Local mom shares how she saves $400 a year

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. – The estimated costs to raise a child these days is more than $235,000. With a price tag like that, every bit helps. There are some ways you can save as some ways you can save hundreds of dollars a year while your kids are still super young.

There are several things you must have when you have a baby, and all those things add up.  One of them, baby wipes.  But if you want to save $20 a month, mix baby soap with water in an inexpensive spray bottle and then use washcloths for a reusable, durable system.

Another way to save money, make your own baby food.

"Babies are little black holes of money. It's a good thing they're cute," said working mom, Jennea Bothwell. "So like most families we are on a budget these days."

That's why Bothwell makes her own baby food, and she says it's easy.

"Stick it in your storage containers, fill those up, seal em up, label them, date them and stick them in the freezer and you are good to go for the week," she explained.

By making your own baby food, Bothwell says you're doing more than cutting costs.

"Knowing the ingredients and the quality that goes into the food I'm feeding my daughter is priceless but if you do the math and your research of what's in season and what costs less, you can really find ways to save a lot of money," she said.

Bothwell shops local farmers markets and checks the weekly sales ads, basing her daughter's meals around those.  Every weekend she prepares everything she'll need for the entire week.

"You can really see on paper quite a bit of cost savings," she said. "I've added it up and on a year value about $400 in savings on jarred food alone,"

Another way to save money is to switch to cloth diapers. It can save you hundreds of dollars, but it can also be a chore.  Depending on how soiled they are, you may have to wash them twice.

We did some research online and found a package of 12  averages around $200.  And according to parenting experts, if you take good care of them  and air dry them, they may be able to last until your kids are potty trained.