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Spread the cost of baby things over your pregnancy.


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4.41 (Worth a try) from 31 votes (1761 Visits)

Preparing for baby - Buying for Baby.

by mcm

(August 2006) (rank 5th)

Just speaking from my own experience I think it is important to prepare for baby. I mean buying for baby. What I did with my first child was buy things slowly. Every week we would buy something small for the baby- a blanket, bodysuit or bottle. By the time

my daughter arrived she had enough to get by. I couldn't imagine waiting till she was born to go shopping and having to buy everything. I much rather sleep! This worked for us as we had a limited income so it spread out the cost over the weeks.

As for large items like a cot, car seat, stroller and change table, I think it is important to do research. Think about safety, price and quality. Are you going to use these things for multiple children or are you only planning on one child? All my first child's baby things were given to us, which saved us a great deal of money. With our next child I only had to buy a new stroller and car seat. I still use the same change table I had for my girl. This we bought new - a great investment as it saves your back from all those nappy changes.

With my baby, I was more fussy about what to buy. I don't like to spend too much so when he arrived we weren't prepared. We didn't have a pram or cot. We had to get whatever was on offer. My baby sleeps in a portacot and only recently did we get a stroller I am happy with. I much rather be prepared. Even though I am not even ttc (trying to conceive) I am keeping an eye on what to buy for next baby!

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ADVICE RATING

4.41 (Worth a try) from 31 votes

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| October 2006 \| homedadmatty

Dont go overboard

Pregnancy is not always guaranteed to end in happiness. I am sorry to put a downer on this shopping frenzy but I know many people who have been pregnant and have it end in tragic loss. It would be better to save on a weekly basis and have the money ready for when the time comes close. You will know when the time is right. That goes the same with finding out the gender, doctors are not always right.

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	4.00 (Good) \| September 2006 \| peachynowamum

Prepare for bubs

i did the same but i must say There were still a feww things that i still had to buy when she was born that i didnt think of b4. lol

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	4.00 (Good) \| September 2006 \| dolphins30

i did something similar

I got hand me down cot, stroller, basinet, few clothes etc, and i also did what you did, every week we would buy things like a bottle pack one week, clothing the next etc, and i was the same as you, i'd rather be prepared for when the baby arrives so they can settle in straight away, with out feeling you stressed out by not having anything at all, and not to have to worry about getting heaps or everything while the baby is born

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	4.50 (Excellent) \| September 2006 \| Nessa

It worked for me...

I did the same thing as well, whilst I was 4mths pregnant I visited a friend who had a 2mths old. She showed me her 'stock pile' and I was amazed, I said too her that it would've cost her a bit for that shop load. And her advice was the same, each time you go shopping stock up on the things you know you will need, bottles, nappies etc...

As for our cot and change table situation, we spent a month searching for what we wanted and were stunned at the cost! So my delightfull partner decided to make it. Only the cot though. It converts from a cot to a junior bed to a king single and a sofa. And it cost a 5th of what is would've been to buy. We did everything by the Australian Standards and in the end, we were happy because we got what we wanted. Mind you it took time in planning every detail.

And I agree when you shop around for things safety and quality were our biggest concerns then price!

She's 3mths on and we haven't needed to buy anything since her birth - oh of course the bigger size nappies! Doing the progressive shopping will ease so much stress in the end!

Thumbs up mcm!!!

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	4.00 (Good) \| September 2006 \| Jessgore

Great stuff...

We did the same thing... My SIL threw us a party and asked me to write a list of things we needed... I did not want to write the list of the things we did not have and needed.... I did not want to write the list because I felt that it would be like telling them what to get me (our son)..... So I left it up to the husband.. Turns out that in his family they do that, lists.. So it was not unnatural for everyone to check the list, cross off what they were getting and nothing was doubled up... It was a great Idea, and lots of fun. What was great is that they all got together for the big stuff like the play park, pusher and car seat.... We were more then greatful..... ANother friend of mine had a friend throw her a party and they regested on line with Baby's'R' Us..... That was great to check on line those that had computers were able to cross off the list what they were getting for them... And if not they could go into the store (Any babies'R'us) and they would pull it up on their file and check it off the list for them....

And yes buying little by little each week is the way to go.. I even did that with myself when I was younger.. Each pay check I got I would buy myself a new peice of clothing..

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	4.00 (Good) \| September 2006 \| chelle

It Worked for Us too!

That is exactly what we did with our first pregnancy. It helped to have a stroller and clothes ready for when the baby came home!

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	4.00 (Good) \| September 2006 \| cheleinkal

Oh My Gods you have my name!

I was thinking I didn't write that and then noticed you are a double eller. I've never met anyone else who just uses Chele spelt like that (or in your case with an extra L).. Wow, I'm a bit conflicted, bit happy n surprised, bit sad that I'm not the only one after all. I know I couldn't have been but for the 15 years I've been spelling it like that I've never met another.

Sorry to interupt with my own issues, very rude, sorry, in a moment of surprise.

ok
bye

Chele L

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| mewannaboy

buying as you go

I aree its much easier and fun to go buy small things maybe once a week than to try and get it all when the baby comes. With my son i had a huge tub near my bed which i picked up at a secondhand place .Every time i would go out with mum or friends id pick up some things nd stick them in the tub.When adrian was born i had everything for his first year.It was great.So i know that getting stuff before the big event will in the long run will be a benefit,who wants to shop when theres a new baby to goo and gaa over....lol.

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| August 2006 \| leashy2

worked for me!!

I am expecting my first baby (a girl)...cant wait

...but when i found out me and my dad (as i live with him) only went for a lil bit here and there.got most of my stuff from family and friends.and have just picked up a resonable new cot and high chair from a mate at a small fear.and with only 35 weeks to go i now have everything that me daughter will need when she arrives

...so this is totally great advice and it really does work!!!

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| September 2006 \| mewannaboy

worked for me!!

I know im an internet learner when ive tried finding those little icons you used where are they please...

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| August 2006 \| allyp

baby shopping

My husband and I bought stuff like a few months after I found out I was pregnant. It worked out great. I thought that I was not going to have nothing for my baby. I was even getting stressed out about it. So everytime he got paid, we would go out and buy something small, or big. All at once, he bought the stroller and car seat. And then after x-mas he bought the crib, dresser and shelf(for on top of the dresser) and wow! We even had family member's giving us stuff. My aunt expecially sent up alot of stuff to me, she has 2 kids and kept their clothes and spread them out between me and my cousin who was having twins. So it worked out I think.

I know if we have another girl next time, we won't have to buy much. But if it's it a boy, then we'll have to go clothes shopping. Which I don't mind doing. I love going baby shopping! It's the best.

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| August 2006 \| JadieLady

baby shopping

ON that note- i found that for every aisle of boys stuff there as at least three for the girly stuff! I mean come on! Boys like variety too! or maybe just their parents like the variety...

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| cheleinkal

I agree

having been a nanny I had my finger on the pulse of the 2nd hand client mass, which was very lucky. Also I got to try out things the way I wanted to do them with other peoples stuff & babies first, then when I came across something I KNEW I liked in an Op-Shop or 2nd Garage sale I bought it, cleaned it, wrapped it garbage bags labelled it and put it in the shed. Sometimes I leant these things to people I trusted to return them as I was prepared YEARS before I conceived. The big expensive things like car seat etc. I emailed a list to my Mum of things I wanted and the NEW cost for them. Then when people asked her what they thought we would need for the baby, she told them EXACTLY the right thing, & as I had suopplied prices she was able to give suggestions in the appropriate price brackets, example friends $25.00 to $50.00 Grandparents and Sister MORE than that (haha). It was an excellent system and worked very well for us We have MORE than we need and spent very little of our own money.....woohoo.

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	4.06 (Good) \| August 2006 \| Izzy

buying for baby, slowly

I've done this as well. I told my husband that we were going to buy expensive things like stroller, playpen, baby carrier etc. slowly (maybe 1 or 2 a month) while I was pregnant so that the impact on the financial health wasn't so shocking. It worked out pretty well! Fortunately we didn't have to buy very many clothes since we got hand me downs from the hubby's sister (she had 3 boys).

If we were to have a girl next, we'll have to employ this technique again since we have nothing for girls.

Great advice!

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	4.41 (Good) \| August 2006 \| mommyofWHA

Handme downs for baby

My kids wouldnt have half the stuff they have if it where not for friends and family with kids as well. When my son was born money was tight but we made it, we where the first of our friends and family to have a baby so we more or less did it on our own. However when I was pregnant with Hannah my hubby was unemployed and we where scared! Thankfully by that point we had friends with babies and we took all the handme downs we could. Now Ayla wheres Hannahs handme downs that where other handme downs and we have saved so much money that way!!

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| JadieLady

Handme downs for baby

my family has an awesome system happening. all of our clothes that were reusable were saved and reused, now when my youngest brother outgrows his clothes they are given to me, so my son wears the clothes my oldest brother wore! and when he outgrows them i give them to my sister for her about-to-be little boy! the clothing really gets its work out!

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	4.06 (Good) \| August 2006 \| rusha

Definately

Especially if money is tight, like it was for us. You can sometimes find things for free through the newspaper or freecycle sites, and this helps for collecting clothes as well.

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	4.00 (Good) \| August 2006 \| JadieLady

i couldnt

not buy for baby before hand. as io have mentioned before- i went shopping literally as soon as i found out- i didnt even make it home from the doctors!

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	5.00 (Excellent) \| August 2006 \| mewannaboy

i couldnt

Im with you,shopped till i dropped before id even got to 3 months.But i had also shopped for my sister and put things away for her,got on ebay and got stuff from friends so now ive got heaps of things left over after i gave my sister all the real tiny stuff(she had a premi)i have the rest for me.

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	3.71 (Good) \| August 2006 \| kristinabrooke

yep!

I totally agree!

Reply

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Any contributed content above is the subjective opinion of that member or external author, and not of Minti.com Pty Ltd. If you are searching for health related advice we strongly suggest you seek professional medical support. View our Terms of Service for more details.

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