How to Not Waste Formula

Having a baby means adding love to your family -- and sometimes it means added expenditures as well. For many families, formula is a major expenditure. The cost of formula can be as much as $2,500 a year, depending on what type of formula the baby needs, according to Ask Dr. Sears. For this reason, it's important to use and store formula carefully without wasting it.

Things You'll Need

  • Powdered formula
  • Liquid formula
  • Ready-to-feed formula
  • Bottles and nipples

Instructions

    • 1

      Buy in small amounts. Instead of buying a box of six cans of powdered formula, for example, buy only one can at a time, and then buy another only when the first can is almost gone. Buying formula in bulk is often cheaper, but babies change as they grow. Your baby might end up being allergic to that formula you just bought in bulk, or she might need one that is gentler to her stomach. Purchase formula in single packages until you are sure of what your baby will eat.

    • 2

      Make only what your baby will eat in one feeding. At first, this may be hard to predict. In general, however, a newborn baby will consume between 1.5 and 3 ounces each time he or she feeds, which happens every 2 to 3 hours, according to KidsHealth.org. As the baby grows, this will increase to 8 ounces every 4 hours or so. Keep track of how much your baby eats at each feeding, and adjust the amount of formula you make accordingly.

    • 3

      Use powdered formula if you are on the go often. Formula comes in three forms: powder, liquid concentrate and ready-to-feed. Not only is powdered formula the most economical choice, according to the American Academy of Pediatrics, but it's easy to carry and mix as you go. This way, you don't waste any of it.

    • 4

      Store unused ready-to-feed or liquid formula instead of throwing out what you don't put it your baby's bottle. Pour what your baby needs into his bottle -- try filling his bottle only halfway at first -- and put the rest in the fridge. It will keep for up to 48 hours, which means you will probably use it up as your baby feeds over the next two days.

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