Honestly, I didn't know where to start when it came to babies. Yes, I teach Budget for Baby class at Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, so I know you don't NEED a lot for baby (at least that's what I tell our participants!), but my mom reminded me that other people WANT to buy you stuff for your baby. And hopefully all of those gifts will make your life easier. Mom has been heavily involved in the lives of both my niece and nephew since my sister still lives close by, so she's in the know on this stuff for the most part.
The first thing we did was hit up a big twice-yearly consignment sale here in Pensacola to see what we could score.
Some of our awesome finds? A bassinet for $15! I hadn't decided yet if I want a bassinet, but for that cheap, if I only use it a week, I'll be happy. It's Peter Rabbit-themed:
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| It has a canopy-thingy too, but we took it off to wash everything and it was kind of a pain. |
We also got some books and DVDs from the consignment sale, and Mom found this awesome toy for my niece:
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| Except the one Mom got was in purple and only $8! (Toys R US has this one for $41.99) |
I'm sure my own little princess will be enjoying that mega-hand-me-down in a year's time.
I got a few pieces of maternity clothes at the sale, but we actually did much better at the local thrift stores. Our NMCRS thrift store: jeans for $1! Between that and the other 2 thrift stores we hit, I ended up with two pairs of jeans and about 6 tops for a total of $20. Mom also treated me to some clearance rack Liz Lange jeans at Target for $15, some Old Navy maternity tops, and then some nice slacks from Motherhood (hmm, guess I should resume outfit posts?).
One thing I've learned about maternity clothes: they rarely go on sale. And why should they, really? When you're ready to buy maternity clothes, you usually need them right then (at least I did--I missed wearing pants!). The clearance rack jeans at Target were truly an awesome find, but I doubt I'll find a good deal on new clothes like that again.
As for our final frugal find, it was something I really didn't think I wanted at all: a crib bedding set. Sure, I had looked at some as we registered to try to figure out a nursery "theme". But I thought the bedding sets were a total scam (and still do). They usually cost over $100 and include 4 pieces--only 2 of which you don't really use when the kid is a baby. You don't use the comforter unless you hang it on the wall, and most safety guides now are saying not to use the crib bumper while your baby is asleep because of possible SIDS risk (this hasn't been heavily researched yet, but "bare is best"). So then you're left with just a fitted sheet and a dust ruffle. Right. Well, I'd pretty much decided I wanted a zoo animal theme after seeing a cute set at Toys R Us and was just gonna get a fitted sheet on its own, but then we stumbled upon this while in ROSS:
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| Okay, it's kinda boyish, but whatever. I'll add some pink somewhere. |
My sister is also helping me be super-frugal for baby, since I'm getting to use tons of her hand-me-downs. I'm actually really glad we're having a girl--her wardrobe is set! But don't worry, I still left enough stuff on the registry for my friends and family to spoil Little Miss W!
Just make sure you check safety standards on things before you buy used... Drop-side cribs are a big no-no now... And car seat/play yard technology seems to always be changing too... As for the bumper....we use ours because I think it's so stinking cute, but if you're dead set on NOT using it, what about making a bolster pillow or a couple of throw pillows to use either on a future toddler bed or in a chair in the nursery?! Just a thought... And speaking of chairs in the nursery.... A glider/ottoman, or whatever you find that is comfy is worth its weight in gold no matter WHAT you pay for it....seriously a Godsend! I have a fabulous one that I love and it's 1/2 the price of the PBKids equivalent if you're interested in more info....
ReplyDeleteWe made our crib bedding for Harper because I could not justify spending so much money on things that I couldn't use. We only put a bumper on the back side of the crib and the front and sides are open. I got my car seat, maternity clothes, bouncy, boppy and most of Harper's clothing at thrift stores and there is one I make a trip to every two weeks just to see what they have. Congrats to you by the way :)!!! It's definitely exciting!
ReplyDeleteI put my kids crib bumpers on the wall as wall decorations. It looks pretty good and I don't have to buy other things to put on the wall. :)
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