To the point
Find out how to save money after the birth of a baby and increase your rewards point earnings with credit cards.
The birth of a baby can surely affect the family budget. To reduce the bill, we must minimize unnecessary expenses and maximize the return on those that are essential.
Resisting marketing
Advertisements can easily strike a chord with new parents. So the first step is to make a list of everything you really need.
When it comes to toys, a newborn doesn’t need a lot to entertain himself. By going gradually, we avoid turning the living room into a game store!
Buy used
You have to try to get everything you can second-hand. In fact, toddler items are flooding thrift stores and FacebookMarketplace.
On our side, I was surprised to be able to furnish and decorate my baby’s room almost entirely with second-hand items. Leaving buying new items until the very end prevents impulse buying.
Buy less
It is also advisable not to buy too much, especially on the wardrobe side. Babies grow up fast. They will sometimes clothes for a short time or even miss their chance to use them.
When it comes to saving money, buying a few more pairs of pajamas is better than putting them away when they are still new.
This advice applies to clothing as much as to other items. In my case, I had received a nursing pillow as a gift, but it is still in its original packaging. I preferred using a regular pillow that we already had at home!
It is tempting to want to equip yourself entirely before the birth, but you should restrict yourself to the essentials and complete them as you go along.
Planning expenses
Cloth diapers and breastfeeding
Cloth diapers can be expensive at first, but they are much more economical and environmentally friendly in the long run. There are even grants for purchasing them. You should check if your municipality participates in this program, and know that the financial assistance differs from one place to another.
For women who want to breastfeed, I suggest you wait before getting a breast pump and a complete wardrobe of nursing clothes.
Indeed, a friend of mine wanted to breastfeed, but she was unable to do so despite her best efforts. For my part, I was able to find several clothes in my existing wardrobe that allowed me to breastfeed.
Disposable diapers and formula
One box of diapers and two jars of formula per month? These new expenses can add to a budget! On the other hand, there are some very interesting tricks to make these purchases profitable.
The first step would be to sign up for the various companies’ newsletters to get recurring coupons. Then, get a credit card that gives the maximum rewards according to your habits (and don’t forget to sign up for our newsletter)!
Food and groceries
From the age of 6 months, milk is no longer sufficient to meet a baby’s needs. This little guy doesn’t eat much, but the grocery bill will slowly start to balloon. This is unavoidable no matter what method of introducing food is chosen.
Homemade purees, commercial purees, cereals, child-led diversification, etc. there will always be something to buy. Once again, with the right credit card, our savings add up.
Our strategy and points
Our family’s strategy? There is no such thing as the best credit card, but a combination of at least two cards is the optimal strategy.
The American Express Cobalt® Card is the card in excellence in our household. Then there’s the National Bank’s World Elite Mastercard® as a secondary card for stores that don’t accept American Express (to also earn 5X NBC Rewards points per dollar at the grocery store).
The vast majority of our baby shopping is done at Costco, Walmart, Maxi, IGA and on Amazon. We will always get a lot of points on these purchases (especially using the gift card technique).
This is possible without changing your consumption habits and without forcing you to buy items from one business more than another!
Did you know that there is a great credit card comparison tool for your needs?
With the American Express Cobalt® Card, every dollar spent in a classified grocery store earns 5 American Express Membership Rewards points.
These points can be used in a variety of ways and are extremely flexible.
Here are examples of the return on $1 in groceries:
- 5% cash back
- 5 points transferable to airline programs such as Air Canada Aeroplan, Air France Flying Blue, Delta Skymiles, etc.
- 5 points transferable to hotel programs such as Marriott or Hilton
- purchasing airline tickets on the American Express Travel portal
- etc.
What’s more, the American Express Cobalt® Card offers a very generous sign-up bonus of up to 30,000 points!
This card is perfect for all of baby’s new expenses, as the majority of these will occur in the first year.
Bottom Line
The cost of living increases with the addition of a family member. However, the proper use of credit cards and point accumulation strategies can greatly reduce the budget or even allow you to travel on a budget!
Follow my adventures on my Instagram account @wanderingaline!
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