
• If we could be bothered, we fold the nappies, but often they end up in a pile next to where we change the little fella. After all, he goes through them so quickly. If we do fold the nappies, it takes about 2 minute.
• We use chux type cloths for wipes, cutting them up into small squares. One packet lasts two months and it takes about 15 minutes to cut up all the squares. I have tried washing the chux and reusing them. They last about two washes before not being able to do their job.

I could probably have a load of nappies on to wash in the time it would take me to walk to the otto bin, which would be the alternative procedure had we opted for disposables. In fact, with the soaking and the folding and the washing, we would spend less than 10 minutes a day dealing with dirty nappies. Out of the 1,440 minutes in a day.

And I’m not exaggerating with the times. It can be surprising just how little time everyday tasks can take. We have a bottle steriliser that takes 8 minutes to do it’s work. I can do a load of nappies and a load of washing up with time to spare in that 8 minutes. Have a go at timing the everyday tasks around the house that you do, and you will be surprised at just how little time they take.

And if that wasn’t alternative enough…

When it comes to the great nappy debate, there is a third option that nobody really talks about, and that’s natural infant hygiene or elimination communication as it’s called. In short, it’s allowing a baby the option of using a potty instead of soiling their nappy all the time. When I mention this around ‘certain’ circles, there are a few raised eyebrows that say, ‘you do what?’

The idea as I understand it is that just like babies have ‘cues’ when they’re hungry or tired, they can also have cues for when they need to go potty (especially just after birth in my experience). Learning to recognise these signals, just as you learn to recognise tired and hungry signals, means that you can provide an alternative to the nappy. At the same time, you make a sound like ‘psss’ or any sound you like and later, this can become a new cue for the older toddler who needs to go, but can’t yet talk. At least, that’s the idea.

We have been giving the little fella potty time from when he was only a couple of weeks old. We’re ‘part timers’ in that we offer him the potty at each nappy change and occasionally during the day. We base potty time more on timing and less on cues. So after a sleep is always a good time to offer the potty as well as 10 – 30 minutes after a bottle.

The little fella still uses his nappy. If he uses the potty, good, if not, that’s fine too. Over the last few weeks, we’ve only had a couple of pooey nappies. It is so much easier to just rinse the potty into the toilet and use a little ordinary toilet paper to wipe the little fella clean than dealing with poo smeared all over his legs and cleaning the nappy.

At first we used an old empty ice cream container and held the little fella over it. A bigger container would have been better because little boys can tend to ‘overshoot’ the mark a little bit. A towel beneath the container protects the carpet.

Now that the little fella is six months old and can sit better, a potty works really well.

Again, this doesn’t take as long as you might think. A few extra minutes at nappy changing time is all that is needed if you want to offer the potty part time. And it’s amazing just how quickly even the youngest baby ‘gets it’. The little fella has occasionally held on until potty time, and he makes the cutest grunt of effort when he’s on the potty. That’s if he’s not trying to stand and wee wee on the floor. Still need that towel.

I’m hoping that actual potty training will be easier later on. I recently read that parents aren’t potty training until as late as four years old, and some Queensland kids are even going to school in nappies! But natural infant hygiene isn’t ‘potty training’. It’s just allowing an alternative to nappies, while still using nappies.

One of the best websites on natural infant hygiene is Tribal Baby. If you’re wanting to give it a go, check out this website for more details.

Have you read these articles?:

1. using cloth nappies
2. Showcasing: Nurture Nappies
3. saving money when having a baby part two–the other end

You don’t need to spend a lot of money on toys for baby. Oh, I know it is tempting, there is so much fun looking stuff out there. But there is a lot of truth in the old idea that babies prefer to play with the empty box.

There are plenty of things that you will already have lying around the house that will keep bub entertained for months. In the picture, the little fella found that stainless steel bowl fascinating for a good half hour while I sat a had a cuppa.

Baby’s number one favourite toy will be you. But if you are wanting some parent time out and hoping to stimulate bub’s minds and creativity with independent play, then below are some frugal ideas for toys that you can find around the home:

• Bubs own hands and feet (yep that’s all they need to keep occupied sometimes)
• Pieces of fabric particularly if you can get different ‘feels’
• Empty bottles with rice (ensure the lid is well sealed or glued/ taped into place)
• egg carton (this is great a great toy, it opens and closes and there are all those holes to explore)
• fabric bag or old stocking filled with crinkly plastic (clean chip packet for example) inside (secure tightly)
• empty bottles filled with water and glitter (again, well sealed)
• Tupperware containers
• measuring cups
• plastic cups or bowls (or tins) that stack
• plastic cups
• wooden spoons
• paper (the little fella loves to scrunch paper but he tends to eat a bit of this so be prepared to pick wads of it out of mouths)
• Cardboard carton boxes
• homemade wooden blocks
• empty formula tins (to bang on, to put things in and tip them out again. Cut a hole or a slot in the lid so that bub can deposit clean plastic milk container lids into his formula tin bank)
• Dangle toys, cartons, scrunched up foil etc, from a broom stick positioned over two chairs for bub to swipe at.
• TV remotes (without the TV) can be good with lots of little buttons to play with (just make sure the batteries are either removed or not leaking)
• Toilet rolls
• empty boxes

When looking for everyday items that can become toys, just ensure that there are no sharp edges, they are big enough not to be a choking hazard and that they are safe to chew. If you are using recycled tins, clean them well, remove labels check the edges (inside and out) to make sure they are not sharp and hammer them down and cover well with tape to make them safe.

If you’re wanting to get crafty, below are some great tutorials for baby toys that you can make yourself.

Cloth Softie Book @ Do ah Diddy	Cloth rings @ Make it Love it	Matching Blocks @ Make it Love it
Crinkly taggie toy @ Simple Gifts	Humphrey the Bonzo Dog @ Bustle and Sew	Taggie Ball @ What I live for
Taggie Blankie @ Melissa Sews	Taggie Animal @ Homemade by Jill	Taggie Cube @ What I live for
Quiet time book @ My Little Gems	Oopsie the Octopus @ Moda Bake Shop	Car roll and mat @ Punkin Patterns
Pocket Book @ Expect Moore	Quiet time book @ Modest Mavern	Quiet Time Book @ Sew Can Do
Bean Bag Numbers @ The Ideas Room	Baby Beach Ball @ Purl Bee	Quick Teething Ring @ Patchy Apple

Have you read these articles?:

1. saving money when having a baby part four–clothing, toys and miscellaneous
2. Preparation For A Frugal Baby
3. one frugal toy that is getting some mileage

I previously wrote about how I was preparing for a frugal baby, listing the absolute bare minimum essential things that I thought I would need. Then we brought the little fella home.

I never expected that I would be bottle feeding so to the list of essentials we added a breast pump (I was trying for a few weeks to bring my milk in), bottles, formula and steriliser (as I expected to breast feed, we started out boiling our bottles on the stove top. A steriliser was an expensive but oh so wonderful convenience purchase). We also ended up with a pram (for nanna really), a bath and a bouncer, both of which get a pretty good work out.

Apart from the essentials, I also did some less essential crafting before the new arrival, that I wanted to share with you. Despite being non essential, we use the items below on a daily basis. As a quilter, I have quite a stash of fabric from my cashed up days, so everything except the fabric and notions for the bag was made from what I already had on hand (no extra money spent).

I made a baby or nappy bag from this tutorial at A Mingled Yarn. I used cotton instead of vinyl for the inside and as commenters on the blog post suggested, reinforced the back pocket. The only modification I would make is to make the side pockets a little deeper so that they close over larger bottles. Oh, and DH would prefer it in less ‘girly’ material so that he can carry it.

To go with the nappy bag, I made a matching change mat out of scraps of material and recycled vinyl from old packaging. The back is made up of patches of scrap fabric so that nothing was wasted.

It’s amazing how much strong plastic packaging we get as packaging. Below is an example of where I got the plastic to make the change mat. The zipper on the packaging was salvaged and stashed away for another project.

I also made a nappy stacker that hangs off the cot. The stacker is tied to the cot. When full of nappies, it weighs an absolute tonne and a coat hanger would neither hold the stacker without bending or go over a door handle. The stacker is a variation of this tutorial at Sew Dang Cute. I got rid of the ruffle and added some pockets to each side for liners and wipes what not.

The dinosaur embroidery is just some clip art from the web that I altered in Inkscape. I have learnt that satin stitch isn’t a good stitch for large areas, Romanian couching would be better for next time.

And again, I made a matching change mat with vinyl between the cotton fabric and a terry flat nappy.

These change mats may seem a bit frivolous when you can just use a nappy or a towel, but they certainly saved a lot of surfaces (like the in-laws’ back car seat) when we travelled down to NSW for dad’s funeral.

Finally, I made some burp cloths from another nappy and cotton backing. The only regret with these is that I haven’t made more, because we use them all the time and they get pretty icky quickly.

I did also make some bum wipes out of scraps of nappy from the change mat and burp cloths. These just go in the wash with the nappies and get reused. The joys of EC is that wiping baby’s bum is a lot easier if he goes over a potty.

There were many other projects on the list, but they will probably have to wait for baby no. 2.

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Have you read these articles?:

1. frugal toys for baby
2. saving money when having a baby part two–the other end
3. for the home–12 days of christmas crafting round up

I have a small confession to make. For the first four weeks of the little fella’s life we used disposable nappies. Not entirely, we had a foray into cloth the few days we were at home, but mostly it was disposable. The hospital required it, and I’m not sure I could have managed the six long days in the car with a bucket full of stinking nappies.

But now that things have settled down and we’re back at home, we have gone the last week using entirely cloth nappies (even out and about) and we won’t go back to disposable (unless we have to do another long car trip etc). I have to say that using cloth nappies is really not that much more work than using disposables. We are currently using terry towelling flats. They are inexpensive (we purchased them at $1.70 each), easy to wash and dry (much quicker than fitted nappies – a night on the clothes horse in the laundry is sufficient at the moment).

If you’re interested, below is how we fold our nappies. It fits a newborn bum well and is a good fold for boys.

Fold the corners into the middle to make a smaller square. It would help if our nappies were square to begin with.

Fold one side about 1/3 of the way across and fan out the top corner.

Fold the other side over the first and fan out the top corner also.

To make the nappy slightly more compact, I fold down the top edge.

Turn the front up and wrap the sides around baby’s waste. Fasten with a snappy. Bub’s asleep, so I’ll have to take photos of the nappy on some other time.

We do use disposable liners at the moment as they make cleaning up easier. I have cut up chux into small squares to use as baby wipes. We just use water at the moment to wipe him (and bath him). As the little fella had thrush thanks to the anti-biotics I was taking, we give him a nice smear of cream at most nappy changes.

Great advice from a reader (thanks Fiona) is to get a whole heap of nappies and use more than one bucket. At the moment I’m pretty much washing nappies every day and when the bucket is full, they end up sitting in the tub waiting for the next load. And as we live in a two story townhouse, it would be good to have a bucket upstairs and down (although I get more exercise this way)! We still wash in cold water and use homemade laundry detergent and hang dry (we don’t own a dryer anyway, but terry flats dry fairly quickly).

The only thing stopping me from buying more nappies is that we are starting to practice natural infant hygiene or elimination communication (EC). EC is where you respond to baby’s cues and hold him over a bowl or tub so that they can toilet naturally, rather than them soiling nappies all the time.

Today I ‘caught’ our first ‘number two’ in an old ice cream container. Whoohoo, one less nappy to wash! It was followed by not one but three wees on a towel on the carpet. Whatever the little fella’s cues were I missed them, it’s a learning process for both of us.

The difficulty is that bub likes to toilet at the same time as feeding, which makes things complicated. I soon discovered that pulling a nappy on and off while feeding was too much of a hassle for both of us so I have a nappy under him just in case and I don’t wear jeans while feeding him (and hope I don’t get a tinkle in the face ). It takes time and patience to EC, so we are just trying it a few times a day to get used to it and not at all at night.

If you’ve had experience with EC, I would love to hear from you and how you are going with it.

Have you read these articles?:

1. in one end and out the other: cloth nappies six months on
2. Showcasing: Nurture Nappies
3. The Ultimate Guide To Making Your Own Diapers/Nappies