The decision to have children is an exciting time in your life and at the same time it can be a little scary.  Children bring joy and happiness to a household.  But you will soon realize that nothing can  prepare you for the amount of money that you will be paying out routinely.  So here are the top five money saving tips for new parents to help ease the cost.

When you first find out that you are expecting is when you should start saving and stockpiling.  If you get into the habit of buying baby food or a bag of diapers each payday you would be set by the infant’s arrival.  Or, instead of grandparents splurging on non-necessities have them contribute as well.  Gift cards are an excellent choice, too, especially discounted gift cards.

It is customary for expectant parents to have a baby shower and sometimes even more than than one.  This is the perfect time to register for the things that you need.  You won’t need three strollers or seven diaper bags so its better to halt the duplication before it begins.  Register places that you know people will be shopping and not just at baby super stores.  And don’t be afraid to register for things that you will need on an ongoing basis like diapers and baby food.

You can expect to attend a lot of doctor appointments for the first year of life.  Doctors are bombarded with samples from manufacturers that want them to promote their products for them.  Ask your doctor for free samples.  Don’t be embarrassed because thats what the samples are for and if you don’t use them they will just go to waste.  Take as much as they are willing to give you- you will need it.

Diapers are one of the largest expenditures with infants.  You will not believe the amount that you will go through.  Manufacturers offer coupons if you sign up for their newsletters or go online to their sites.  But this isn’t a big enough savings considering what you have to pay out.  Your best option is to buy in bulk.  Discount warehouses are an excellent place to do this.  A membership can be one of oyur presents.  You can even shop them and see which ones are cheaper.  And don’t worry so much about name brand.  Consider the life span of a single diaper and that will put it into perspective very quickly.  And don’t be afraid to ask for diapers as presents, too. 

Clothes are another huge chunk out of the wallet.  You will always receive some clothing as gifts but the majority will be up to you to purchase.  Consignment shops and second hand stores such as Goodwill are excellent for this.  Their clothes have to be in a certain condition before they are allowed to sell them so they are in good shape.  And many times you can even find brand new ones that still have the tags on them.  This will save you an enormous amount of money.