When Kelly and Colin had their first child, they discovered both the joys of parenthood and the reality of the costs associated with raising a family.
Kelly says they were fortunate to have a group of good friends about when they started looking around for ways to cut-down on costs.
“When our friends heard that Colin and I were having Tahlia, our first child, they gave us heaps of clothing they had used for their children. We received so many clothes we hardly needed to buy anything new apart from a few special outfits now and then.”
Kelly says that children grow so quickly, especially in the first year, that they often only fit their clothes for three months. “Many of the clothes we were given looked like they hadn’t been worn at all! We also got a good mixture of boys and girls clothing so when our second child, Michael came along, we had clothes ready for him too.”
Plunket sales and garage sales have been other great sources for pre-loved children’s clothes and accessories for Kelly and Colin.
“I got a little green top for Tahlia from the Plunket sale the other day and friends have just purchased a child’s car seat for $15 with a year still left on the safety guarantee. We also used the local trade and exchange magazine to purchase our cot, says Kelly.”
She says reusing baby equipment and clothes not only saves on the pocket, but reduces the amount of things that would otherwise get thrown away.
Kelly says another way of cutting costs and helping to reduce impacts on the environment is getting away from a reliance on disposable nappies.
“Disposable nappies are a major expense, so I started making my own ‘pocket nappies’ to help reduce costs. Pocket nappies have a waterproof fabric outer and an inner which sits next to the baby’s skin and is made of a fast drying fabric. These nappies have a pocket opening across the back which is stuffed with material which absorbs the baby’s liquid waste, she says.”
Pocket nappies are often used with nappy liners which absorb solid waste. The liners help to protect the nappy and make cleaning up easier. Reusable or flushable liners (bio liners) are also available.
“It’s a great saving. I’m able to use them three times a day for Tahlia and cut down to just one disposable nappy a night. With nappies costing about 50 cents, this is a $1.50 saving a day or $45 saving each month. Pocket nappies are reusable so it saves heaps on waste too. When they have been used I just wash them and then hang them out to dry. I still like to use disposables for my new born Michael as he requires a more carefully fitted nappy, so we use the numerous vouchers we get given by midwifes and buy disposables in bulk. They are packaged in cardboard which is more recyclable than plastic packaging – so at least it helps a bit to reduce waste, she says.”
According to Kelly it’s nice to know that while you are helping to reduce family costs you are actually doing your own small bit for the environment too.
For further information on pocket reusable nappies, the Nappy Network has instructions on how to make reusable nappies.
