Comments on: Don’t Buy Items Your Baby Won’t Need

By: mom_of_14

mom_of_14 — Fri, 10 Apr 2009 13:35:40 +0000

hi karen..i have 3 of the 3in1 cribs also and had always planned on them growing with the child….but it seems like there’s always babies occupying the cribs!!!! i was fortunate to have 2 little tykes toddler beds passed over to my house and already had all the twin beds i could fit into the house so things have worked out. maybe someday, i’ll be baby free and be able to convert them to full beds…lol. luckily, i didn’t have to pay for the cribs either…one of the nice things about always having a multitude of children is that people send their no longer needed things our way (most times in like new condition). down side is, everytime someone cleans out a room ,they want to bring the stuff to my house…lol…and then i’m the one with too much “stuff”.

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Can you afford to take maternity leave? : Thrifty Mommy — Wed, 08 Apr 2009 14:56:04 +0000

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By: Stephanie

Stephanie — Fri, 27 Mar 2009 22:18:18 +0000

I agree 100% with your recommendations!

We have a newborn and a 2-year-old – and we don’t even own a crib. Our 2-year-old sleeps on a mattress on the floor in her room and our newborn sleeps snuggled up beside me in our bed. Cosleeping has so many benefits…and the cost-savings is just one of them.

We also don’t use bottles.

And I agree with Lucy about bulky travel system strollers. I much prefer to “wear” my baby when we’re out-and-about.

By: Lucy

Lucy — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 12:18:12 +0000

The biggest eyesore that I had spent money on is the bulky stroller that came with the car seat. You just need a cheap umbrella stroller or maybe no stroller at all if you plan on wearing your child.

By: Blessed

Blessed — Wed, 25 Mar 2009 03:54:12 +0000

We’ve saved money by shopping for things at garage sales and consignment sales and stores. Also I’m not too proud to accept hand-me-downs! Also I sell stuff at the twice annual consignment sale as soon as we are done using it, that way I earn some cash for the new things we need and clear out the things we don’t need anymore.

We did co-sleep, but I still bought a crib and I’m glad we did. Our little one slept well with us at night until she was between 12 and 15 months old, then she started sleeping fitfully so I moved her to her crib and she started sleeping good and sleeping through the night again. Her naps were always taken in the swing, a borrowed bassinet, her crib or on a blanket on the floor. Her crib is one of those 3 in 1 things and I bought it off of Craigslist and paid $40 for it and the changing table that matched it. Then when I was finished with the changing table I sold that at a consignment sale for $50. So I’m glad we did it! Baby Boy will be here in June and when he is ready to move to the crib we’ll buy a new twin mattress and box springs for my childhood bedframe that is stored in our attic for Sugar to use, then when Baby Boy needs a “real” bed we’ll convert the crib to a bed for him. I’m happy with our purchase!

By: kellys

kellys — Tue, 24 Mar 2009 12:01:28 +0000

Hi, mom of 14. So glad to hear from you again! I actually went a little different with the crib thing. We splurged a little, no more than $500 and bought the convertible cribs. My kids will never need another bed. That way I don’t have to buy a toddler bed or a big kid bed and they get a full size bed when they grow up. They will also be able to say “I have always slept in this bed since I was born.”

With the money I have saved by not buying multiple size beds for each child, I actually saved money by buying the 3-in-1 crib. Now I am off to buy my third one. Little Bit will be here in just 4.5 short months. Can you guys believe it!

By: Karen

Karen — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 04:15:12 +0000

I saw the generic Enfamily with Lipil at a warehouse club tonight. You got a lot more formula for 1/2 the price! I think the 50+ oz was about $16. Those are pretty good savings. My children wear a lot of hand-me-downs, consignment, and yard sale clothes. Just a few weeks ago, we got some pants for $1/pair and a big box of Scholastic books for $5. I’ve definitely learned to buy thing used. It disappoints me when I have to buy something that’s not on clearance or used.

By: Lara

Lara — Sun, 22 Mar 2009 03:55:14 +0000

My husband and I happened to have our first child (a month ago) after many of our friends already had children. Because of this, we were able to get so many hand me downs. I’ve also not been bashful about asking to borrow things like our bouncy seat, pack n play and co-sleeper. The rest of what we needed we obtained through craigslist or yard sales. I would also like to look more into freecycling and clothing swaps, as he gets older and we need different things. Above all (as Jennifer wrote), I think avoiding the unnecessary and excessive is key.

By: Lisa Cain

Lisa Cain — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 20:32:11 +0000

My favorite money saver is to just make food for myself and feed some to my baby (it saves time too).
Lisa
http://www.babyfood101.com

By: Amy

Amy — Sat, 21 Mar 2009 18:56:55 +0000

Three words: Hand. Me. Downs.

Not just clothes, either. Toys can often be handed down as they’re outgrown before they’re worn out. Friends with slightly older kids are the best source. A one-year age gap is usually perfect, because the clothes will fit in the correct season.

Of course, you must take good care of them, get adept at stain removal, then pass them on when your child is finished with them.