The writer, Meghan Whitmer, shares lots of tips on how she saved money while expecting, along with what she wishes she’d done differently. In these tight times, every bit helps!

We recently gave away some cello instrument accessories (my daughter moved from cello to bass this summer) and also one of our bikes that we were no longer using.

During the first week of school we got a graphing calculator for my daughter’s math class that normally retails for $100!

Lots of people get and give baby and maternity items, so it’s a great place for young families. I hope you give your local Freecycle a look soon. You’ll be helping the planet by recycling and will probably save yourself some dough in the process.

Considering kids at that age grow so fast, how many wears are you realistically going to get out of that outfit? I wouldn’t spend $124 for a top for myself and I could probably wear it for the rest of my life. I guess what mostly bothers me is that the money spent on that outfit could go to, in my opinion, much better things like a college fund or a charity.

Am I crazy? I have been accused of being stuck in 1980s prices – especially by my children! – but I don’t think I’m that out of it. I do have a theory though that people often think things should cost as much as they did during their junior year of high school, which was 1980 for me, so maybe I am really out of touch.

What do you think? If you had(have) the money, would(do) you spend so much on a kids’ outfit? Do you think it’s worth it? The clothes are very cute, no doubt. Your thoughts?

Unlike the rest of the world, the United States doesn’t (yet!) have Paid Family and Medical Leave for all new mothers (which is paid time off after the birth of a baby). Without this kind of policy in place, situations like Selena’s, who gave birth on Thursday and was back at her desk on Monday while her newborn son remained in intensive care in the hospital, will continue to happen.

But right now, Congress is considering a bill that will fix this problem. Help build much-needed support for a strong, groundbreaking bill for all moms and families. Contact your Congressperson today!

Thank you for all that you do to support new moms.

Go here to easily send your congressperson a message of support for the Family Leave Insurance Act of 2008.

8. A “Diaper” Bag – If you must have all the pockets and little goodies, go ahead. But if you have a tote bag in the closet (LL Bean boat totes work great! Of course, you’ll want to find them at a yard sale.) from the library or anywhere else, then just use that.

Want the changing pad? You can buy them separately or make one from one-inch foam cut to size from the fabric store and a quick pillow case cover if you hate to sew! Save the $40-$80 for your first night out alone!

9. Hooded Towel – They’re cute, but unnecessary. Need I say more? Your baby does not need animal ears on his towel to be cute. I swear, the kid will be cute enough. Just get a clean towel from the closet. He’ll get dry either way. Savings: $10-$30

10. A Vibrating Infant Seat – They’re silly and loud! If you think your baby is dying to vibrate in his infant seat (and you just want to put him down for a while), run the washing machine (full, of course) and put the seat on top of it. Just make sure you don’t leave! He could vibrate right off the top! Fold some laundry (if you’re feeling ambitious) or just read a book (a book? what’s a book?). Savings: $35 or more

There you go. Ten things you absolutely don’t need when you have a baby. I promise.

See Part 1 of this article here. Part 2 here.

Michelle Kennedy Hogan is the mother of six and the editor of
Organically Inclined. Her new book 100 Ways to Save Money Right Now is available in digital and print formats. She and her husband John homeschool their children, work from home and practice sustainable living on an organic farm in Vermont. Email her at: editor@organicallyinclined.org

Here’s the first part of the article with more to come in later postings:

10 Baby Things You Don’t Need by Michelle Kennedy Hogan
Save yourself the space and cash

When I became pregnant with my first child, I had been babysitting for a wealthy family for quite some time. They had every gadget you could possibly imagine for raising a child. They also had every glossy magazine available, detailing every shiny new gadget I would “need” in order to have my baby. I was 20 years old and a little overwhelmed by the finery. Howwould I ever afford it all? I soon learned that yard sales were the best places to find all of the gadgets I would need.

Between the sales and the baby shower, I was outfitted. I had every gadget a mother could possibly need to take care of her baby. It wasn’t until baby number two arrived a little over a year later that I realized that I needed very few of those gadgets, and I had a yard sale myself to rid myself of the clutter that was overtaking my apartment.

Save yourself the space and cash. Here is a list of 10 things you absolutely do not need in order to have a baby. There are many others, but this should get your started.

1. Baby Lotion/Baby Cleanser – I’ve received a number of bottles of these items through the years and I must admit that they do smell pretty good. However, not only does your new baby not need to smell any better (they already smell really good), but also take a look at the list of what’s in the bottle. No, it is not just baby goodness. Indeed, I can’t pronounce 90 percent of what’s in it.

Buy a nice bar of natural soap from your local co-op if baby is really that dirty, but a little warm water will do just fine for baby’s already very soft skin. Savings: $10 (plus refills)

2. Diaper Genie – OK, well, you won’t be using disposable diapers anyway, right? But if you did use disposables, this thing has got to be one of the most wasteful, ugly things on the planet. It produces what can only be described as a giant doody caterpillar when full and I have no idea what you do with it after that. Savings: $30 (plus refills)

3. Changing Table – I had one of these for my oldest, but I soon learned that I changed 99 percent of his diapers on either the floor or the couch. Instead, make yourself up a little basket with the appropriate changing needs (diaper covers, diapers, washcloths, etc.) and keep it next to the sofa. Especially in those first weeks, you spend a lot of time on the couch as most of your time is spent nursing, changing diapers, and trying to catch a nap! Forget the table. Savings: $100 (at least)

Michelle Kennedy Hogan is the mother of six and the editor of
Organically Inclined. Her new book 100 Ways to Save Money Right Now is available in digital and print formats. She and her husband John homeschool their children, work from home and practice sustainable living on an organic farm in Vermont. Email her at: editor@organicallyinclined.org

The site is searchable by city or zip code, so you can find deals in your town or use it for trip planning. You can add any locations that you may know of, as well as make comments to help other parents plan outings.

Enjoy!

Click here to view a cute card with a song that outlines what American mothers really want for Mother’s Day. After you view the card, you can click a button to send it to all the presidential candidates. They need to know that mothers are expecting a lot of family-friendly policies from whoever wins the election.

Enjoy your day tomorrow. You’ve earned it! And thank you for spreading the word about making our country friendlier for all American families.

The report first analyzes trends in women’s work experience prior to their first birth and the factors associated with employment during pregnancy. Changes are placed in the historical context of the enactment of family-related legislation during the last quarter of the twentieth century.

The next section identifies the maternity leave arrangements used by women before and after their first birth and the shifts that have occurred in the mix of leave arrangements that are used.

The final section examines how rapidly mothers return to work after their first birth and the factors related to the length of time they are absent from the labor force.

In addition to updating childbearing, employment, and maternity leave trends, the report provides details on changes many new mothers experience in the number of hours worked, pay level, and job skill level after the first birth. These changes are examined in relation to whether a woman returned to the same employer she had during pregnancy or changed employers after the birth of the child.

A portion of the conclusions from the report are pasted below including this line: “In addition, more women are working within a year of giving birth (64 percent in 2000–2002 compared with 39 percent in 1976–1980 and 17 percent in 1961–1965).”

We all knew mothers returning to work within the first year after birth had dramatically increased since the 60s. My question is, why are childcare options still so poor in this country considering 64 percent of families need high-quality, affordable care for their babies?

Wherever you stand on the “beaten to death” debate of at-home parents vs. parents who work outside the home, I think we all can agree that children need and deserve high-quality care.

REPORT CONCLUSIONS

Since the 1960s, women have experienced gains in education beyond the high school years and have continued to delay childbearing to older ages. The work experience of women both before and during the pregnancy preceding the birth of their first child has also increased. Women are more likely to work both before and during their pregnancy than they were 30 to 40 years ago and are working later into their pregnancy. Sixty-four percent of women who worked during their pregnancy in 2001–2003 did so into the last month of their pregnancy. In addition, more women are working within a year of giving birth (64 percent in 2000–2002 compared with 39 percent in 1976–1980 and 17 percent in 1961–1965).

One in four women quit their jobs before or shortly after the birth of their child in 2001–2003. Paid leave benefits were received by 49 percent of pregnant workers in 2001–2003; 39 percent of pregnant workers received unpaid leave; and 9 percent took disability leave. Data in this report also show that 83 percent of mothers who returned to work within 12 months of their child’s birth returned to their same employer. Women who returned to their same employer had a good chance of returning to a job with the same pay, skill level, and hours.

To download Orman’s book, go here, then scroll down and click on Women and Money. There are English and Spanish versions.

If the link above doesn’t work for you, go to the Oprah site and click on the prompt for yesterday’s show in the left-hand column, then follow the prompts.

I’m really excited because I’ve been wanting to read Orman’s book for awhile since many people have told me how good it is. The retail price for the print version is $24.95.

Happy reading!
Melanie