As Baby Y starts careens into his toddler years, I’m realizing just how much pricey baby stuff is gathering dust now. While most of our gear served us well, there are still some things I would do differently to lessen the impact on our pocketbook—namely, borrowing items or buying them used (much to the chagrin of my OCD “must have new everything” husband). If you don’t share his neurosis, read on…
Activity centers. I’m talking jumperoos, exersaucers, baby gyms, and the like. The lifespan on these items is short—probably 3-6 months, tops. And they can be pricey, too. We had the Skip Hop Tree Top Friends baby gym, which was a splurge (it matched the baby’s room). And you know what? Baby Y hated it. He liked his Fisher Price jumperoo and Bright Starts Around We Go, but now they are simply hogging space in the garage. Secondhand would be a great way to go here—or put them on your registry and hope for the best! Verdict? Save.
Bassinet. You’ll probably use it for a few months, max. Borrowing one would be a great option. We went with the inexpensive Fisher Price Rock ‘N’ Play, which was great for us since we could easily bring it while we traveled. It was cheap and Baby Y loved it, so I’d buy it again. Another option: a pack and play with a “newborn napper” that will have a longer lifespan and can double as a diaper changer/travel crib. Verdict? Save.
Bedding: All you really need are sheets! Fluffy blankets and bumpers aren’t recommended because of SIDS concerns, though some parents do start using the bumpers after their babies are older. I obsessed over bedding and ultimately bought a Dwell for Target set on eBay, but we only ever used the comforter as a play blanket and banished the bumper and dust ruffle to the closet. Verdict? Save.
Breast pump: If you’re part-time, like I was, or a SAHM who only needs to pump occasionally, an inexpensive manual may work just fine. If you’ll be a working mama who pumps every day, you’ll probably want a nice double electric. But you can always rent the hospital pump for a couple of months to make sure things are going well before investing. Verdict? It depends. Just don’t be like me and try five different pumps (sigh).
Carrier: A nice one can save your back, keep your baby happy, and last even as the kiddo puts on the pounds. But consider borrowing a Moby wrap or sling for those first few months. After that, chances are you’ll want something with more structure, like an Ergo. Verdict? Save, then splurge.
Car seat: Just like cribs, car seats have to meet the same safety standards. However, there is a lot more room for user error with car seats, and I think it’s worth it to pay a little more for a model that is easy to install. In our case, that was the Chicco Keyfit, and now that we’ve moved to a convertible seat, it’s the Britax Marathon. Another reason to consider splurging: comfort. The pricier models are generally more plush. And I don’t know about you, but I don’t want an uncomfortable seat or scratchy fabric keeping my baby from taking a nice long car nap. Verdict? Splurge.
Clothes: I’m not immune to the appeal of a baby in designer duds, but I am so glad that most of Baby Y’s wardrobe came from Old Navy’s clearance rack. Particularly in the 0-6 month size range, there is so much he never wore or wore once. There were things that he pooped on so thoroughly that I simply trashed them. I can’t imagine how crazy this would make me if we had spent a ton on his clothing. Baby clothes are also great to pick up secondhand for super cheap. Verdict? Save.
Crib: I love a pretty modern crib like the next person, but Ikea and Walmart have some sturdy, clean-lined options. Keep this in mind: Every crib sold in the U.S. has to meet the same safety standards, whether it is $100 or $1000. That said, I recognize some people do like to splurge on heirloom-quality furniture. If that’s the case and you have the coin, go for it. Verdict? It depends.
High chair: Many people say not to spend a lot on a high chair that will be encrusted in gunk. But an easy-to-clean, comfy chair (in our case, the OXO Sprout) has made mealtime less of a hassle. A bonus is that it looks nice, and since it sits smack in the middle of our living area, I’m happy it’s modern and neutral. However, others swear by inexpensive boosters that strap to your dining room chair. Verdict? It depends.
Infant seat: I’m talking Bumbos and the like. This is a great item to borrow from family or friends. Everyone seems to have one, but they’re so short-lived. In our case, the Bumbo was good for a few cute pictures and little else. Baby Y never liked it, and his legs were so chubby that the seat would stick to him. Bumbos have also been under voluntary recall, too, so you may want to skip them entirely. Verdict? Save—or skip.
Rocker/glider: I didn’t love any of the less expensive options I saw out there, so we ultimately went with a cheap Ikea Poang that we knew we could eventually use elsewhere in the house. I’ve nursed in it, but it isn’t super comfortable—usually I end up on my bed. If I had a do-over (and lots more money), I would get a plush, quality chair for the nursery. It would have been nice to have comfy spot in there, but we got by without, too. Verdict? Splurge—or skip.
Stroller: For the first six months (or however long your baby is comfortable in his or her infant seat), a stroller frame was all we needed. After that, we figured out what kind of strollers we wanted for the long haul, and settled on a Maclaren for travel/errands and a BOB for longer walks/runs. Verdict? Save, then splurge.
Stuffed animals: Ack, don’t buy them at all! People will buy them for you. And you will groan inwardly every time. Verdict? Skip.
Swings and bouncers: Don’t get me wrong—our swing and bouncer were wonderful for about four months. But then Baby Y didn’t need them anymore. And some babies don’t even like them! Since they’re pricey, these are great to get secondhand—or hope some kind soul gifts you from your registry. Verdict? Save.
We’re fortunate that family and friends bought us many of these items as gifts, but it still doesn’t solve the problem that they’re just taking up space now. We’re reluctant to part with them before knowing whether we’ll use them again for a second child sometime down the road, but that might not be the case if they weren’t such “investments” to begin with.
How are you trying to save a little cash on baby gear? Any tips from moms who’ve been there?
Hellobee Series: Mrs. Yoyo part 16 of 16
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4. Getting Over the Little-Boy Blues by Mrs. Yoyo
5. (Still) Swaddling by Mrs. Yoyo
6. On the Road with Baby in Tow by Mrs. Yoyo
7. He's not adopted by Mrs. Yoyo
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9. Baby Growth: It’s Not a Contest by Mrs. Yoyo
10. Review: Baby Connect for iPhone by Mrs. Yoyo
11. Resentment by Mrs. Yoyo
12. Confessions of a non-worry wart by Mrs. Yoyo
13. The Reluctant SAHM by Mrs. Yoyo
14. Digital Inadequacy by Mrs. Yoyo
15. The Most Dangerous Phrase in Motherhood by Mrs. Yoyo
16. Baby gear: Save or splurge? by Mrs. Yoyo
blogger / pear / 1964 posts
My husband is definitely creeped out by used baby stuff. He has no problem buying a boat or a chainsaw off Craigslist, but if it’s got fabric attached and it’s going to be indoors, it’s a no go. I on the other, am all about the used stuff. Ahhh, compromise.
This is great list — thanks!
persimmon / 1295 posts
Totally agree about stuffed animals and most everything on your list!!
pomegranate / 3414 posts
I borrowed a lot of stuff or was gifted items. Most of DD’s clothing came secondhand unless it was gifted by family or was really really cheap on clearance. I agree about stuffed animals – they were the first things to be donated when we did a toy purge since DD was still young enough not to know what they were so she wouldn’t miss them.
GOLD / wonderful pomegranate / 28905 posts
I think the most expensive item we bought was the Chicco -which is worth every penny!- then the stroller next. I think paying $300-$500 on any one baby item is ridiculous.
clementine / 878 posts
Coupons! We traded in an old bassinet at the Babies R Us trade in sale, and got a 25% off coupon that we used to buy our car seat travel system.
Borrowed a swing from the in-laws and were gifted most of the other “play” items (exersaucer, bouncy seat, johnny jump-up), and I was a huge craigslist junkie when it came to baby clothes.
After my showers, I searched around for the best deals on the rest of my registry items – sometimes the completion bonus didn’t make up the difference and it was cheaper elsewhere (then I created a registry at THAT store and used their completion bonus to save even more!).
honeydew / 7504 posts
I had zero plans to get a swing or an exersaucer, but a friend told me about this huge consignment sale last weekend so I went to check it out. I came home with both for $60.
GOLD / cherry / 182 posts
I am a big believer in used stuff and then continue the good baby karma and pass it along to the next person having a baby. The only thing I bought new was a crib. Babies are plenty expensive with the day-to-day basics so I say unless you have the extra money and already saving toward baby’s college, reuse and recycle. Plus, so many of my friends love seeing Baby T in outfits that their baby wore.
hostess / watermelon / 14932 posts
awesome post! I think I’ve done well as far as your guide..we got mostly all the ‘gear’ from our registry, with the exception of a car seat. my nanny-mom is giving me her Chicco Keyfit 30 because it’s only 1-2 years old. I’ve bought a ton used on our facebook sell and swap site, too!
also – don’t let buying used totally dissuade anyone. Not that I encourage swindling or anything, but I purchased a used rock and play sleeper and took the pad off to discover mold in the fabric of the sling, that cannot come off to be washed. I called fisher price customer service and they are sending me a brand new sleeper! so for instance if you purchase a used swing and the motor dies, it might be worth a shot to call customer service – or google around before buying to see how good the company’s customer service is
clementine / 889 posts
I only bought used things if the fabric parts could go through the washer. We washed everything we bought, and by doing that saved many hundreds of dollars.
We skipped the swing, went for a cheaper crib, bought a used dresser, and bought most of DS’s clothes used as well.
Our two new splurges were a doorway jumper ($30 on sale) and our jogging stroller. Oh, and we also bought a space saver high chair, partly with store credit. This was a waste, even though we did use it for a few months, because it doesn’t do much more than a booster, which we ended up getting to take with us when we visit family. But SIL is going to use that too, so hopefully we’ll get enough use out of it.
We registered for a lot of things, and returned what we didn’t need or use for store credit. We really kept our baby gear to a bare minimum, and now my SIL is storing everything for her new arrival expected in January.
hostess / wonderful persimmon / 25556 posts
I am SO glad we got our bassinet. We bought it at a kids consignment sale for $35. BEST $35 we have spent. She has slept every single night in it. It even came with 5 sheets. It was worth it because at the next kids consignment sale, I’ll sell it to someone else for $40!
While carseats are expensive, the bucket seats are so nice to have when the babies are little and sleeping all the time. Do you really want to take a sleeping baby who didn’t sleep all night out of their car seat just to go into the store, restaurant, house, etc? Nope.
Get the bucket seat!
squash / 13199 posts
The only one thing we really splurged on was our bum genius cloth diaper stash. EVerything else we looked for sale prices or we received as a gift.
wonderful clementine / 24134 posts
@Mrs. Tricycle: You should look to see if there are things that you could just replace the fabric for. I know like car seats you can just buy a new fabric cover. I’m just like a swing or jumper you could buy a new fabric insert for too.
I totally agree with saving on a crib! I love our Walmart one.
I would say just go ahead and splurge on the carrier.
blogger / wonderful cherry / 21628 posts
This is a great list!
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
@Mrs. Tricycle: Glad to know someone else is in the same boat
@regberadaisy: Chicco was awesome. I was so sad when he grew out of it. I love our Britax but I miss the days of popping him in and out of the house/restaurants etc. while still in the seat.
@Goldilocks1107: Yes, coupons and the completion discounts help! I was all about my Amazon discount, especially since most of their stuff is 10-20 percent cheaper than BRU to begin with. I only shop at BRU with coupons.
@eiko2010: Score!
@Ms. Fairy Wings: I can’t wait for the day where we set all this stuff loose. Mega karma!
@sorrycharlie: Great tip. Never hurts to ask, right?
@mediagirl: Totally agree. Bucket seat FTW.
guest
We saved on most of our stuff. Crib from Ikea (that has held up so well and will convert to a toddler bed) and lots of hand-me-downs from my SIL. I splurged on the convertible car seat and the stroller. We bought a BOB and oh was it pricey. Also splurged on the carriers. Bought a Gypsy Mama Bali Stretch (so much nicer than a Moby) and then a Beco Gemini (similar to the Ergo). I used the carriers more than the stroller.
guest
We got rid of a lot of things after baby #1 (we kept the Ikea crib, Stokke highchair, and jogging stroller) and now for #2 we’re borrowing almost everything from my sister, including a full boy wardrobe. There’s not a single thing that I wish we had purchased ourselves or gotten new and I am so happy that as soon as we outgrow the need for something we send it right back to her basement.
wonderful pear / 26210 posts
I agree with almost everything, which is rare!
The only thing I would have done differently as a mom who’s BTDT is go directly to a convertible seat and skip the bucket. We only used the car on the weekends and it wasn’t necessary for our lifestyle. But I can understand that suburbanites might see this differently.
grapefruit / 4770 posts
Bookmarking this for future use. Thanks!!
blogger / nectarine / 2010 posts
In re: glider – I highly recommend buying one used from Craigslist and having new cushions made. There’s a company called CJ’s Cozy Cushions that does an amazing job for a super bargain!
blogger / pomelo / 5400 posts
@looch: Yeah, I think if you aren’t in the car much, a convertible could work right away. Bucket seat was a life-saver for us, though.
olive / 67 posts
Thanks for the tips! My plan so far is to see what the registry brings and then borrow!
grapefruit / 4671 posts
@looch: I agree. We went with a convertible right away because we live in NYC and it has made the most sense for us.
Most of our gear was bought for us, webarely purchased anything so really the only issue is space. Our swing is a beast and takes up so much room, but LO loves it so I guess it is worth it.