How to save money on formula…plus how to get free samples and coupons!
About 2 months ago, Nora switched from being a breastfed baby to a formula fed baby. There were alot of changes that came with this… cleaning bottles, learning the in’s and out’s of how to properly mix a bottle, but the biggest change of all… the new line in our family budget set just for formula. I could not believe how expensive it was! As a mother, this is a tough situation… you want to buy your baby the absolute best formula, but what if your budget does not allow for it? Luckily, there are a ton of ways you can save money when it comes to buying! My biggest money-saving tip for moms: there is no ONE way that will save you hundreds. It’s all about combining methods and taking advantage of sales when they are going on!
Sign up for a Rewards Program
Both Similac and Enfamil have rewards programs that send you free coupons. I signed up for both programs online on June 12th and received emails containing coupon codes almost immediately. A few weeks later in the mail, I received an $8 off “check” from Enfamil and a 2 $5 off “checks” from Similac!
What’s great about these coupons is that they can usually be used in combination with other in-store offers on formula. See money-saving tip #4 on how to snag deals from your local retailer.
I also decided to give Enfamil a call to see if there were any additional coupons they could send me. I spoke with Amber who let me know that she could send me an additional coupon check and a sample box (update coming on when it arrives, she said it could take up to two weeks!) but the most interesting tidbit she shared with me was that as my daughter got older (I had to provide her birthdate during registration), the frequency of the checks would change and I may even start receiving coupons for specific products meant for older babies. So while the rewards program for Enfamil is great and the amount of money you are able to save just from signing up is worth it, the discounts won’t be rolling in consistently. You can reach Enfamil at 1800-BABY123
Similac: I called Similac StrongMoms with the same questions, were there any additional coupons or samples available? The gentleman I spoke with told me almost the same thing, the timing and benefits change the longer you are with the program. He did offer to send me additional coupons that day (with just a 7-10 day arrival time!) and free samples! I’ll update once they arrive! The number for the Strong Moms Program is 800-232-7667.
Another one of my favorite rewards programs is eBates. I use eBates for online purchases that I would typically make, but I get a certain percentage of cash back from shopping. (For a list of more ways you can make money while at home with your kiddos, see this post!) My lifetime total I’ve received: over $400! A quick search for baby formula shows that you can receive up to 7% cash back when you purchase from Walmart online! You can search for more household item coupons here.Â
Other Coupons for Formula
One of my favorite websites to find deals on specific things I need is Coupon.com. You can “clip” your selected coupon and print them out. Now, the coupons are only available for a certain amount of time so you should either check back frequently or sign up for their weekly newsletter so you don’t miss a good one! You can check here to see are here any current coupons for your baby’s brand of formula.Â
Powder will cost less than Ready to Feed
While there may be alot less steps to preparing a Ready to Feed bottle versus a powdered mix, but it will cost you much more. A quick search of my local grocery stores website shows a 32 ounce bottle of Enfamil Gentleass Ready to Feed costing $8.32, or $.26 per ounce. Let’s assume a child is eating 4 8-ounce bottles a day, this would only make 4 bottles- enough for just one day. That brings the total to $2.08 per bottle.
Now the Enfamil Gentlease in powder form is available in a 20.9 oz can for $24.98. This can would make a total of 16 8 ounce bottles, bringing the total to just $1.56 per bottle!
Now, is $.52 a BIG difference? Well, when you are talking about ONE bottle, then no. But when you think about 4 bottles a day for 31 days, that’s $64 a month and close to $760 a year!
Buy in Bulk
As with just about any product, buying your formula in bulk with be a huge money saver. I did the math below based on Similac Advanced Pro Formula assuming baby had 4 8-ounce bottles a day.
You can check the bulk prices for the formula brands below by clicking in the name.
You can search for all other brands here.
Wherever you grocery shop, sign up for rewards and check the weekly listing.
Most grocery stores these days have some sort of program you can sign up for where your weekly purchases earn your gas points or some sort of reward. These systems also track what you are purchasing. I’m sure you have noticed in the past that if you purchase some type of food, you will usually get a coupon. After a Sunday grocery trip to my local store I received the coupon below. The crazy thing was, I didn’t purchase formula that day, but thanks to my account with the store, they knew I had in the past. I used this coupon in combination with one of my “checks” and was able to save $17 on formula!
Ask Your Doctor is they receive samples of your brand of formula
Just yesterday, we went to visit Emmy’s pediatrician and as I was waiting in line to check out, I noticed an area of the nurses desk stocked with formula. As I was eyeing it to see if they had Nora’s brand, a nurse caught me staring and asked if I was formula feeding my baby. When I replied yes, she asked if I would like a bottle. I replied yes (because who doesn’t love FREE?!), and she handed over a bottle of ready to feed formula. I couldn’t believe it!
Are you starting to see how if you really use all of the resources out there, it’s possible to SERIOUSLY save on baby formula?! If you have any other money-saving methods we haven’t listed here, please email me and let me know! We’d love to add them to this post and help other mamas out! Caroline (at) swaddlesnbottles.com
