Baby on a Budget
Apr 06 '00 (Updated Apr 18 '00)
Here is a list of only a few baby articles you really need and how to get them cheap. It also lists what you can substitute the non-essentials with.
After five babies, I have found that I actually need much less for a new baby than I thought, and the baby is still OK and we have lots less stuff in the house and spend less money. It helped that we moved to a different continent between baby #2 and #3 and left behind all our baby items and had to start all over again.
Essentials
Clothes. Yes, the baby definitely needs some clothes, but does not necessarily need the expensive Gap outfits. I have found that baby clothes can be picked up extremely cheap at garage sales, thrift stores and kids resale shops. And since babies grow so fast, they are often still in great condition. Not even that, but you might even find that Gap outfit after all, for $2 instead of the original $20!
Also you will find that you might get a lot of cute outfits from friends and family. But even if that is not the case, you don't need much money to pick up a very complete wardrobe for your little baby. Buy in different sizes, so you have clothes ready when baby outgrows the first size. That will happen faster than you think!
Car seat. Never, ever, ever transport your baby in a car without a car seat! This is such a safety issue. It is also the only thing I would recommend you buy new, since it is hard to judge whether a used car seat has been in an accident and then they are not safe any more. If money is an issue, you might find that a lot of communities have programs to help parents get car seats for their kids for free or for a small fee.
For example, our local grocery coop store rents baby car seats to people for $1 a month. You can't really beat that price! You might want to call hospitals or midwives and find out whether your community has a program like that.
Diapers. Here is an opportunity to save a lot of money if you are willing to use cloth diapers. If you start researching them and buying them secondhand during your pregnancy, you will save tons. Even if you buy them new, you will save a lot over the first baby years, but it would be more of an initial investment. Of course, if you plan on having more than one kid, the savings would be even bigger, since you can just use the same diapers. There are lots of great cloth diaper resources on line, there is a Epinions category about them to check out if you want to know more.
If you are not up to using cloth (and I wasn't with my first two, only got into it with the last three) try to find out which store brands work for you, since they are usually much cheaper. Name brands often have coupon mailing lists you can sign up for, check their web sites.
Sling. This is the single piece of baby equipment I have used almost every day for the first year of my baby's life. It keeps my hands free to do other things in the house or to tend to the needs of the other kids. I can shop with it, hike with it and the baby is in a position to look out and see lots of what's going on around her. When she is tired, she sleeps in the sling.
Non-essentials and how to substitute them
Here is a list of items you usually would not need, although you might want to get them anyway. In that case, second hand is the way to go to get them cheap. Most baby equipment is very reasonable priced in children's resale stores, or look in the local paper with ads.
Changing table. We had one of those with our first 2 kids and it was OK, but took up a lot of room and the baby could fall off if you didn't watch him all the time you were changing him.
Now we just put a towel on the floor and change the baby there. This has more than just financial advantages. One thing is that the baby can roll over and not fall off the table. I even sometimes leave a baby to get something from a different room and know baby will be safe. Another advantage is that it is easier for older siblings to be on the same level as the baby while changing him. Also, it keeps me in shape, when I get on the floor every time I need to change a diaper, instead of doing it all on a high level and never having to sit down for it.
Stroller. I find that I use a stroller less and less now that I have figured out how to use a sling. I used it a lot with my first baby, but have found that a sling is much more convenient and my last baby just turned 1yo and I have never used a stroller to transport her.
The sling is easier in malls, since it is smaller, baby is closer to you and you don't have problems with stairs, escalators or small aisles. Also, it takes up less space in the car, which helps when you go on vacation. It also works much better on hikes, since you can use it on any kind of trail, unlike a stroller.
Crib. We have found that sleeping with our babies works very well for us as a family and increases the sleep time for both mom and baby. So where I still had a cradle for my first (in which he napped), I didn't even bother with buying anything like that for my third when we had to buy all new equipment and never missed it either.
If you choose to have a crib, be careful when you buy secondhand. The safety rules have changed over the years and older cribs can have the bars too far apart, creating a risk of head entrapment. So get the most recent safety rules, and take them and a measuring device with you when you go shopping, so you won't buy an unsafe crib! A good rule of the thumb I have read, is to take a soda pop can with you when you go buy one. If the can fits between the bars, don't buy it! Only buy it, if the bars do not allow the can to fit in between.
Bottles and formula. If it is anyway possible and it works for you, breast feed! Not only will it save you a lot of money and time, but it also is the most perfect food available for your baby. You might want to look into breastfeeding support before you deliver, so that you know where to go if you run into problems.
If you can't breast feed, and you have money issues, check out the WIC program. You might be able to qualify for money to buy your baby's formula that way. It is not a good idea to mix up homemade formula, you might save money, but rob your baby of essential nutrients that way.
Conclusion
Hope this article will help you to save money. Having a baby does not have to be expensive, as long as you don't fall into the merchandising hole that the baby stores try to suck you in, giving you a feet long list of all the things baby will need! Use your own judgment and buy only what you need for your baby in your family and try to get it the cheapest way possible!
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nursing3
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Member: Karen Plomp
Location: New Hampshire
Reviews written: 62
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