Saving Money on Baby Formula

Breastfeeding your baby can save you small fortune. Unfortunately not everyone can breastfeed due to health reasons, or work schedules, or just because it's really hard! There's nothing wrong with using formula to feed your baby—I did. Although it can get expensive, there are a few easy things you can do to save money on baby formula.

Almost every major brand of formula has some type of free club or newsletter you can subscribe to for savings. Realistically, you may end up switching brands at some point because the formula you use may not agree with your baby. It's a good idea to sign up for multiple newsletters and clubs just in case this happens. It will only take you a few minutes to join each club and I will tell you how you can take advantage of those extra coupons shortly.

Once you sign up for a club like the Enfamil Family Beginnings Club, Enfamil will send you coupons every couple weeks. As your baby starts getting older and consuming more formula, you will definitely need to find other ways of getting coupons. The Sunday paper and sites like CoolSavings.com are both good resources to start your search. You can also ask your pediatrician—they often get free samples and coupons from manufacturers to pass on to patients.

A great way to get or get rid of extra coupons is by using eBay and coupon trading forums. It may sound silly to actually pay for coupons, but if someone is selling $100 worth of formula coupons for $10, you're still saving $90 on formula! There are also a ton of coupon trading forums such as the BabyCenter Trading Post where you can try swapping the coupons you don't need for the ones you do with other moms. You can also try Craigslist.

Keep in mind that if you or someone you know has a baby and is going though extreme financial hardships, look into the WIC (Women, Infants and Children) program. It is a program that uses Federal grants to help low-income families get food and/or formula for infants and children up to age 5. You can find more information and see if you qualify at the WIC website.