The Art of Green Finance

I recently read that it costs £150,000-£220,000 to raise a child from birth to age 18 in the UK. This includes additional costs for single parents who often need to spend more on childcare. But, does it really have to be this expensive? In a country with free education, I suspect that these costs can be easily reduced, simply by not buying a large amount of unecessary stuff. This is of course also better for the environment, and, protecting the environment takes on an added importance for many people starting a family. Further good news is that many of the most environmentally friendly choices in parenting actually cost less – finally, an area where there is no (or limited) green premium!

Sustainable preparation for parenthood.

During pregnancy, adapt your normal clothes for as long as possible – a piece of elastic looped through the button-hole and around the button of your normal trousers will extend the time-frame during which you can wear them. Clothing belonging to a partner or other family member such as an oversized shirt or t-shirt can also be worn.

In the last month or two, you may find that you are more comfortable in dedicated maternity clothing. Borrow from friends or sort through your wardrobe and find anything clothing that you think you will never wear again, then sell it on Vinted and buy some maternity clothes with the proceeds. The maternity clothes can of course also be re-sold once you no longer need them.

Walk to all of your maternity appointments; great for your own health and that of the environment, as well as saving money.

What do I need to buy for a newborn baby?

Newborns have pretty simple needs and really don’t require lots of stuff!

A car-seat. You will need a car-seat to take your baby home from the hospital (if you don’t want to deal with awkward questions from hospital staff). Ask family, friends or colleagues if anyone has a baby car-seat that their child has grown out of, or has one that you can borrow. In the case of a car-seat, it’s better to get a second hand car-seat from someone that you know in order to have a degree of certainty that it hasn’t been involved in an accident rather than picking one from an advert.

A bed. The baby will need something to sleep in. Finnish babies manage well in a cardboard box, but second-hand moses baskets can be found via freecycle or gumtree, or, if you have basic carpentry skills, make a simple rocking cradle for the baby to sleep in. A new mattress is recommended however. One made from natural materials will cost £50-60.

Nappies. Check to see if your local authority offers sample re-useable nappies or vouchers for re-useable nappies. Then, find your nearest nappy library. Ideally, go and visit a nappy library and look at the different options available. There is usually a small charge for borrowing nappies, however, this is a good way of getting hold of re-useable nappies and trying them out. This is especially good for the newborn period as babies will outgrow this size of nappy quickly. After this time, you may wish to invest in re-useable nappies. You will save money if you use re-useable nappies until your child is potty-trained and you will save even more money if you use the nappies again for another child and/or sell them onwards once you don’t need them anymore. You will also save an enormous amount of plastic waste from going to land-fill. A word of caution; avoid the cheapest re-useable option of basic towelling nappies. They are bulky and restrict movement; as soon as my first-born could roll independently the objections to restrictive nappies became very vocal- the towelling nappies therefore got diverted for mopping up spills and I caved in a bought less restrictive but more expensive re-useable nappies.

Wipes. Similarly to using re-useable nappies, using basic flannels or dedicated baby reuseable wipes and water (+/- a few drops of essential oil) for wiping baby, and rags for mopping up spills can add up to a big saving.

Milk. We all know that breast-feeding is the healthiest option and has the added advantage of being very cost effective. However, in my opinion, breast-feeding is (a) difficult and (b) frankly, uncomfortable at best, if not painful! There is not enough honest advice about this aspect of breast-feeding and I think that many women are put off of breast-feeding early because they are given false expectations of breast-feeding. In my case, I perservered with breast-feeding my first child purely out of stubborness. After my second child was born, when I was visited by the breast-feeding support worker in the hospital, I asked for regular visits and supervision until we had established a good technique. I probably spent an extra 48 hours in hospital because of this, but with better technique, it was less painful (although not without some discomfort!) the second time round and I think it was thanks to this intervention that my second child also fed-quickly and slept well. So, find your local breast-feeding support resources ahead of time and make good use of them. You will need some nursing bras and washable nursing pads but not much else.

Baby food. If you can’t already cook, learn to cook. This will save thousands over the course of raising your child! Boiling veg and mashing it for your baby once they start weaning is about as easy as it gets in the kitchen. This also saves a huge amount of money in comparison to the cost of pre-prepared jars or plastic sachets of food.

Clothing. Buy as little baby clothing as possible before the birth of your baby; perhaps try to get hold of a few second-hand vests. We were given all of the clothes that we needed for the first year as gifts from family and friends. Once babies have outgrown their clothes, clean, repair and store them for future children. Later, sell any unused or minimally used clothing online.

A support network. Make good use of any free council run baby groups. These are a good way to meet other new parents. Also look out for free baby groups running at local libraries.

Fresh air. Walk everywhere for easy-access free exercise with a baby in tow. Some babies love being walked in a sling. Others prefer to be in a pram or buggy. Slings can often be borrowed from nappy libraries to try them out. For prams and buggies, use freecycle or gumtree. A daily walk in the fresh air, ideally somewhere green like your local park, is highly recommended during parental leave for both physical and mental well-being.

Toys. Make toys from household items. A plastic container with a few pieces of dried pasta makes a good rattle (tape the lid for security). If you have basic crafting skills, you could make a soft book for babies from scraps of fabric or worn out clothing. Saucepans filled with wooden pegs plus a wooden spoon make an interesting (although noisy!) kitchen toy. Plastic tubs with lids are endlessly fascinating (to the point that we had to put a lock on that particular cupboard). Put your nearly one year old into a large cardboard box with a crayon for easy entertainment. If your child puts everything into his or her mouth, provide a small cup of water and a clean paintbrush instead. Once you’ve exhausted all of the household items you can think of, check to see if you have a local toy library. Finally, if you still need to buy any toys, buy second-hand. Local charity shops usually have a good selection of bright plastic toys that can be bought inexpensively. Alternatively, consider a toy subscription service. This is unlikely to save you money but will save lots of plastic waste and clutter. A toy subscription gift card also makes a great gift.

You may also like: How to save or invest for a university education and Sustainable parenting on a budget (part two); toddler and pre-school years.