Recent Articles
Check out all the latest articles from Shoestring Baby — name ideas, baby gear reviews, savings tips and more!
How to Clean a Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer
How do you clean a Dr. Brown’s Deluxe Bottle Warmer? That was a question I was asking myself after I couple failed attempts to eradicate a weird spoiled milk smell that turned up in our kitchen a few weeks after our baby was born. I didn’t even realize the smell was emanating from the bottle…
How much does pregnancy cost?
How much does pregnancy cost? Figuring out the medical costs associated with pregnancy and deliver in the United States is nearly impossible ahead of time. The costs vary widely by insurance and state, with the average out-of-pocket cost for a vaginal delivery estimated to be over $4500 for those with insurance. In a group of…
Play Mats & Play Gyms: Do You Need One for Your Baby?
As you work on your baby registry, you may be asking yourself questions like “do I need a play mat for my baby?” Or “do I need a play gym?” While many people like having a play mat or play gym, they are definitely not required baby items. As a mom of two who has…
Feb. 2020: Monthly Baby Costs – Saved $240.16
How much does a baby cost per month? To help answer that question, I report all our baby expenses at the end of each month. In February 2020, we spent $119.33 on baby items. I also highlight how much we saved by using secondhand baby gear when possible. This month, we saved roughly $240.16 compared…
Jan 2020: Monthly Baby Costs – Saved $663.91
Back again reporting on all our monthly baby costs in a Monthly Baby Spending Report. In January 2020, we spent $108.97 on baby items. We saved roughly $663.91 compared to retail prices by getting items secondhand. I started tracking our pregnancy and baby costs while on modified bed rest. The goal of these monthly reports…
Nov. 2019: Monthly Baby Expenses – Saved $621.56
Each month I write up a Monthly Baby Expenses Report, where I detail how much we spent on baby items in the month. I also calculate how much we save by opting for used baby gear when possible. In November 2019, we spent $126.44 on baby items. By opting for secondhand goods, we saved roughly…
