We all know that babies need to eat. But, the cost of buying commercial brand baby foods can quickly mount up. For the frugal fashionista, it seems almost impossible to keep up with the demand when it comes to buying those jars of baby food. Even when you can buy for cheap with coupons, the cost of purchasing pre-made foods far exceeds the cost to make your own baby food.
Things are expensive during this economy crisis. From baby necessities like diapers to the optional stuff like specialty powders for baby, families know that it’s easy to spend a lot and not get a lot when it comes to baby things. But, if families took the time to seek out great frugal recipes for making baby food from scratch, they may be able to save enough on food to be able to buy those cute little extras. Here’s how:
Never throw away the parenting tips and brochures that you receive from the hospital and other family organizations. These brochures often have some basic, frugal recipes that families can use to get started with making homemade baby food. Not only will these pamphlets often provide you with the frugal recipes, they may also tell you when and where to buy for cheap the things that you will need.
Do an online search for organic and natural parenting websites that offer recipes. It may not be feasible to buy real “organic” foods, but having recipes that feature all natural baby food can be very helpful. You can always “cheapen” the recipes to make them true frugal recipes that you can use for your baby, but just substituting the expensive “organic” produce with regular produce that you can buy for cheap or on sale at the grocer’s.
Frequent the local farmer’s market to get the best deals on fruits and vegetables and while you’re there, ask a farmer for some recipe help. Farmers are by their very occupation all natural folks, and many probably don’t use manufactured baby foods for their children. Ask your local farmer if he or she would be willing to share some frugal recipes that you can use to make homemade baby food for your little one. Not only will you probably walk away with proven great recipes that your baby will enjoy, but you will most likely save upwards of 50% off of your produce by shopping at the farmer’s market.
Ask people at parent support groups, that are experienced parents, and senior citizens that have had children. You might be surprised at how much old people remember about the “good old days” when they didn’t have manufactured baby food, and they didn’t have a choice but to make their own! Parent support groups and other experienced parents may also be great resources for frugal recipes as they are prone to have a wealth of information about how parents can stretch their dollars and still feed their babies.
The key to keeping your recipe cheap and easy is to make sure not to overdo it on the ingredients. Buy for cheap everything that you can, make only what you need, and freeze whatever you can use at a later date without it losing its nutritional value too much. Making homemade baby food can be a lot of fun also and experimenting with these frugal recipes will give you something to look forward to. Break free from relying completely on jar or processed baby foods, find and try frugal recipes for a healthier, more natural diet for your baby…and of course, you will also have a healthier bank account to enjoy also as you experience great savings!
