Budget baby: 3 ways to cash in with coupons

If you've never used coupons for baby items, now is a good time to start. The savings can add up, especially on everyday items like diapers and baby food. Here are smart ways to cash in.

Stock up on savings. When you come across a valuable coupon such as baby food in the Sunday paper for items you use all the time, like baby food, stockpile them. Sometimes it's worth buying extra copies of the newspaper for valuable coupons. Also go to sites like www.coolsavings.com and www.smartsource.com.

Go to company Websites. Manufacturers of baby items post special offers on their sites. Recently, Gerber offered buy-five-get-1-free of its 1st Foods Purees and buy 2, get 1 free of its DHA dinners to parents who joined the Start Healthy, Stay Healthy Resource Center (you enter your e-mail address). Earth's Best offered a $1 coupon that you could print up to three times to use on 10 jars of its baby food. Beech-Nut featured special savings on baby food if you sent in proofs of purchase from Beech-Nut baby-food products or signed up for a free monthly e-newsletter. Sign up at Pampers.com and you can receive diaper coupons or other gifts through Pampers Gifts to Grow program.

Google for coupons. Do a Google search of the name of the baby products store and the word "coupon code." The codes can help you save a bundle online on baby items and other gear.

For more ideas on spending less, see our related posts, saving money on baby gear and money-saving toy tips.