I deserve a raise

[celticdragonfly]

I just got home from an exhausting long grocery run at Walmart. I also got socks for selenite, and some tops for myself, including a v-neck top to wear underneath that sweater I'm working on. Whew. Long list, long lines.

In front of me was a couple with a baby in a stroller with a cartload of stuff - and separated out from all their other stuff were cans and cans of formula, which apparently she was paying for separately with WIC or whatever it is. After she'd left, I asked the cashier, curious, about how much did that stuff cost and how long did it last? She didn't know the latter, but could tell me that the woman had bought 31 cans and it cost $130. I'm guessing that's a month's supply.

My 4th baby is 8 months old, and I have never bought formula. Supplied them all myself. So presumably I've been saving us that much each month.

Yeah, I deserve a raise!

Comments

[desert-vixen.livejournal.com]

The cost varies. The liquid is the most expensive.

We used the powder (Nestle Good Start) and that was about $60/month.

Yes, the cost savings factor of breastfeeding is nice.

DV

Same here.

[the-blue-fenix.livejournal.com]

The big cans of powder are by far the best deal per drinkable ounce. Also you can make one bottle at a time as you need them, no worries about spoilage like with the ready-made canned stuff. That really only makes sense when traveling imo.

I think we were going through about 2 big cans of powder a week when unable-to-nurse boy got bigger and hungrier. Maybe 3 cans shortly before he moved to stage 1 baby food. We gave him formula as beverage until he was 1, then switched to whole (cow) milk.

Much less formula with nursing-girl, of course. Especially since I had a good pump by then and was able to produce a bumper crop.

formula

[dolmena.livejournal.com]

My observation from having a friend on WIC was that WIC covered stuff that wasn't the best for her and her baby-- like formula, sugared cereals, lots of standard sugary peanut butter, etc. I traded health food with her for the junk she bought on WIC sometimes.

And yes, you saved a lot of money.