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.

Childcare is expensive! If you put your infant in day care full time, expect to spend about $6,500 over the course of the year. That’s a lot of money! Before you enroll your child in day care, carefully consider the feasibility of quitting your job — it might not be as out of reach as you may think. If you absolutely cannot stay home with your baby, here are some ways that you might be able to cut your child care costs.

• Take your baby to work. Now, if you are a police officer, nurse, mail carrier, or other profession that keeps you moving, this isn’t a viable option for you. If, however, you have your own office or work in some other situation that gives you a measure of privacy, this could work, especially in the first few months when babies sleep a lot and are primarily immobile. If your boss seems hesitant, ask for a trial run. He or she might rather give it a try than to risk losing you as an employee.

• Recruit a family member. You don’t want to take advantage of Grandma but she might actually be overjoyed to take care of your baby while you work. If Grandma isn’t retired, what about a sibling or friend who stays at home with her own children? With pretty much anyone other than grandparents, it would be appropriate to offer to pay something for the care your child is getting. Even still, you’ll save money over a day care and you’ll know exactly who is watching your child at all times.

• Try part-time child care. Maybe you can get by with a part time job. Or maybe you can arrange your schedule so that you only have to be at work for a few hours before your spouse can come and pick up your baby from day care. If so, some day cares may be willing to give you a reduced rate for only attending partial days. Another possibility is to find a parent who works the opposite schedule as you (for example, you work mornings and she works afternoons) and then split a single day care spot with her.

• Work opposite shifts. If the part-time day care thing isn’t working, try working completely opposite shifts from your spouse. You can work days while they work nights or vice versa. This can totally eliminate the need for day care. However, it can also eliminate a lot of much needed sleep for both parents!
• Work at a day care center. Different centers have different policies but in an ideal situation, you will be able to work in the same room as your baby and receive free child care while you are on duty. Keep in mind that while most day cares won’t pay a whole lot, the free child care might make it worth it.

• Telecommute or work from home. More and more employers are allowing their employees to work some of the time or all of the time from home. If you have a job that could be done at home, talk to your boss about this possibility. As added incentive, remind him or her that your working from home will result in fewer sick days and less office space used.

• If telecommuting simply isn’t an option, explore other work-from-home possibilities. There are many scams out there so be careful. But there are a lot of legitimate work-from-home opportunities, too. Consider your abilities: can you type, write, do web design, organize, take phone calls, transcribe, or sell? Then you may be able to make money from home. Here’s the number one rule of thumb when looking for a work-at-home job: NEVER, EVER pay money to a company to apply, for more information, for training, to join their program, or for any other reason. Companies that require this are almost never legitimate.

• Get help. If you are a low income family, you may be able to get child care assistance from your state. This assistance may not pay your total child care bill but it generally pays most of it.

• Don’t forget the tax credit. The federal Child and Dependent Care Tax Credit gives parents a tax credit of up to $3,000 for the money they have spent in child care that year. Make sure you get a receipt from your day care provider that has the provider’s tax identification number on it.

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.

So you’ve decided to use cloth diapers and now you’re wondering what you will need to get started and how much it’s going to cost you. If you’ve done any research at all on cloth diapering, you probably realize that it can be an extremely frugal or an extremely expensive endeavor. Sure, you can make your own cloth diapers for practically nothing. Or yes, you can buy the oh-so convenient all-in-ones for $20 a pop.

If, on the other hand, you want to be both frugal and practical, The Frugal Baby recommends the items below to get you started cloth diapering. Keep in mind that this is the minimum you will want/need and that the more diapers you have, the less washing you will have to do. Also realize that while the diapers, doublers, and Snappis recommended here will work on a baby of any size, covers have to be purchased by size. Therefore, you will have to buy a new set of covers every few months.

There are also a few items you will need to care for your cloth diapers but most of them are quite frugal:

• Baking soda
• Laundry detergent
• White vinegar
• Diaper pail
• Clothesline (optional, but recommended)

To care for your cloth diapers, I suggest doing the following:

1. Sprinkle baking soda at the bottom of a diaper pail, garbage can with a lid, empty cat litter or detergent bucket, or other large container with a lid. Do NOT add water to the pail. This can be both a health and safety hazard.
2. Toss soiled diapers into the pail. Solid poop should be flushed first but it is not necessary to rinse the diapers in the toilet.
3. After you have accumulated one or two days worth of diapers, wash them in your machine’s longest and hottest cycle with half a cap or scoop of detergent and ¼ cup baking soda.*
4. After the wash and rinse cycle is complete, start the rinse cycle again and add a ¼ cup of white vinegar to the rinse water.
5. If possible, dry your diapers outside in the sun. The sunlight will help to bleach out any stains and will leave your diapers smelling fresh. It will also help to lengthen the life of your diapers — dryers are harsh on both diapers and covers.

*As a general rule, do not use bleach in your diaper wash. The bleach can weaken the cloth and shorten the life of the diaper. That being said, if you have stubborn stains or odors, the occasional use of bleach might help.

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.