We all know that having a baby is a huge expense and for some, it can be a fight to figure out how baby will fit into your budget. While there are a ton of great tips for saving money on a new baby out there, some of the biggest savings that you will see will actually start before your baby is born. How? By skipping the items that you truly do not need. There is a huge list of baby items you can skip to save money. For the sake of not writing an entire book length post, we’re only going to discuss ten of them. These 10 are often the biggest money wasters that new parents seem to think they need.

If you absolutely think you must have an item, add it to your baby registry and let people know that you want it badly. Chances are good that unless it is priced at hundreds or thousands of dollars, someone will buy it for you. If you don’t receive it as a gift though, start a savings account for your wish item and save for it slowly over the course of your pregnancy instead of running out and buying it. Usually by the time that you give birth, you will have changed your mind and decide to use that saved money elsewhere.

10 Baby Items You Can Skip to Save Money

Bassinet – Unless you don’t have room for a crib in your home, there is no reason to buy a bassinet. Your baby is perfectly capable of sleeping in his crib from day one. If you need a place for your baby to nap during the day, buy a play yard instead. Unlike a bassinet, it will grow with your baby and new ones actually can be bought with a portable bassinet portion making a stand-alone cradle an unnecessary expense.

Baby wipe warmer – I don’t know who came up with these, but they’re rich by now. Electric wipe warmers are nothing but a waste of money. You have two hands. Hold the baby wipe between them for a few seconds and you’ll accomplish the same thing for a lot less money.

Brand new clothing – Babies? They’re squirmy, cuddly, chubby little balls of cuddle, but they grow incredibly quick. So quickly that aside from a couple of new outfits for photos and coming home, it is a waste to buy new clothing. Instead, buy quality used baby clothing and save the new stuff for special occasions. The only exception to this should be if you hit a great clearance sale and can stock up on new baby clothes for the same prices that you could buy used. There are lots of ways to save money on kids clothing.

Expensive travel systems – Along the same lines of the bassinet, why waste your money on a travel system that only comes with an infant car seat? Your baby will be grown out of it long before you’re ready for him to be. Instead, buy a stroller and a convertible car seat separately. They’re cheaper when bought apart and you’ll be able to use them both for several years before having to replace them.

Infant shoes – Buying several pairs of shoes for a baby that can’t walk is silly and can actually hurt your baby’s feet. If you feel like you need to buy a pair for photos, do so but keep them on the budget friendly side. Babies do not need shoes until they start to walk so until then, use socks to keep those little toes warm.

Heavy Blankets – Heavy quilts and blankets are a no-no for infants for one reason. Your new baby cannot move the blanket off of their face if it happens to get covered. This can and has led to suffocation. Don’t waste your money on what is a huge danger to your little one. Instead, use thinner receiving blankets or none at all.

Bottle Sanitizer – These fall into the wipe warmer category. Do you have a dishwasher? It will do the exact same thing with no extra cost. No dishwasher? Use a dutch oven to boil water on the stove and soak the bottles, rings and nipples.

Bouncy Seat – If you plan on buying a baby swing, you have no real need of a bouncy seat since they both soothe your baby in the same way. Instead, buy one or the other and save some money.

One hundred packs of diapers in every size – Like I said with clothing, babies, especially newborns grow incredibly quick. This means that if you run out and buy an enormous amount of diapers in every size, you’ll very likely end up with an enormous amount left over once they’ve outgrown them. Instead, stock a few packs of newborn, a few more in size one, a few more in 2’s and when you get to 3’s, stock more. Babies tend to stay in size 3 diapers the longest. You can also check out this break down on stockpiling diapers to help you with your planning.

The designer diaper bag – You will absolutely need a diaper bag. What you will not need is a $100 diaper bag. Let’s be honest. Before your baby is out of diapers, your diaper bag will be peed on, carry dirty diapers, carry messy bibs and more. Do you really want to spend that much money on something that you know will go through that? Instead, save your money and buy a reasonably priced diaper bag. They’ll both last just as long and you won’t be freaking out when that expensive one gets ruined because you spilled a cup of juice all over it.

Awesome information for expecting Moms: 

• 10 Items New Moms really do Need
• How to Stockpile Diapers and how many do you really need?
• 7 Tips to cut costs on having a new baby
• What To Pack In You Hospital Bag when having a baby
• How to make a Nursery on a Budget
• New Baby Checklist
• How to get rid of cradle cap
• Homemade Pedialyte