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10 Ways to Save Money on Baby Food

Want to save on baby food? Introducing your baby to solids is such a fun milestone! Try these great tips to give your baby the best without breaking the bank.

10 Ways to Save Money on Baby Food

Introducing your baby to the world of food is an exciting milestone! Prepping all that extra food can be time-consuming and buying it all gets expensive. Thankfully, making the best choices for your baby doesn't need to destroy your budget. Try these easy ways to save money on baby food!

1. Make your own

Baby food recipes are usually easy and quick to prepare. That means that you don't need any impressive cooking skills to prepare food for your little one. Making your own baby food is the best way to save money! Premade baby food is convenient and definitely has its place. You don't need to make all of their food, but every meal you can prepare is a small saving, that adds up!

2. Choose in-season ingredients

In-season ingredients aren't just cheaper, they're usually packed with flavor and are better for the environment! You can get some great deals on local produce that's in season. Stock up while it's cheap and fill your freezer with baby meals! 

3. Use your freezer

Stocking up your freezer is a great way to save time and money! Use icecube trays to make baby-sized portions. As your baby grows through the food stages, you can take out more cubes per meal, or mix them up in interesting ways! If your baby's tastes change, you can always use the cubes in your usual cooking later on.

4. Seek out discounts

Look out for discounts and savings on your favorite baby food products. They do go on sale from time to time and stocking up while they're cheap is a great way to save! Before you stock up, you'll want to check on two things:

  1. Does your baby like this type of food? There's no point in stocking up on expensive foods that your baby doesn't like!
  2. How far is the product from expiring? Sometimes food prices are reduced because the item is getting close to expiring. It can still be worth it to stock up, just make sure you have time to use the food before it goes bad!

5. Go easy on convenience items

Convenient choices like baby food pouches and ready-made snacks can be a lifesaver! They don't need to be refrigerated and you can just throw them into your baby bag and head out the house - no prep or planning needed! Unfortunately, you're going to pay for that convenience. Mixing up your baby food is a great way to save! Instead of relying on expensive items, use them as a treat!

6. Bulk up with cheap ingredients

There are all sorts of wonderful foods and ingredients that you can expose your baby to. As they start getting older (and eating more) the cost of luxury ingredients can start to add up! Is it time to ditch the expensive ingredients? Thankfully there's a good middle ground! Use cheaper ingredients as the base of baby's meal and then add smaller amounts of the more expensive ingredients. Try a serving of healthy oats (cheap) with a teaspoon of nut butter (more expensive unless you're using peanut butter) stirred in for flavor. What a win! They're still trying new things and getting the nutritional benefits, but you're keeping the costs down.

7. Stock up from the frozen section

Frozen vegetables are packed full of goodness and conveniently chopped and prepared. They're usually affordable and having a freezer that's stocked with baby food ingredients makes a big difference! Running late on dinner? Just grab some veggies out of the freezer and put them straight into a steamer or instant pot!

8. Choose budget-friendly ingredients

Saving on baby food can be as simple as choosing cheaper ingredients. It's totally possible to prepare balanced, nutritious meals with simple ingredients. Of course, you can choose to splurge on some specialty ingredients, but simple, affordable ingredients are more than enough to keep your baby nourished and healthy.

9. Don't go overboard

It can be tempting to over-prepare when it comes to baby food. It's such an exciting thing to start finally preparing food for your baby! Your baby's tastes and preferences will change and develop as they grow and move through the baby food stages. They might love apple puree today, but it's probably not the best idea to buy and process an entire box of apples. Next week they might love sweet potato and in a few more weeks they might only want food that they can hold themselves. It can be a bit of a wild ride! Being prepared and stocking up your pantry or freezer is great idea - just go easy and prepare yourself to handle the changes when they come.

10. Let them eat with you

Letting your baby share meals with the family is a great way to save time and money. You'll simply cook one meal for everyone and then choose which parts of the meal are appropriate for your baby. It takes a little thought and planning to make sure everything you give them is age-appropriate, but the savings on cooking time make it worthwhile.

Top tip: Any parts of the meal that your baby will be eating can be salted at the table. That way, baby doesn't get too much salt, but the food will still taste good to the rest of the family.

Save even more!

It's possible to live a beautiful life and still stick to your budget. Save has some great ideas to help make life wonderful without breaking the bank. Try these delicious budget breakfast ideas, make your own dryer sheets, or discover kitchen hacks that can help you save money.

Getting the best deals can make a big difference to your budget. Make sure you never miss out on baby food savingsSave.com's Coupon Book Finder will help you stay on top of all the latest bargains! It's super quick and simple! Just enter your address to find out where you might find Coupon Book offers in your neighborhood.