Where to get the cheapest diapers, baby food, bites, and formula milk: Retail vs online vs Johor Bahru

The Seedly Team went to Johor Bahru last weekend, where we hired a Lok Lok van and ate close to 1,000 sticks of deep-fried mushrooms, bacon, meatballs, and man tous.

While most of us shop for a variety of cakes, tau sa pia, and Eureka popcorns to bring home during the trip, our content strategist Sudhan was out on a different mission.

With a large, field-pack bag in tow, Sudhan piled his bag to the brim with baby food and snacks. Before this, he was considering bringing a huge suitcase in tow, to buy diapers for his cute 7 month-old baby boy.

To him, it was worth making the trip across the causeway, as it means saving a few bucks on expensive baby products.

Yet, is the effort worth it? How much do you actually save by doing so?

I decided to compare the prices of diapers, baby food, snacks, and formula milk, to find out where to get the best deals: Whether it's Online, Retail, or in Johor Bahru.

TL;DR: WHERE TO GET THE CHEAPEST DIAPERS, BABY FOOD, BITES, AND FORMULA MILK

DIAPERS

BABY FOOD AND BITES

FORMULA MILK

BRANDS FOR COMPARISON

Baby and infant products come in a wide range, and it is almost impossible to compare every single brand, especially when we were in JB for only a day.

For the sake of standardisation, here are the different brands of baby products we will be using as a basis of comparison:

WHERE TO GET THE CHEAPEST DIAPERS?

Conversion: RM 1 = SGD $0.33

WHICH IS THE CHEAPEST?

Granted, the sample size for this comparison is small, but what we can take away from this table would be that it is not necessary that online stores are always the best priced, and going to JB for your diapers haul may not even be the cheapest option.

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Rather, this is very much dependent on the diaper brands as well. Across the brands, Lazada, RedMart and Shopee generally sells diapers at a cheaper price point.

However, competitive promotions from retail stores like Sheng Siong and Fairprice may drive prices lower than the online e-commerce stores.

If you were to make a trip to JB, getting MamyPoko Diapers may even be even more expensive than getting it in Singapore. However, getting Drypers allows you to enjoy savings of up to 50 per cent as compared to getting it in Singapore.

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING DIAPERS

COMFORT AND ABSORBENCY

Other than the cost, it is important to note the comfort and absorbency level of the diapers. As diapers are an everyday use item, it has to be comfortable for the baby.

A higher absorbency would mean that your child will be able to keep dry and comfortable. It also means lesser changes, especially when the diaper can last for a longer period of time.

In terms of comfort, do also note if your baby has diaper rash from wearing a certain brand of diapers, and be mindful of those.

LEAKAGES

There's no point for cheap diapers if it were to leak. When buying diapers, make sure you buy the right size for your child, and that they have strong, stick-on adhesives.

For 'pull-up' diapers type, ensure that the bands are lasting and won't come loose.

WHERE TO GET THE CHEAPEST BABY FOOD AND BITES?

WHICH IS MOST WORTH IT?

For baby food and bites, organic products like Bellamy's Organic are much cheaper across the causeway. So if you are looking to buy organic baby food and snacks, it may be worthwhile for you to make the trip.

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Going to JB also allows you to get baby snacks that are made in Malaysia, such as Baby Guide. These Malaysian-based products may be cheaper than their Singapore counterparts as well.

One thing to note is that Qoo10 charges a relatively high price for baby food and snacks as compared to the rest of the online stores. So make sure to do your own comparison when buying specific products from Qoo10

OTHER THINGS TO CONSIDER WHEN BUYING BABY FOOD AND SNACKS

SHIPPING FEES FROM ONLINE RETAILERS

Given the low price difference between online and retail stores for baby food and snacks, do keep in mind the shipping fees when shopping with an online retailer.

At times, when you take into account shipping fees, you may be paying more for some products as compared to buying it off the rack.

WHERE TO GET THE CHEAPEST FORMULA MILK?

WHICH IS MOST WORTH IT?

When it comes to formula milk, buying in bulk will definitely help to save you some cash. From the comparison, brands such as Dumex Mamil Gold are much cheaper alternatives as compared to Nestle's NAN Optipor Infant Milk Formula.

There is no consistent trend on whether it's cheaper to buy from an online retailer, or off the rack. Unfortunately, we were unable to get prices for the Formula Milk sold in JB.

OTHER THINGS TO NOTE WHEN BUYING FORMULA MILK

Before buying in bulk, it is good to test which formula milk is best for your baby. When you find one that is suitable, making bulk purchases can save you a bit more as compared to individual purchases.

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However, when making bulk purchases, always remember to check the expiry date and ensure that you finish the formula milk before that.

Formula milk forms a big expense when it comes to caring for a newborn, so do remember to set aside an adequate budget for that.

Depending on your child, most babies are able to transition to fresh milk after 1 year, so weaning them off formula milk can be done during that time.

AFFORDABLE BABY PRODUCTS: JB VS ONLINE VS RETAIL

Having a child is expensive in Singapore. It is estimated that we need ~$285,468 to raise a child from birth, to university.

As such, careful budgeting and taking time to find the best deals may help mitigate the cost of raising a child.

This article was first published in Seedly.