3 Reasons First-Time Parents Should Have a Costco Membership

A few weeks ago, my wife and I had our first baby. I'm sure I'm not alone when I say that the first moments were filled with unadulterated joy and threw everything I thought I knew about myself in a new light. I'm probably also not alone when I say those moments were brief and followed immediately with constant worry and confusion, as I realized I wasn't as prepared as I had thought (no one told me I had to learn to swaddle!)

For most new parents, including my wife and me, having a baby is as much an adjustment to your daily lives (and sleep) as it is to your personal finances. Baby items are expensive, and babies have no concept of saving money. Case in point: My daughter really likes chain diapering, that is, having back-to-back blowouts. It happens so frequently and unpredictably I swear she's inherited a sense of humor.

For diapers, wipes, and other baby items, Costco has come in handy. Now that our baby is here, we're discovering the necessity of buying supplies in extreme bulk. If you're expecting -- or have a baby -- and you're on the fence about Costco, here are three ways the warehouse has made a difference for us.

1. Low prices on diapers

As I mentioned above, we're going through diapers at a blistering pace. I can remember thinking in the pre-baby days, "192 diapers should last us a month at least, maybe even six to seven weeks." So naive, Steven. So, so naive.

Fortunately, buying diapers hasn't hurt us financially or put us in credit card debt. Part of that has to do with buying them in bulk at Costco. We buy the Kirkland Signature diapers, which cost $34.99 online for 192, or roughly $0.18 per diaper. That unit price is super hard to beat, no matter where you shop.

Even if we didn't buy Kirkland diapers and chose Huggies instead, Costco would still offer the best value. To get an idea of how much you could save, here's how Costco stacks up against Walmart and Amazon for Huggies diapers.

Again, Huggies aren't the cheapest diapers. But if you're a Costco regular, it's encouraging to see that the warehouse retailer sells them at the lowest price.

2. Amazing deals on (most) baby necessities

Another benefit of shopping at Costco is that the warehouse sells almost everything you need to start your life with a newborn. It's a one-stop shop for baby monitors, car seats, breast pumps, formula, diaper rash cream, and cribs. It doesn't have everything -- it's missing strollers, pack-and-plays, and bassinets -- but you can knock out a good chunk of your baby shopping at once.

As far as prices go, Costco again takes the lead for most items. It's not the cheapest for everything, and, even when it does have the lowest price for a specific brand, it may lack brand names or models that are even cheaper.

For one example, just look at its baby monitors. If you look online, you'll see Costco sells a VTech Smart Video Baby Monitor for $99.99. The monitor has a 7-inch screen and a 110-degree wide-angle lens. It's actually a pretty good deal. In comparison, Walmart lists the same Vtech for $145.

But, like most items at Costco, the retailer doesn't offer a variety of Vtech choices, only the monitor with a 7-inch screen. And while that's a good deal for that size, you might not care if your monitor is as wide as a Nintendo Switch -- and you might save money if you opted for a smaller size. For instance, a Vtech with a 5-inch screen is selling at Best Buy for about $80. For a difference of 2 inches, you could save yourself $20.

So, yes, Costco has great deals on baby necessities. But don't let your guard down -- compare its prices to other retailers and see if it's the best value.

3. Buying in bulk saves time

And trust me -- saving time is almost as valuable as saving money. Having an ample reserve of diapers, wipes, and trash bags prevents us from putting the baby in the car, driving to Costco, wheeling her around -- in that bumper-to-bumper cart and trolley traffic, mind you -- and hoping she can hold out on the wailing until we get home.

All told, Costco can be a blessing to first-time parents. It might even be worth upgrading to an Executive membership to get 2% back on all your baby purchases. At the very least, it could help you earn the price of the membership ($120), plus put you ahead with how much you're saving on baby necessities.