I am a bit clueless when it comes to baby items, luckily Corinna Nicol of The Mummy Circle has created this guest post full of helpful advice for #NonBrandedNovember. She and her members have put together what they think are the best non-branded items that could save you money along with some suggestions about when it is worth buying branded.
Food
Several members of the group commented that Aldi snacks and fruit pouches were fine, but the food was a big no no. One mum said she much prefers Little Yeo’s yoghurts or just plain Greek yoghurt to any other brands.
As far as snacks go, there are some things that you can’t get everywhere. Aldi where are your melty sticks? Those have to be branded! A few mums said if they were buying branded they will always get it in an offer.
Nappies, Cream and Wipes
Many mums expressed a preference for Aldi nappies and wipes, or cloth nappies. Another mum agree, “Aldi nappies and wipes, I tried all other brands and preferred them”
For mums of tiny babies, it might be useful to know one of our members thinks Asda size 0 nappies are a million times better than the pampers equivalent: “We then used Aldi up to size 3 when they changed the design and have been using Sainsbury’s ever since!”
Another vote for Aldi: “We always used Aldi nappies but now our baby is bugger the Pampers premiums are my branded must have. So soft but we only buy them when they go half price! For wipes I’ve only ever liked the Johnson’s cotton touch ones, we tried others but found them either too dry or too foamy! I also loved Water Wipes and if I was rich enough then would have continued using them (although at home we have reusable wipes for mealtimes).
One mum of a toddler commented “Pampers nappy pants always – the cheaper alternatives are so tempting because they’re so much cheaper but they leak every time! Normal nappies for the baby I’m happy to buy from anywhere.”
Many mums have agreed that Sudocrem is great for bums and Lansinoh is invaluable for nipples in the early days of breastfeeding. It also makes a great lip balm! However, one mum commented that “the nursery will only let us use Sudocrem with a disclaimer because it’s antiseptic so we’ve been recommended to use Asda’s own nappy cream.”
Many mums have agreed that Sudocrem is great for bums and Lansinoh invaluable for nipples in the early days of breastfeeding. It also makes a great lip balm! However, one mum commented that “the nursery will only let us use Sudcocrem with a disclaimer because it’s antiseptic so we’ve been recommended to use Asda’s own nappy cream.”
Formula Milk and Bottles
A mum of twins recommends Mam anti colic bottles and the Tommee Tippee perfect prep machine. She also mentioned that all formula is regulated to the same standards so it made sense for them to go with Aldi as it would have cost a fortune otherwise.
Clothes
All mums agreed on certainly no designer labels for clothes. One said, “For clothes we frequent the charity shops a lot!” However, quite a few mums agreed that for shoes they will always buy branded from Clarks.
High Chair
Finally, most mums agreed that the basic £12 Ikea high chair is Simple, easy to clean, cheap but “the best there is”.
I hope this has been a helpful read! If you’d like any information about joining The Mummy Circle, or if you would like to come along for a free trial of Baby Massage classes, drop me a message.
Corinna xx – The Mummy Circle
Thrifty Clair 