Finding out you’re pregnant with twins can be a shock. Make sure you read these top 6 money saving tips to prepare for twins!
“Wow. Double the baby, double the cost!”
I heard that comment more than once when I announced I was pregnant with twins.
The first time I heard it, my mind went racing.
How will I afford to feed two babies?
How much will childcare for two babies cost?
We will go broke buying diapers!
Two cribs, two bouncers, two swings, two car seats… Oh. My. Goodness!
Hi, I’m Shelby.
I am sure those questions and worries circled the minds of many twin parents after their first ultrasound. Who can blame us? Raising children is expensive, and two babies at once is a lot to prepare for!
I’m here to tell you that while, yes, raising more children does cost more money, having twins does not have to break the bank. I was able to find ways to remain frugal, and still use quality products that would be safe for my twins.
Here are my top 6 money saving tips to prepare for twins
1. Stockpile diapers during the pregnancy.
One of the first things I thought when I found out I was pregnant was, “We will need SO many diapers!” What I found to be a great money saving tip was to purchase at least one box a week through my entire pregnancy.
You can’t really anticipate any sensitivities or preferences for diapers until the time comes to use them. However, most stores are very good about accepting returns or exchanges for unopened packages or boxes of diapers.
Keep your receipts taped to each box when you can, but if you aren’t able to (or misplace them- hello pregnancy brain!) many stores can use your debit/credit card or photo ID to complete the exchange.
And if you have bad baby brain, check out this one month old sleep schedule to help your kids sleep better.
We were lucky to have a room for a nursery with a sizeable closet in which to store the diaper box mountain.
Twins and twin ‘stuff’ takes up a LOT of room and it may not be possible for you to store all those boxes. If you don’t have the room to stockpile diaper boxes, there is an alternative way to “stockpile” before you have the diapers!
Purchasing a store gift card (like Target or Walmart) in the approximate amount of a box of diapers each week can help you “stock up” without needing storage room. For example, if a box of Huggies diapers is $24.85, you can purchase a gift card each week in the amount of $27 to account for tax and a little wiggle room for product markups.
Target also has some really great baby department “free gift card with purchase” deals! On those weeks, I purchased enough boxes of diapers to meet that minimum (often $50 or $75) to receive a free gift card. You can use that gift card for more diapers, or hold on to them for other baby necessities that come up down the road.
Learn more about how to get gift cards at Target here.
2. Buy second-hand clothing and furniture.
Once we found out we were expecting twins, I made sure to scour every thrift store discount day, Facebook Marketplace, and yard sales. I was able to buy a TON of clothing for $0.25 to $1.00 per item. This in itself is a HUGE money saving tip to prepare for twins, as buying outfits new from a retailer can cost on average anywhere between $8 and $35.
People are always eager to sell baby clothing lots on Facebook Marketplace, and are almost always up to negotiate the price. You will probably be home for the majority of the first few months, so existing minor stains will only be added to!
I didn’t worry too much about having matching outfits for the twins in the smaller sizes. Spit up and blowouts happen, and those matching outfits soon may not match.
Purchasing second-hand furniture is something to be cautious about, but not something to rule out entirely. Be sure you are able to closely inspect the item prior to paying for it, and do a quick Google search on the model to check for any recalls. Both of our cribs, co-sleepers, a swing, and a bouncer were second-hand, and they worked great for us!
3. Borrow items from friends, family and neighbors.
Since growing out of some bigger toys and furniture, we have loaned out things like bouncers, swings, and activity jumpers that we knew we wanted to keep “just in case” we have another baby. It made no sense for these things to sit in storage for years when I had friends and family needing these items in the meantime. Ask around!
If you don’t know someone who will loan them to you, you may find someone who is willing to give them to you for free. There is no better money saving tip than looking for free baby stuff!
If you are lucky to receive free items or furniture for your twins, be sure to pass on the love when you are done with it yourself. Find a new twin mom in need- I am sure she will be so thankful for your generosity.
4. Breastfeed when you are able.
Breastfeeding and pumping breastmilk can be a great money saving tip when you have twins. Everyone knows that formula is expensive, and doubly-so when feeding twins! Breastfeeding or pumping is a time-consuming but amazing way to feed your twins.
While you will not spend a lot of money breastfeeding or pumping, you will spend a lot of time. Here’s how I increased my milk supply while pumping for my twins.
You can also read about Tiffany’s journey with increasing breastmilk here.
Feeding your twins breastmilk instead of- or in supplement to formula can save you hundreds or thousands of dollars during the first year! Hybrid or supplementary feeding with breastmilk and formula is how I fed my twins, as I struggled to produce enough for two. It was both rewarding and a huge cost-saver!
Read about why Tiffany was unable to nurse here.
5. Purchase store brand products when possible.
There has always been a stigma surrounding the quality of store brand, otherwise known as generic products. The concern that people have with store brand baby products is “I trust the big name brand, how can I know this generic is a safe and good product?”
Here’s a little secret that you should know… Many times store brand products are produced by larger label companies, in the SAME factory- and YES, this includes baby products like diapers, wipes, and formula! The only big differences in these cases are the name on the label and the price tag.
These days, stores have put a lot of effort into finding a large label company to produce their store brands so they can provide quality products to consumers at a lower cost. So try out those store brands and save some major cash!
6. Buy in bulk.
Our twins are almost 3 years old now, but we went through so many diapers and wipes during the past few years. When we were still diapering normally, we liked to purchase 2 boxes of Costco’s Kirkland brand baby wipes every 1-2 months.
These boxes go on sale fairly regularly, and you can get up to $2 off each box when this happens, making each box about $18. The cost per Kirkland wipe and diaper is comparable to, or lower than other store brand wipes and diapers, and the quality is great!
It was beneficial for us to have plenty of wipes on hand. We kept at least one package in our diaper bag, one in our car, and several throughout the house. You never know when or where a mess will happen, especially with twins!
Yes, it is possible to maintain a frugal budget with these 6 money saving tips as you prepare for twins.
It is absolutely true that twins are more expensive. If you are able to use even one of these tips in preparation of your first year with twins, you could save yourself hundreds throughout the first year alone.
These tips have saved me a TON of money in the months leading up to- and since having twins. Hopefully these tips will help you as you prepare to welcome your two (or more!) new beautiful bundles of joy.
About the Author of Money Saving Tips to Prepare for Twins
Shelby is a professional blogger at Twinning A to Z, and a mother of twin toddler girls, Aria and Zelda (her A to Z). Living in Iowa with her husband and twins, she enjoys spending her time starting but never finishing projects, blogging about her parenting experiences, and cooking new recipes from Pinterest. Shelby uses her experience as a twin mom to help guide new parents through the adventures of parenting multiples.
You can read more and follow Shelby at:
Pin this post with Money Saving Tips to Prepare for Twins
