cheapest formula?

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Registered: 05-09-2003
cheapest formula?
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Fri, 07-09-2004 - 11:28am
Hey, y'all. I haven't been here much since the birth of my second child (I've been terribly busy) but I was wondering about formula costs. Has anyone done a price comparison? DD is on Enfamil Lipil right now, but DH got a raise last week and so we will only have two months left of WIC. His raise, I'm afraid, is going to seem like a cut! Anyways, I am totally willing to go to a store brand, but I don't know which one is cheaper. I thought maybe one of y'all has checked. I live in Texas, so I have Walmart, Sams, Kroger, Target, HEB (there is a Babies R Us and Toys R Us, but it's an hour away.) What do you suggest?
Sarah, mother of two preemies

Kailey Faith at 32 weeks 1-23-03 (EDD 3-17-03)

Bethany Hope at 34 weeks 2-22-04 (EDD 4-4-04)

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iVillage Member
Registered: 05-08-2004
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 12:01pm

Hi,


and welcome back. I never used formula but have sisters who did. When I shop with them I noticed that the carnation good start from wal-mart was the least expensive. I do not know if it is the "best" of the least expensive, but it seemed to have everything the others did. Maybe someone else will post

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Avatar for springolife
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Registered: 05-09-2003
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 12:08pm
Thanks! :) I am a homeshooler too, by the way.
Sarah, mother of two preemies

Kailey Faith at 32 weeks 1-23-03 (EDD 3-17-03)

Bethany Hope at 34 weeks 2-22-04 (EDD 4-4-04)
iVillage Member
Registered: 09-04-2003
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 12:35pm
Ok, i have never bought nothing besides Similac w/ Iron for my son.

I had a friend go with me once to help me check on generic brands of formula.

We found out the cheaper brands might contain more sugar, which we all know what sugar might do to the kiddos? So my thing is compare what each brand has to what u already use.

U might like to cut your buck in formula but really u might consider cutting your buck somewhere else. (diapers)(foods u eat), (etc.)

That is what we did. I always dreaded going down the formula isle and seeing the price of similac $20 for a 1lb. tin.

I then got cheap w/ diapers. I started to go buy diapers from the $1 store, walmart brand, target brand, etc.

I mean what else does the kiddos do in them besides pee and poop? LOL

So i am still currently using Dri Bottoms size 5 for Gavin.

I am sure I will buy Dri Bottoms for my newborn as well, after all the FREE stuff from friends and family go down.

(dri bottoms...walmart brand)

SAme w/ wipes, go to a wholesale store and stock up on there generic brand of wipes.

I just found some at Costco..not sure u have the wholesale store or not? They ahve a great generic brand..527 wipes for $12.

I am sure Sams and other wholesale stored do too.

i wish u luck and remember generic tastes, looks and might better in somethings then others.

becca23

gavin 2yrs.

#2 9/2004

Avatar for springolife
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Registered: 05-09-2003
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 4:27pm
:) I wish we COULD cut costs in other ways. We don't buy baby food, we use generic everything, and we don't even buy regular meat. A couple times a week we have ground turkey (77 cents a pound.) So, I don't really know what else to do. We're fixing to drop our health insurance, so that will give us a little room, but we really need to save that money in case somebody gets sick! *sigh* I love being a SAHM and I really couldn't earn enough outside the home to make enough surplus my expenses to make it worth working.

I have been trying to come up with things I can sell in my sister's MIL shop. Since that's not consistant, I can't count on it to provide formula.

Sarah, mother of two preemies

Kailey Faith at 32 weeks 1-23-03 (EDD 3-17-03)

Bethany Hope at 34 weeks 2-22-04 (EDD 4-4-04)
iVillage Member
Registered: 03-27-2003
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 4:41pm

Hi!


We use Carnation. My doc told us it's the cheapest, and they are all pretty much the same. Carnation is good. We like it. Buy in the big cans powder form, it's even cheaper.


As for dropping Health Insurance, if you can--don't! that is very important. Do the math on how much it will cost you per year with each child getting sick only twice, and their regular yearly visit. Health Insurance is still cheaper.


Have you thought of watching other's kids as a way to bring in extra money, or to work from home? do you have a talent? Can you cook for others? There are options out there.


Good luck,


Debbie


------------------------------------


~ ~ Follow your passion!:&n

iVillage Member
Registered: 11-11-2003
Fri, 07-09-2004 - 9:28pm
I know exactly how you feel. I live in Texas also, and if I didn't have a Wal-mart I think I'd have a panic attack. You might try their brand, Parent's Choice. When my first was born, she had to have the pre-mixed stuff and that was EXPENSIVE!!! My ped. suggested that we try that brand so it wouldn't break us, lol!! When she did so well on that, I vowed I would never go back. If you compare the back of the labels, you'll see they are the same. Also, all baby food and formula sold through the major stores has to go through the FDA. Hope this helps some!!

Laura, Emily,& Cutter

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iVillage Member
Registered: 07-09-2004
Sat, 07-10-2004 - 12:30am

We use Isomil Advance, it's not as cheap as Carnation. But I believe Carnation is the cheapest you can get. You might could check online auctions also and find some good formula (new of course) for a few bucks cheaper then if you got it at the store.

Heather

SAHM to

Avatar for springolife
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Registered: 05-09-2003
Sat, 07-10-2004 - 9:53am
I could work from home if I had a babysitter. I can hardly get my house clean with these two, much less do any kind of job. Dh's boss wants to hire me as a treloemarketer of sorts, but I can't do it with the kids here. That's where the selling things in a shop come in. I sell things around my house I don't really need, and hopefully will be able to make some things too. I can do that after the girls are asleep.

We live way out in the country and no one wants to bring their kids this far! My friends don't even come here. I have offered to the neighbors childcare, but the only ones with young children can't afford it. We all live in mobile homes. Yeah, we're considered rednecks by most people! :)

Anyways, I'm still working on the whole money issue. We can't possibly make enough money for our health insurance. Every year it goes up 35%. In August it will be almost $1000 a month, which is roughly half of what DH brings home. There are clinics that charge only $5 a visit, and that's where we will go if they get sick or need shots. The only alternative is if DH's boss gets off her lazy rear end and signs up for new insurance. Every year she says she's going to, but doesn't even look at the companies I suggest to her. Trust me, we don't WANT to go without insurance!

Thanks for the suggestions. I am always open to them!

Sarah, mother of two preemies

Kailey Faith at 32 weeks 1-23-03 (EDD 3-17-03)

Bethany Hope at 34 weeks 2-22-04 (EDD 4-4-04)
iVillage Member
Registered: 04-01-2004
Sun, 07-11-2004 - 12:24pm
I just switched my dd to Walmart brand formula and things are going really well with it. She is 7 1/2 months old, so at this point, she is getting baby food as well. She used to be on Similac Advance and I bought it at Sam's club for $24. The can was bigger than what you could normally buy. They had another type of formula, but I can't remember what exactly it was. You might want to check them out though!

Cari

Cari

Mom to 5 yr old girl and 2 yr old twinadoes!

iVillage Member
Registered: 05-20-2004
Sun, 07-11-2004 - 12:57pm
Welcome back! We use Isomil Advance and through price comparison I found one Target in our area sells the value size for $17.69!! Anywhere else it's $23-25...even at Walmart. Every time we are at that Target we stock up big time. Can't believe it's so much cheaper than even the other Target stores in the area. It pays to price shop!! Then I save the receipt and usually other places will price match if we happen to be elsewhere. Good luck!

Jill
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