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gigantic. There’s product stratification even in the generic area. So you’ll find ultra-discount generics as well as generics whose features and comfort are designed to mimic brand-name disposable diapers. Wal-Mart, for example, has a very inexpensive line of diapers for people who want the rock-bottom low price. We’ve bought the other, more expensive Wal-Mart brand, which still costs much less than the name brand. We’ve been thoroughly satisfied.
    Even if you buy brand-name diapers, you’ll probably try a few different kinds to see which works best for you. So why not try a few generics first? If one variety leaks or irritates your baby’s skin, don’t buy it again. But if you find a brand that works, you’ll save a phenomenal amount of money as you buy diapers, week after week, year after year. Warehouse clubs and supermarkets sell their own brands, as do some drugstores and discount stores.
    If you feel guilty about getting generic diapers or formula for your child, put the savings into a college fund and tell your child later that generic diapers put her through college.
    • Tips on Buying for Your First Child •
     
Don’t buy too many things in advance. Wait until your child is home to see what’s going to be useful.
Buy comfortable outfits that are easy to get a child into and out of, particularly from ages six months to twenty-four months.
Used clothing is a great idea, because of how fast your child will outgrow everything and the practically nonexistent wear and tear.
Look for deals on children’s clothing in stores that buy other people’s mistakes, such as Marshalls, T.J. Maxx, and Value City, which is in only fifteen states.
Don’t buy “baby” furniture. It won’t last long, and in just a few years, your child won’t like it.
Get ideas from baby stores and catalogs, but re-create their ideas for far less money.
Avoid used car seats, cribs, and bassinets. Safety standards change too quickly.
If you use baby formula, try generic. It’s about half the price of brand-name formula and is required by federal law to be nutritionally equal.
Buying generic diapers is another excellent way to save money.
    • Internet •
     
www.safekids.org
www.fda.gov
    * RAISING CLARK-SMART KIDS *
    It’s hard to teach children to have good money values. Children often see their parents as the bank, the source of unlimited withdrawals for whatever they want. They don’t understand that there are consequences for spending too much money. And they don’t understand the idea of making deposits.
    Parents have to overcome that by teaching addition and subtraction, and they can do that by using a reward system. The fundamentalist Christian community promoted an idea that’s now become more mainstream, and I love it. The idea is to have three jars for money. You give your child a certain amount of money, and it’s split among the three jars—spending, saving, and charity. In the fundamentalist model, 10 cents of every dollar goes to charity, and the child gets to choose the charity. So if your child loves animals, you could designate that 10 percent to the Humane Society. The other 90 cents is split in half, with 45 cents going to savings and 45 cents to be spent however the child wishes. The savings jar could be for a stereo system, a bicycle, or some other long-term goal that eventually will give the child a reward for saving.
    The next question is how that money is “earned.” Some parents like to give it in exchange for the child completing certain household chores. Others believe the child has a right to share in some of the family’s income. Or it could be a combination of both.
    When your child reaches his or her early teens and starts earning their own money for baby-sitting or mowing lawns, you can give them an incentive to save by matching every dollar they save. Give them a dollar for every dollar they put into a CD at the bank, instead of a CD at the mall. They’ll see that $20 they don’t spend