If you breastfeed and you want to go out in public or keep your bed dry at night, you are almost certainly going to need nursing pads. When it comes to nursing pads, you have two options: disposable or washable. Undoubtedly, the frugal side of you is screaming, “washable!” while the busy mom side of you is pleading, “disposable!” The good news is, you can save a lot of money on either option. Here’s how:

Disposable Nursing Pads

Washable Nursing Pads

Sweet potatoes are the vegetable of choice for many babies. They are sweet and smooth (and bright orange, to boot!). Parents can feel good about feeding sweet potatoes to their little ones because these tasty tubers are full of nutrients including fiber, vitamin A, vitamin C, and folic acid, just to name a few.

If your baby readily eats sweet potatoes but shies away from some other foods, you can try mixing some of the rejected food into a serving of sweet potatoes, gradually increasing the amount until your baby begins accepting the other food.

I find that the easiest way to prepare sweet potatoes is by washing them, pricking their skins, and microwaving them until tender. Allow the potatoes to cool for a few minutes and then you can easily slip the skins off. Pop the potatoes into a blender or food processor with a little water and blend until smooth. Remaining pureed sweet potatoes can be frozen in ice cube trays or baby food storage containers.

If you want to add a little variety to your baby’s sweet potatoes, try the following recipes.

Spiced Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, cooked and peeled
1/4 cup crushed pineapple
Dash of cinnamon
Directions
Cut sweet potato into chunks and add to blender or food processor with remaining ingredients. Blend until smooth.

Thanksgiving Dinner
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, cooked and peeled
3 oz cooked turkey (or chicken)
2-4 tablespoons water, as needed for desired consistency
1 tablespoon cranberry sauce (optional)
Directions
Cut potato and turkey into small chunks. Add all ingredients to a blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Peachy Keen Sweet Potatoes
Ingredients
1 sweet potato, cooked and peeled
1 peach, peeled and pitted
Directions
Cut potato and peach into chunks and blend in a blender or food processor until smooth.

Sweet Potato Pancakes
Ingredients
1 large sweet potato, cooked and peeled
2 cups whole wheat flour
3 tablespoons apple juice
1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
4 eggs
1 egg white
2 teaspoons vanilla extract
1 teaspoon cinnamon
Directions
Puree sweet potato until smooth
Heat a skillet coated with cooking spray over medium heat
Pour desired amount of batter into heated skillet (1 tablespoon for silver dollar pancakes, 1/4 cup for regular pancakes)
Cook until the batter bubbles on top, then flip and cook on the other side until cooked through.

Sweet Potato Oven Fries
Ingredients
1 sweet potato peeled and cut into 1/4 to 1/2 inch sticks
1 teaspoon olive oil
Directions
Preheat oven to 425
Drizzle olive oil over sweet potato sticks and toss to coat
Place potatoes on a foil-lined cookie sheet in a single layer
Cook in preheated oven for 15 minutes
Flip the fries and cook for another 15 minutes

If you venture down the baby food aisle in the grocery store, chances are good that you won’t find a jar of pureed avocado. Nonetheless, this super food is great for babies and it has a mild flavor that may appeal to your baby. Maya, my daughter, loved avocado. She was perfectly content to eat it plain but I’m also going to share some of her favorite avocado recipes. First though, check out all these benefits of avocado:

• They provide nearly 20 vitamins, minerals and phytonutrients including vitamin A, vitamin C, folate, and iron.
• They are low in saturated fat and rich in mono and polyunsaturated fat (good fat).
• They are cholesterol and sodium free.
• They can be mashed or pureed to a smooth and creamy consistency — without cooking.

With these benefits in mind, it is no wonder that more and more babies are being fed avocados from an early age. In fact, some parents are opting to start their babies on advocado instead of rice cereal! If you want to introduce avocado to your baby (age 6 months or older), the following recipes will get you started.

Just Avocado
Ingredients
1 avocado
Directions
Cut the avocado in half and remove the pit.
Scoop the meat out of the shell.
Blend, puree, or mash the avocado until the desired consistency is reached.
For a thiner consistency, breastmilk, water, juice, milk, or formula may be mixed in.
Freeze unused avocado puree in ice cube trays or baby food storage containers. Note that thawed avocado may brown slightly but this will not effect the nutritional value of the food.

Bananacado (Maya’s favorite!)
Ingredients
2 bananas, peeled and cut into chunks
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and cubed
Directions
Add bananas and avocado to blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Green Mashed Potatoes
Ingredients
2 potatoes, peeled, cooked, and cubed
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and cubed
Directions
Add potatoes and avocado to blender or food processor and blend until smooth.

Spiced Avocado
Ingredients
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and mashed/pureed
8 oz. canned pureed pumpkin
Sprinkle of cinnamon
Directions
Mix avocado, pumpkin, and cinnamon together until thoroughly blended. Note that the color of this mixture will be rather unappetizing but your baby shouldn’t mind.

Orchard Avocado
Ingredients
3 of either apples or pears (or a combination of the two), cored, peeled, cooked, and mashed/purred
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and mashed/pureed
Directions
Mix avocado with apples or pears until thoroughly blended.

Avocado Yogurt
Ingredients
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and mashed/pureed
1 cup plain or Greek yogurt
Directions
Stir avocado into yogurt and serve plain or as a dip for finger foods.

Meaty Avocado
Note — if your baby dislikes the grittier texture of home-pureed meats, the avocado will provide a creamy texture that helps to mask the grittiness.
Ingredients
1 cup cooked and cubed beef, pork, or chicken
1 avocado, pitted, scooped, and cubed
Directions
Add meat to a blender or food processor and blend until there are no large bits of meat remaining.
Add cubed avocado and blend until smooth.

Formula and diapers are undoubtedly the biggest ongoing expense for a baby. I’ve talked before about saving money on both and while I mentioned coupons, I didn’t really go into depth on the subject. The truth is, I am a coupon convert. I once swore that I could save far more money at discount grocery stores like Aldi and Save-a-Lot than I could by using coupons at regular supermarkets. I have since seen the light.

I am planning to talk more about my couponing adventures in the weeks to come but for now, I wanted to alert you to a great deal. There are now Similac coupons in the Coupon Center. These coupons are for $3 off any Similac. Many stores (including Walmart and Target) carry the quarts of ready to feed Similac for under $4.00. Using this coupon makes each quart less than a dollar. That is an incredible deal! If you don’t need formula, print out the coupons for someone else. Or consider buying the formula for charity. You can print two of each coupon per computer.

If you have trouble finding the coupon using your own zip code, try 38122. You may have to go through a few pages to find it. And remember–these coupons go fast so print them while you have a chance.

When I was pregnant with my first child, I was excited about the prospect of breastfeeding. Beyond its nutritional benefits, it would help us to bond and it was completely natural. Not to mention, it would be easy…right? No formula to mix, nipples to sterilize, or bottles to warm. It sounded great.

When the nurse put him in my arms immediately following his birth, I quickly discovered that breastfeeding wasn’t quite as simple as I envisioned. My son and I had trouble getting our positions just right. And his latch was a little off. And then there was the fact that my very hungry 10 pound baby wasn’t satisfied by colostrum for very long! 

You’ve probably heard the adage, “breast is best.” I would like to suggest that the following is more accurate: “Breast is best, but easier said than done.” Before you throw in the towel, though, here are some of the most common breastfeeding problems and how to solve them.

Oh, and just a word of encouragement for you new moms: you’re not alone, manyof us struggle with breastfeeding, and it does get easier with time. Before you know it, you’ll be breastfeeding in your sleep with no trouble at all.

Lack of Milk

Especially in the beginning, milk production may be slow or seemingly non-existent. This can lead some mothers to believe that they are not producing enough milk for their babies.

The Solution:

1. Give it Time – For the first few days after giving birth, you may only be producing colostrum for your baby. It can take up to a week before your milk comes in. Fortunately, colostrum is all your baby needs in those first few days (even if he protests to the contrary!).

2. Keep Nursing – The only way to increase milk production is by nursing more. The more you nurse your baby, the more milk you will make.  And unfortunately, if you skip nursing sessions to supplement with formula, you are giving your body the message that you need less milk. The good news is, it is very rare for a mother to be unable to make enough milk for her baby.

3. Try Pumping – If you think you might not be producing any milk, try pumping your breasts. Understand, though, that a pump will usually not express as much milk as a baby would. So any little bit in the pump is an indication that you are, indeed, making milk.

Soreness

When you begin to breastfeed, all of the pulling, sucking, and tugging at your nipples will leave them sore, chapped, and possibly even cracked. If you are especially sensitive, this can become almost unbearable.

The Solution:

1. Check Baby’s Latch – If baby isn’t latched on correctly, you could be left in a lot of pain. In a correct latch, baby will have the entire areola in his mouth and the tips of both his chin and his nose will touch the breast.

2. Ointment – Apply a lanolin cream to chapped and cracked nipples.

3. Patience – Just like a child’s barefeet in the summer, your nipples will toughen up over time. After the first couple of weeks, breastfeeding should become painless.

Time Consumption

A single breastfeeding session can last 30 minutes or more and most babies nurse 8 – 12 times per day. This can add up to a lot of time spent nursing.

The Solution:

1. Avoid Nursing at Nap Time – A sleepy baby is a slow nurser and will nod off while eating. This can greatly extend the length of the breastfeeding session. Feed baby while he is still alert and if he does drift off to sleep, try to wake him.

2. Patience – In time, baby will need fewer feedings to sustain him. Additionally, as his sucking skills improve, it should take less time for him to drain the breast.

Going Back to Work

If you are a working mom, breastfeeding presents a whole new set of challenges. How do you feed your baby while you are away?

The Solution:

1. Pump – You will have to pump throughout the day in order to both keep up your supply and express enough to leave with your baby.

2. Have Lunch with Baby – If possible, visit your baby on your lunch breaks and feed your baby then. It will reduce the number of pumpings you do, as well as be a nice break during the day for you both.

Breastfeeding may not be easy in the beginning, but it is definitely rewarding. There is no better way to bond with your baby or to give him a nutritional head start. When you consider, too, that you will save nearly $1,800 over formula feeding, you’ve got some added incentive. Keep at it, stay patient, and good luck!

Parents who choose to make their own baby food often find themselves wondering what foods are appropriate and when. First and foremost, always check with your pediatrician if you have questions about introducing a new food to your baby. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends starting solid foods between four and six months of age. Surprisingly, the AAP suggests that it does not matter what foods your baby eats first, although it does recommend baby cereals and meats as good sources of iron for breastfed babies.

That being said, the following homemade foods are usually appropriate for babies without allergy restrictions and who have been given the green light to begin eating solid foods. Again, if you have any questions about what to feed your baby, always consult your pediatrician.

In addition to the above, milk products such as yogurt and cheese may be offered to older babies, usually at eight to ten months of age.

It almost goes without saying that breastmilk provides optimal nutrition for your baby and it seems that most moms are aware of that. According to the CDC, nearly 75% of mothers start out breastfeeding their newborns. And even though the American Academy of Pediatrics recommends breastfeeding for the baby’s first year, just over 40% are still breastfeeding at six months and only 16% make it all the way to the one year mark. Of the moms who do breastfeed at any point in their child’s infancy, many of them do not do it exclusively.

Before you join the ranks of the majority who feed or supplement with formula, consider the benefits of breastfeeding:

• Breastmilk is the perfect food for baby. It has the right amount of nutrients and babies rarely, if ever, have trouble digesting it.
• Studies show that breastfed babies are generally healthier and are better protected against things like ear infections, obesity, and even SIDS.
• Children who were breastfed as babies reportedly score higher on IQ tests.
• Breastmilk is always ready and at the right temperature.
• Breastfeeding provides intimate bonding time between a mother and her baby.
• Breastfeeding also has health benefits for mom, reducing the risk of breast and ovarian cancers.
• Breastfeeding can burn as much as 500 calories a day, helping new moms to shed any excess baby weight.
• And if all of that isn’t enough, breastmilk is free!

If you are looking for a way to save money on groceries but don’t think you can stretch your dollar any further, think again. There are so many ways to save on groceries. Some of them are time consuming, some are downright inconvenient. But if frugality is important to you or you are in a tight financial situation, give some or all of the following strategies a try.

Shop at a Discount Supermarket

Not to be confused with bent and dent or closeout stores, discount supermarkets like Aldi or Save-a-Lot offer their own brands, eliminate all the frills, and save you money. When I began shopping at Aldi’s, I went from spending about $400 per month on food for my family to about $240.

Shop at Walmart

If you don’t have an Aldi or a Save-a-Lot in your area, you will probably find that it is cheaper to buy your groceries at Walmart than it is to buy them at Kroger, Safeway, or other grocery stores. Even if you do most of your food shopping at a discount supermarket, Walmart is a great place to get paper products, cleaning supplies, disposable diapers, and pet food.

Make Frugal Substitutions

• Substitute ground turkey for ground beef. The turkey is lean, cheaper than beef, and hides well in dishes like chili, spaghetti, and casseroles. If your family isn’t dead-set on beef, turkey burgers are good, too.
• Substitute canned tuna for canned salmon. Canned tuna is very inexpensive and goes great in casseroles. If you love salmon patties, try your favorite recipe with tuna, instead.
• Substitute beans for meat. If your family enjoys Tex-Mex, use refried beans instead of ground beef in your tacos, burritos, and taco salads.
• Substitute powdered milk for fresh milk in cooking. Honestly, I wouldn’t voluntarily sit down and drink a glass of powdered milk. But for cooking, you’ll likely never notice it. Mix up a quart or so and keep it in the fridge for your cooking needs.
• Substitute frozen produce for fresh. Just as nutritious as their fresh counterparts, frozen fruits and vegetables are much cheaper, particularly in the off season (consider the price of strawberries in January!). If you want raw fruits and veggies to snack on, carrots, celery, and apples can be found dirt cheap all year long.

Study Grocery Ads

Even though I almost exclusively shop at Aldi’s and Walmart, I am still on the lookout for incredible deals in other stores. Pay particular attention to the front and back pages of the grocery ads as this is where the best deals are often advertised.

Combine Sales with Coupons

Not long ago, Kroger ran a sale on Kellogg’s cereal. The sale price was 3 for $8 which wasn’t a bad price for name brand cereal (though it was more than I was willing to spend). However, if you bought all three, you got $4 off at the register. That made the cereal 3 for $4. To sweeten the deal, I had a coupon for $1 off two boxes of Kellogg’s cereal. My final price was 3 for $3, or a dollar a box. I can’t get cereal for that price even at Aldi’s.

Use Coupons Strategically

Some grocery stores double coupons, usually up to around $0.50. I try to save my $0.50 and under coupons for these stores and use my bigger coupons at Walmart. There is, however, an exception to this philosophy. If saving the face value of the coupon will save you more in one store than the double coupon will in another, then of course, you will want to go the cheaper route. Also, look out for special days when some grocery stores triple coupons. If you have a good supply of coupons, you can rack up serious savings and even get some groceries for free!

Go Generic

Frugal shoppers have no brand loyalty. To maximize your savings, you have to go for the best price. There will be times (especially when using coupons) when you can get the brand name cheaper than the generic. And there will be a few items that you will decide you absolutely must buy in your favorite brand. For most items, though, you will probably find that the generic is just as good as the name brand.

Don’t Pay for Convenience

Is it easier to open up a bag of salad than it is to chop some lettuce and grate a carrot? Sure, but is it cheaper? No way. It amazes me how much we pay to save ourselves a few minutes of effort. Here’s another example: Oscar Mayer makes these handy little seasoned grilled chicken breast strips. They are perfect for putting on salads or fajitas. They are also $12.08 per pound (a fact that is disguised by packaging them in 6 oz packages for $4.59)! On the other hand, I could cook the chicken myself and spend about $2.00 per pound!

Watch for Manager’s Specials

These little gems can offer up significant savings. A manager’s special is a product that goes on sale a day or two before its expiration date. These specials are usually found in the meat, produce, and bakery departments and can discount the cost of an item by half or more. Always inspect the item for signs of spoilage but if it looks good, buy it! You don’t have to use it right away — put it in the freezer for later.

Cut Back or Eliminate Sodas

I’ll be the first to admit that too much of my grocery budget is spent on diet cola. My husband and I both enjoy and it and we both drink too much of it. Sodas, sports drinks, and other beverages can be very costly. Consider this. If each member of a family of four drinks just one soda per day, you will buy 122 twelve-packs of soda over the course of the year. At an average cost of about $3.50 per twelve-pack, that’s an annual cost of $427. If, like most people, you drink more than that, your cost will go up substantially. While water is certainly the healthiest thing to drink, iced tea is also a good choice and it is much more frugal than soda.

Eliminate Fruit Juice

I know, I know. Fruit juice seems like a healthy option, particularly for kids. And while some juices do have some nutritional value, others (even the 100% kinds) are basically pure sugar. The American Academy of Pediatrics recommends that if you do give you kids juice, you should only give them between 4 and 12 ounces per day, depending upon their age. The AAP further recommends giving them whole fruit, instead. And of course, not only is juice unnecessary for kids, but it is also an added grocery expense.

Spinach is a superfood for both babies and adults. It is rich in antioxidents, high in vitamins A and K, and is a good source of vitamin C, folate, and iron.

Unfortunately, there is some concern about feeding spinach to babies due to its high levels of nitrates. The American Academy of Pediadrics, however, says that the nitrates in spinach and other vegetables do not pose a threat to babies who are over three months of age. Sincethey further advise not introducing solid foods until 4-6 months anyway, the point should be moot.

Below you will find easy ways to prepare spinach for your little one. Keep in mind that the plain pureed spinach can be added to any number of foods for a variety of tastes.

Just Spinach
Ingredients
1 bag baby spinach leaves
1/2 cup water
Directions
Wash spinach (even if pre-washed).
Bring water to boil in a saucepan.
Add as much fresh spinach as you can to the saucepan. The spinach will shrink as it cooks (in a matter of seconds), allowing you to add the remaining spinach to the saucepan.
Cook until it is totally wilted and dark green. Pour spinach and water into a blender or food processor.
Freeze unused spinach puree in ice cube trays or baby food storage containers..

Chicken and Rice Florentine
Ingredients
1 1/2 oz cubed cooked chicken
1/4 cup cooked rice
1/4 cup fresh spinach, cooked (or 1 tablespoon pureed spinach)
2 tablespoons milk (more or less as needed for desired consistancy)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender or food processor and blend to desired consistency.

Popeye’s Potatoes
Ingredients
1/2 cup mashed potatoes
3 tablespoons pureed spinach
Directions
Mix ingredients together until thoroughly blended.

Spinach Smoothie
Ingredients
1/2 banana
1/4 cup frozen blueberries
1/2 cup plain or vanilla yogurt
3 tablespoons pureed spinach
Splash of juice (any flavor)
Directions
Combine all ingredients in a blender until smooth

Spinach Quesadilla Fingers
Ingredients
4 baby spinach leaves finely chopped
1 1/2 slices American cheese
1 whole grain tortilla
Directions
Place one slice of American cheese onto tortilla.
Sprinkle chopped spinach over cheese.
Top spinach with remaining half slice of cheese.
Fold the tortilla in half and grill it in a skillet sprayed with cooking spray until cheese melts.
Cut the quesadilla into strips small enough for your baby to handle.

Spinach Juice
Ingredients
1 cup water
1 bag baby spinach leaves
Juice (any flavor)
Directions
Bring water to a boil in a large saucepan and add spinach.
When spinach is wilted and water returns to a boil, cover the saucepan and reduce heat to a simmer.
Simmer for 10-15 minutes.
Strain the water from the spinach.
Add two to three tablespoons of the spinach water to your baby’s juice for an extra nutritional boost.
Remaining cooked spinach can be pureed and fed to your baby.

I know what you’re thinking: I have a baby screaming for attention, there is an ever-growing pile of laundry in the laundry room, the breakfast dishes haven’t been done, my three year old is sampling the cat’s dinner, and you expect me to make baby food?!

Believe me, I know that you don’t feel like you could possibly fit an extra chore into your already hectic life, but you can! Making your own baby food is not a labor intensive process and is worth the little bit of effort required when you consider the benefits:

• Over the course of your child’s infancy, you can save hundreds of dollars by making your own food.
• Commercial baby foods can contain starchy additives or preservatives.
• By making your own baby food, you can mix and match your baby’s favorite foods for increased variety.
• When you make baby food yourself, you know what goes into it and how fresh the ingredients are.

Baby Food

Intrigued? Here’s how I do it in just a few minutes a day:

While I’m cooking dinner (and therefore am already in the kitchen), I pour about a pound of veggies or fruit into a microwave safe bowl. I either use frozen (considered to be as healthy as fresh by most nutritionists) or fresh that I have washed, peeled, and cut into chunks. I add about two tablespoons of water and cover the bowl with a lid. Then, I just pop the bowl into the microwave and cook on high until the fruit or vegetables are very tender. I let the steamed produce cool and then pour the contents (including the water which now contains valuable nutrients) into a blender. I then puree the fruits or veggies to the desired consistency, adding a little water to thin it out, if necessary. I reserve enough of the pureed food for baby’s meal and then I pour the rest into an ice cube tray and freeze (you could also use baby food storage containers). When the cubes of food are completely frozen, I pop them out and store them in labeled freezer bags. When I need them, I just pull out a cube or two and warm it in the microwave for a few seconds to thaw. Repeat this process every night for a couple of weeks and you will have enough baby food for a couple of months!

Tips for Homemade Baby Food Success

• Always talk to your pediatrician to determine which foods are safe to introduce to your baby (click here for some popular first foods).
• Don’t bother buying a baby food maker or a food mill. This is The Frugal Baby! Use an appliance you already have on hand like a blender or food processor. For finer purees or to eliminate strings or skins from some foods, push the pureed food through a fine mesh strainer.
• Soft foods like bananas, avocados, and even watermelon do not need to be steamed prior to pureeing.
• Breastmilk, formula, or even water can be added to baby food to thin it out, if needed.
• Do not add seasonings to your baby’s foods. It is much healthier to get your child accustomed to the natural taste of vegetables.
• Check out which foods are appropriate for which ages.