4 Ways to Save on Baby Food

Having a baby can be rather expensive and while it may seem like the bills just keep piling up, it doesn’t have to be that way if you know how to save! One thing that has to be purchased on a weekly basis is baby food and while it can get rather expensive, there are some things that you can do to save.  Below are four great steps that you can take as a parent to start saving on baby food TODAY!

1. Start at Home
Instead of heading out and purchasing the name-brand food that we’re all familiar with, consider making your own food at home.  Not only is this food going to be a lot cheaper, it’s going to be a lot healthier for your baby.  For example, something as simple as bananas blended up in a blender can be as cheap as $0.10 per banana.  There are also other things you can include, such as blended apples, pears, peaches and so much more.  Purchase fruits that’s on sale and same goes for the blender (if you need one).  This is by far one of the best ways to save. With this diet, your baby will avoid all the preservatives that are loaded up in the jars at the supermarket!

2. Coupons
We all don’t have the time to make baby food at home, but there are many ways to save on baby food in your local grocery store.  Since most brands are going to offer coupons, be sure to know how to find them.  These coupons can be found in your local Sunday paper, online through official websites and even on social media outlets such as their Facebook and Twitter page.  Another great way to find these coupons is simply using a search engine. Type in a brand name plus the word coupon.  If you’re going to search, make sure that you use the most recent results feature, to ensure that you’re finding the freshest coupons available.  The reason that you’ll want to use the most recent results feature is that sometimes, the organic results can be rather stale.

3. Store Brands
Most, if not all, grocery stores are going to have their own store brand.  All brands (store, local or national) have to meet certain safety standards, so you can be assured that these foods are going to be 100% safe for your baby.  While a store brand may not seem appealing, pick up a jar the next time you’re in a store and compare it to the brand names.  You’ll find that most of the ingredients are going to be almost identical to the main brands.  The only difference is that store brand foods are normally about 30% cheaper.

4.  Sales
Always, always look out for sales!!  Now, if the baby food is on sale and you can use a coupon on top of it, this is when you’re going to really want to stock up.  For example, let’s say that the baby food is on sale for $0.50.  If you have a $0.50 off 4 jars of food and your store doubles to $1, you can pick up 4 jars for $3.  As you can see, these savings could add up rather fast.  Since baby food can last awhile, consider keeping your eyes peeled for deals such as these, and stock up when possible.  If you’re wondering where you can get all of the coupons to stock up, consider looking on auction sites or even ask your neighbors for their leftover coupons.

James Hubbard likes to cook, write & save money for his family by visiting www.grouphealthinsurance.org