Tempe, Arizona (NAPSI) - The next time you or someone you care for is about to have a little addition to the family, a few helpful hints may prevent a lot of subtraction from the family budget.

After all, parents spend on average about $14,000 during their baby’s first year, making baby products a $9.8 billion industry in theU.S.annually.

Helpful Hints

Raising a baby doesn’t come cheap, but there are plenty of ways to save. These money-saving tips from Sandra Gordon, one of the nation’s leading baby products experts and author of the new book “Save a Bundle: 50+ Ways to Save Big on Baby Gear,” can help make the difference:

• Shop Midweek—Often, the best deals on baby gear are available during the week because retailers want to generate consumer traffic.

• Join the Club—Get on the e-mail list of your favorite baby stores and keep your eyes peeled for notices about in-store sale events or online-only promotions. Also, sign up on manufacturers’ websites for coupons.

• Make a List—As with grocery shopping, write down what you really need and stick to your list. Impulse buys on stuff you really don’t need can wipe out your savings.

• Learn to Share—Ask friends if their kids have outgrown anything and consider consignment shops and yard sales.

• Shop Store Brands—While breast milk is best, for moms who choose to formula-feed or want to supplement breast milk with formula, store-brand infant formula can be a great option. Store-brand formulas, such as Walmart’s Parent’s Choice and Target’s Up & Up, are nutritionally equivalent to the name-brand formulas yet cost up to 50 percent less. This can help parents save up to $600 a year.

Learn More

For more information about store-brand formula, you can visit www.storebrandformula.com. For other money-saving tips, visit www.babyproductsmom.com.