I’ve been looking forward to find time to write this post. My twin boys are now 7 months old! I can’t believe it either. They are growing up so fast. I’m a huge supporter of breast feeding and breast pumping. I breast feed my twins almost exclusively for over 2 months. But then I became pretty exhausted and my energy level couldn’t keep up and neither could my body. I started supplementing and the boys enjoyed it. I became a happier Mom and they are very happy babies.
Now they are older it is so funny to watch how excited they get when they see their bottles full of formula. They eat solids now and are enjoying lots of homemade baby food as well as my huge stock of natural baby food jars I bought last fall at Big Lot’s 20% off sale. I had bought 100+ jars of baby food for about $20.
One question that is always on my mind right now is How to find great deals on baby formula?
The best way to calculate this is compare best price per fluid ounce. Not ounce of the package.
Which formula do you want to purchase?
Generic Brands
I’m a huge fan of generic formulas most large stores carry generic baby formula made by PDM Nutritional. I’ve found that my babies really like it. They cost about $.08 or less a fluid ounce! If you have questions or concerns about generic baby formula click HERE for more information from the FDA. I did my research on it and it is comparable to the national brands.
National Brands
If you are interested in named brand formulas like Similac or Infamil. Then you need to look at several options to save the most such as sales, using coupons, savings checks or buying in bulk.
Where to buy?
Generic Brands
If you are interested in generics formulas it doesn’t matter if you use Babies R Us, Walmart’s Parent’s Choice, Target Up & Up brand , Sam’s Club Simply Right or other store brands it is the same formula from PDM Nutritional. I suggest buying from which ever store has the best price per fluid ounce.
Babies R Us has a great promotion via the Babies R Us rewards program that allows you to purchase 9 and get the 10th for free!
Target on occasion has sales that puts the formula on sale and gives you a $5 gift card when you buy 2.
CVS also on occasion has sales for their formula including promotions that include Extra Care Bucks (ECB)s.
National Brands
Make sure you sign up for each of the national brand programs. That might mean signing up online, via mail or phone. After I had my twins I learned that I could write to each of the formula companies and get some freebies. I could get a case of formula free from Infamil via their multiples new beginning program. I wrote to them and they called me and sent me a case per child. It was a life saver for us. Plus, I got coupons that I used at several stores. When I wrote to Similac they sent me coupons that I could use in any store. From Gerber I got some great coupons and some matching newborn onesies.
You can purchase national brands from any store. I’ve found that for the convenience factor for most Moms is to buy from a club warehouse is a cost effective way verse running into the grocery. However, if you look closely for sales you can find some great sales at Target, CVS, and Rite Aid. Make sure to keep your eye out for additional manufacture coupons you can use during a sale or use a manufacture coupon check.
A coupon check comes from the manufacture usually with the person’s name written on it good for a maximum amount and only for a specific product or any product depending on the writing. Most of these checks say for “any” formula and that includes powder, ready to feed and concentrate. As long as the check information reads properly the check can be applied to any of these. I’ve scored almost free ready to feed formulas from these checks. And I have to admit the ready to feed formulas are a nice to have especially with twins! Hand these checks to the cashier at the end of the transaction. Only 1 coupon per purchase (or item).
Free Samples!
Click HERE for a Sam’s Club free sample of their Simply Right brand.
Click HERE for a Walmart free sample of Parent’s Choice.
Cost Spreadsheet
Here is my formula cost spreadsheet that I created this year on formulas that I have purchased. I’ve even includes some of the deals including coupons I used.
Click HERE to view the google spreadsheet.
Let me know of some formula deals that you have scored or if you have some formula calculations you want me to add to the spreadsheet.
