How buying in bulk can benefit new parents (and what you should buy)

Having children is notoriously expensive. It’s therefore hardly a surprise that many parents quickly start learning money-saving tips. Strategic bulk buying is one of the best of these. Here’s what you need to know about it.

The benefits of buying in bulk

There are lots of reasons for buying in bulk. Most of them, however, hinges on three main facts.

• It saves money.
• It saves time.
• It’s more sustainable.

The fact that it saves money and time may be obvious. The reason it’s more sustainable is that it generally involves less packaging. This not only means it uses less material but also that it requires less energy to transport.

The strategy of buying in bulk

With that said, buying in bulk only makes sense if you actually use everything you’ve bought. This means that the key to success is buying as much as you can use (comfortably) before it goes off.

If you have limits on your storage, you may want to fine-tune this a bit more. Decide whether your priority is to save time or to save money. Then focus your bulk purchases on your main goal.

As a hint, when your baby is very young (0-3 months), saving time will probably benefit you even more than saving money. The exception might be if your budget is really tight. Once your baby gets a bit older, then you might want to reassess. Even then, however, saving time can be a huge win.

Buying in bulk for new parents

Here are some items new parents might want to buy in bulk and any special points you should consider when doing so.

Food (for adults)

Proper nutrition really does make a difference to your ability to function. Ideally, you’ll have plenty of pre-cooked meals ready in your freezer. You’ll definitely want as many frozen and store-cupboard staples as your kitchen can hold. Essentially, you want to minimise your need to go shopping for at least the first week or two after you bring your baby home.

If you’re not used to buying in bulk and meal-prepping/batch-cooking, then try to put in some practice before your baby arrives. It may seem like a challenge at first. Once you get used to it, however, it can make your life a lot easier and save you money.

Pet food (and general supplies)

If your pet is a consistent eater, it usually makes sense to buy their food in bulk at any time. If you’re a new parent, then the benefits are even greater. Regardless of what pet you have; you’ll make your life easier if you can maintain as consistent a routine as possible. This includes being consistent about what they eat.

It also helps to be consistent about any other pet supplies you use. Cats in particular can be extremely fussy about cat litter and cat treats. Dogs need poop bags and may also be fussy about treats. Caged pets and birds need bedding/sandpaper. Stocking up in advance should help to keep your pet happy while you adjust to life with your newborn.

Baby milk

If you’re planning on using baby milk at all, it’s definitely advisable to buy some before the baby arrives. You probably want to hold off buying in bulk until you’re confident your baby likes a particular brand of formula. After that, if you’re planning on using a lot of baby milk then it certainly makes sense to buy it in bulk if you can.

Nappies

If you’re using disposables, then buying them in bulk can save you both a lot of time and a lot of money. There is, however, a potential qualifier here. The rate at which babies go through the early sizes (0-1/2) can vary greatly. That means you probably want to hold off the bulk buying until your baby’s in at least a 2 if not a 3.

With that said, if you know other people with younger babies then you may be able to sell/donate any unused nappies to them. Similarly, anyone with a new puppy or kitten might be able to make use of them for cleaning up house-training accidents. If that’s not an option, then unused baby nappies are also great for cleaning up spills.

Nappy cream

Similar comments apply to nappy cream, albeit for a slightly different reason. Nappy creams are, essentially, skin creams. That means some brands may work better than others on your baby’s skin. There might not seem to be any obvious reason for this, but you will notice the difference.

For this reason, you might want to hold off buying in bulk until you’ve found a nappy cream that you know works for your baby. Then stock up in bulk to save time and money.

Nappy bags/sacks

By contrast, it makes total sense to buy nappy bags/sacks in bulk in preparation for the birth. Firstly, it’s a lot more economical than buying them at standard retail prices. Secondly, you’re going to go through a lot of them. Buying them in small quantities can therefore quickly become a real pain.

Maternity pads & breast pads

Buying maternity pads and breast pads in bulk can save a chunk of money compared to buying at standard retail prices. You can also save yourself a lot of time and potential frustration compared to buying these as and when you need them. Just knowing you have an ample supply can be very reassuring.

In a pinch, you can use sanitary pads instead of maternity pads. If you do, however, be prepared for two potential issues. Firstly, they’re less absorbent. Secondly, they usually have a plastic coating that can irritate stitches.

Cleaning supplies

One of the first things you’ll learn as a new parent is that people weren’t exaggerating about how much cleaning babies generate. If there’s one cleaning supply to stock up on above all others, it’s washing powder/liquid (plus fabric conditioner if you use it). Kitchen roll is also a good buy as you can expect a lot of spills.

Baby toiletries

You may want to hold off buying these in bulk until you know what brands and products work for you and your baby. Once you do know, however, then, stock up on them. In particular, stock up on baby shampoo, baby oil, and baby wipes (and/or cotton pads/swabs). You might also want to stock up on balsam hankies for the inevitable baby sniffles.

Bibs

Babies grow out of most clothes super quickly. Bibs, however, generally last them a while. They’re definitely worth stocking up on.