6 strategies to spend less on baby gear

1. Find discounts on all your parenting needs at babycheapskate.com, which scours the Web for the best deals every week.

2. Join Amazon Mom at amazon.com for deals on diapers and related accessories (30 percent off), plus the free delivery extends to most Amazon items.

3. Buy and sell it all at rockabuygear.com, which donates 2 percent of all proceeds to children’s charities. Babies grow so fast that it’s easy to find items in top condition on the cheap.

4. Tap into online trading tools for baby and maternity gear at freepeats.org and swapbabygoods.com.

5. Lean on your friends: Everybody wants to help with a new baby, so let people give you their used gear, throw you a shower and pass down their advice. Anyone who has already had a child understands that it’s a waste to purchase new for a baby and will want to help.

6. Don’t buy the hype: New parents are inundated with pressure to buy all sorts of gadgets and conveniences for their bundles of joy. But the fact is, all a baby needs is love, warmth and food. It doesn’t care about a beautiful nursery, a fancy stroller system or wipe holders.

• Gather moms in your community to trade kids’ gear.