@gaiealiyly Are you in the US? Marshall’s/TJ Maxx have great baby sections, I got my bassinet for half of the current selling price on amazon because the box had been opened! But was still brand new.
Baby on a budget?
- Thread starter gaiealiyly
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- buying for baby
literaturedesk
New member
@gaiealiyly My current plan is to make an Amazon wishlist and then slowly go out and buy the same stuff or similar stuff for much less at other stores.
@gaiealiyly Get a pack n play with a raised matress insert (used if possible). You can use that instead of a crib and bassinet, travel with it, and use it as a contained play area. Sign up for WIC if you qualify, if you end up using formula it will save you so much money. You don't need a baby bathtub (I've found its easier to just sit in the tub with baby on your lap) or a changing table/fancy changing pad (I have one and never use it, i use a cheap fold up travel changing pad on the floor all the time). Ikea antilop high chairs can be bought for less than $30 and are easy to clean. Bouncers and swings can be bought used cheap. I like fisher price cradle and swing best for swings. Check out Facebook marketplace, look for baby buy/sell Facebook groups, see if you have a once upon a child or similar store in the area for used baby and child items, and go to local thrift consignment stores.
reagantucker1
New member
@gaiealiyly My SIL asked for a list...this is what I gave her. I'm from Australia, so some of it is relevant but I've provided links where I could, you could find alternatives I'm sure.
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HT4EUJ5j2dEft119CCw15gCQ42_Lsrknkg1d_H0ko-w/edit?usp=drivesdk
https://docs.google.com/document/d/1HT4EUJ5j2dEft119CCw15gCQ42_Lsrknkg1d_H0ko-w/edit?usp=drivesdk
gammajoyce
New member
@gaiealiyly I am a total budget shopper. With my first I was able to get a lot of really great used items and kept a lot from her. Now I am due with twins in 3 weeks so it kind of changed what all I would need.
Amazon has warehouse deals where damaged boxes and returns go and they sell them for significant discounts, I was able to get a twin pack and play and 2 new car seats for about half price.
When resell shops open, check them out and find out when they put out new products as they are always taking in consignments. I was able to get a twin nursing pillow ( Typically over $100) for $15. They also always have the regular ones by the plenty. Don’t buy expensive new ones.
Sign up for as many free things you can. Amazon gives you a free welcome box after you create a registry and spend $10 off of it. Full of useful stuff.
Check with insurance about getting a breast pump covered. There are companies out there that do all the work for you. I recently used Edgepark and they sent me one a few days later after I gave them my insurance info
Check into your local WIC resources, I just did that and it’s already a huge savings for basic groceries! And when the babies come it will go up more and will help with formula and breastfeeding.
Buy used clothes and accept hand me downs. People love to pass off baby stuff because it accumulates so fast and is worn for so little time.
Shop clearance, especially end of season and put away for the next year. I always had the next size ready to go when she would outgrow items.
Join local free Facebook pages, again people like to get rid of baby stuff. It really does multiply fast.
Don’t buy all one brand/style of bottles. Get a couple of different types to see what baby prefers before investing in more.
Same with diapers. And then stock up during sales at and remember where they came from to return later if you need a different size. Costco (if you have one) is the easiest.
I’m trying to do this all on a budget too, and so far I’ve done pretty good. It’s all about giving yourself time to find the right stuff at the right price. And just remember, you don’t need everything right away, just the basics at first. You may find that what is essential to one person is not necessary for you.
Amazon has warehouse deals where damaged boxes and returns go and they sell them for significant discounts, I was able to get a twin pack and play and 2 new car seats for about half price.
When resell shops open, check them out and find out when they put out new products as they are always taking in consignments. I was able to get a twin nursing pillow ( Typically over $100) for $15. They also always have the regular ones by the plenty. Don’t buy expensive new ones.
Sign up for as many free things you can. Amazon gives you a free welcome box after you create a registry and spend $10 off of it. Full of useful stuff.
Check with insurance about getting a breast pump covered. There are companies out there that do all the work for you. I recently used Edgepark and they sent me one a few days later after I gave them my insurance info
Check into your local WIC resources, I just did that and it’s already a huge savings for basic groceries! And when the babies come it will go up more and will help with formula and breastfeeding.
Buy used clothes and accept hand me downs. People love to pass off baby stuff because it accumulates so fast and is worn for so little time.
Shop clearance, especially end of season and put away for the next year. I always had the next size ready to go when she would outgrow items.
Join local free Facebook pages, again people like to get rid of baby stuff. It really does multiply fast.
Don’t buy all one brand/style of bottles. Get a couple of different types to see what baby prefers before investing in more.
Same with diapers. And then stock up during sales at and remember where they came from to return later if you need a different size. Costco (if you have one) is the easiest.
I’m trying to do this all on a budget too, and so far I’ve done pretty good. It’s all about giving yourself time to find the right stuff at the right price. And just remember, you don’t need everything right away, just the basics at first. You may find that what is essential to one person is not necessary for you.
katrina2017
New member
@gaiealiyly Do not need to spent lots on bottles. We have a 7 mo old, had 2 small bottles for the first few months when he was only eating up to 4 oz a serving, got those free from two separate amazon baby boxes, which were free with my MILs prime account and I made a prime account for one month to get one (I had other stuff to buy anyway so the free shipping was useful) and then got 3 larger bottles from baby shower, and 2 even larger later on for Christmas. Even if you don’t get gifted any, no need to buy a ton. I have MORE than enough.
We also relied on baby boxes (got the target one and my MIL signed us up for another I can’t remember which one) for pacifiers and we got some from baby shower too. It has been enough to at least let us know what kind my baby likes before we spent money on it.
Bottles and pacifiers are two things I did not feel comfortable getting used. Pacis trap a lot of moisture inside of them. Bottles are just a lot of plastic wear and tear and I worry about the chemicals coming out of them if they’re used. That’s probably speculation.
Sleeping situation is another thing I wouldn’t buy used. Increased SIDS risk with mattress and crib regulations change do frequently.
Lastly, car seats. Do not buy used. If you ever see one going for free though, you can grab and take to a trade in event for a percentage off (target) or I think Walmart does a gift card trade in. Hopefully that will be available but not sure what will happen with covid-19.
Also if you do end up formula feeding and are in the US look into WIC! They signed me up right in the hospital and it’s been so immensely helpful. Some months I end up having to buy extra formula but for the most part it has covered nearly all of it. And some extra food for me the first few months.
You don’t need special baby towels or baby wash cloths. We have them because we were gifted them but normal ones work just fine.
As others have said. FB marketplace is great for stuff. You can find some real deals. I hate FB and don’t use it but I do get on for that.
We also relied on baby boxes (got the target one and my MIL signed us up for another I can’t remember which one) for pacifiers and we got some from baby shower too. It has been enough to at least let us know what kind my baby likes before we spent money on it.
Bottles and pacifiers are two things I did not feel comfortable getting used. Pacis trap a lot of moisture inside of them. Bottles are just a lot of plastic wear and tear and I worry about the chemicals coming out of them if they’re used. That’s probably speculation.
Sleeping situation is another thing I wouldn’t buy used. Increased SIDS risk with mattress and crib regulations change do frequently.
Lastly, car seats. Do not buy used. If you ever see one going for free though, you can grab and take to a trade in event for a percentage off (target) or I think Walmart does a gift card trade in. Hopefully that will be available but not sure what will happen with covid-19.
Also if you do end up formula feeding and are in the US look into WIC! They signed me up right in the hospital and it’s been so immensely helpful. Some months I end up having to buy extra formula but for the most part it has covered nearly all of it. And some extra food for me the first few months.
You don’t need special baby towels or baby wash cloths. We have them because we were gifted them but normal ones work just fine.
As others have said. FB marketplace is great for stuff. You can find some real deals. I hate FB and don’t use it but I do get on for that.
@gaiealiyly You need:
In terms of toys, newborns don't really care. I'm an ECE and bought a buttload of awesome, developmentally appropriate toys. My kids didn't give a single crap about them until like 6 months. Even then you can DIY a lot of it. Save your little yoghurt cups, boom, you've got cups to pour and stack. Cleaned out margarine containers make awesome blocks, drums, and very fashionable hats according to my two year old. A foam pool noodle cut into chunks and a piece of rope replace that $40 lacing toy (just supervise to make sure they don't bite chunks off it). A beach ball from the dollar store is a big hit with both of my kids.
Honestly, that's about all I can think of that we used on a daily basis with my kids. There are a tonne of baby things out there, but not a lot that you really need.
- Somewhere for them to sleep. A crib is more expensive than a bassinet or pack n play, but lasts a lot longer. If you buy used just make sure it meets current safety guidelines. My father in law "gifted" us a used dropside crib. Thanks, bro, that's not even legal here.
- Somewhere safe to put them when you can't hold them, which can be the same as their sleep space if your home is small enough. If you have a bigger house you might be more comfortable with something like pack n play that you can keep nearby vs a crib that stays in your/baby's bedroom
- A carseat. Don't buy used unless you know for absolute certain that it's never been in an accident. You can check the expiration date on the bottom of most. Would I take my sister's used car seat? Sure. Would I buy one off of Facebook? No way.
- A way to transport them. A stroller or a baby carrier are the most popular options, and baby carriers can be pretty affordable.
- A way to bathe them. Infant bathtubs are usually pretty affordable and buying used isn't a big deal because you can clean them
- Something for them to wear. Used clothes ftw. Or Walmart. You don't need them to last for years because that kid's gonna grow out of them in fifteen minutes. You can do a little baby capsule wardrobe with a few long and short sleeved onsies and some pants, or some footed pjs. My kids literally only wore footed pjs and onsies for their entire first year. You can get a 5 pack of onsies for like $12 at Walmart.
- Something to collect their poop. Cloth diapers have a higher up front cost, but save money over time. They do have more upkeep involved, though. Disposable are easy to find and require basically no work other than throwing them out, but the cost adds up quickly. If you change your baby every two hours you go through 84 diapers a week. Will you have to change their diaper every two hours overnight? Probably not. Will you go through three diapers in a single change because your baby insists on peeing/pooping as you're putting the new diaper under them? Like once a week.
In terms of toys, newborns don't really care. I'm an ECE and bought a buttload of awesome, developmentally appropriate toys. My kids didn't give a single crap about them until like 6 months. Even then you can DIY a lot of it. Save your little yoghurt cups, boom, you've got cups to pour and stack. Cleaned out margarine containers make awesome blocks, drums, and very fashionable hats according to my two year old. A foam pool noodle cut into chunks and a piece of rope replace that $40 lacing toy (just supervise to make sure they don't bite chunks off it). A beach ball from the dollar store is a big hit with both of my kids.
Honestly, that's about all I can think of that we used on a daily basis with my kids. There are a tonne of baby things out there, but not a lot that you really need.
@theflower
This is too adorable for words
Also I couldn’t agree more about toys. Before they’re six months, you need, like, one toy. Literally one. Just something nice for them to look at or mess with occasionally. And as you say, that could be some random thing from the kitchen like a wooden spoon or some cleaned out rubbish. Now my kid is 7 months and I do definitely notice that toy rotation helps him play - he doesn’t exactly get bored with the toys that are out, but he gets excited when new ones appear out of the toy box and will play with them for longer. That is a very recent development though - before that he had one toy in each room and he would just gaze lovingly at it for ages!
This is too adorable for words
Also I couldn’t agree more about toys. Before they’re six months, you need, like, one toy. Literally one. Just something nice for them to look at or mess with occasionally. And as you say, that could be some random thing from the kitchen like a wooden spoon or some cleaned out rubbish. Now my kid is 7 months and I do definitely notice that toy rotation helps him play - he doesn’t exactly get bored with the toys that are out, but he gets excited when new ones appear out of the toy box and will play with them for longer. That is a very recent development though - before that he had one toy in each room and he would just gaze lovingly at it for ages!
@gaiealiyly If you have time to shop for the best deals on used stuff before baby comes, you can sell it all (the big stuff that doesn’t really wear out) for the same price you bought it for. So it’s just temporarily tying up your money for a bit. So despite a lot of people saying to wait until the baby is here to see if he likes the swing and then buy one, I think that’s wrong. You are going to be way to tired to shop for a swing and no one is going to let you come over and try theirs during covid to see if your baby likes it. Buy a used one at a price you can resell it at and if the baby likes it, great, if not, sell it later when you have the energy. Same for so many things - bouncer, carriers, even a good used high chair can be sold for what you bought it for if you take care of it. Don’t go overboard on basics like burp clothes - my baby didn’t spit up but maybe twice his whole life. If you need more of that stuff, you can get it anywhere. If you’re in the US, get some nice pjs that are not doused in flame retardant. Those are the only new clothes I buy. Two to three pairs per size is plenty.
@gaiealiyly My husband and I are getting this baby monitor:
https://www.amazon.com/VTech-DM221-...ements=p_36:1253499011&s=baby-products&sr=1-2
Mainly because we live in a small house and we won’t need a video one because we are always within earshot where the baby will be sleeping.
https://www.amazon.com/VTech-DM221-...ements=p_36:1253499011&s=baby-products&sr=1-2
Mainly because we live in a small house and we won’t need a video one because we are always within earshot where the baby will be sleeping.
@hmpeace I will just throw out there that we live in a small house too (our room is connected to baby's via the bathroom) and I really liked having a video monitor when we started sleep training. It was helpful to see if he was laying down, or standing up, and just how upset he was.
We got a cheap one (like $40 I think) and I kind of wish o had upgraded to the one with the room temp feature.
Just a thought!!!
We got a cheap one (like $40 I think) and I kind of wish o had upgraded to the one with the room temp feature.
Just a thought!!!
katrina2017
New member
@jagadish I agree with this. I have an old school one that is hand me downed and a cheap video one so I can check in on my phone. Super helpful while sleep training so we could see what was going on without risking waking him up. That being said, I love having an old school monitor too because I hear cries immediately.
katrina2017
New member
draeconian
New member
@katrina2017 I freaking love wyze as a baby monitor. We used a combo with a regular audio monitor as well, though if you have an extra phone you can out wyze on that too as a dedicated handheld monitot and just leave the app open all the time!
katrina2017
New member
@gaiealiyly Join your local Facebook Buy Nothing group.
Get a Target card if you don’t already have one (choice of credit or debit) - then everything at Target is 5% off.
Wait for the double sale at Target ($10 off $40 worth of kids wear, and $10 for a 3 pack of Cloud Island pajamas) - the Cloud Island pjs are then 2.40/pair - this is the cheapest new pajamas you’ll find anywhere, and they’re good quality. I’d buy two packs in every size (unless you already have pjs you got elsewhere)
Carters sells 7 packs of cute onesies. They do a good Black Friday sale ($10 for a 7 pack). Those same packs are going for $11.40 for 7 right now - if you use their new customer discount and spend over $35 for free shipping, they end up being $9.40 a pack.
Once your kid is in 12M pajamas (and can’t wear the Cloud Island pjs anymore), Gerber has the best deal on 2 piece pjs I’ve seen (though I haven’t ordered them yet, so no clue about quality)
Get a Target card if you don’t already have one (choice of credit or debit) - then everything at Target is 5% off.
Wait for the double sale at Target ($10 off $40 worth of kids wear, and $10 for a 3 pack of Cloud Island pajamas) - the Cloud Island pjs are then 2.40/pair - this is the cheapest new pajamas you’ll find anywhere, and they’re good quality. I’d buy two packs in every size (unless you already have pjs you got elsewhere)
Carters sells 7 packs of cute onesies. They do a good Black Friday sale ($10 for a 7 pack). Those same packs are going for $11.40 for 7 right now - if you use their new customer discount and spend over $35 for free shipping, they end up being $9.40 a pack.
Once your kid is in 12M pajamas (and can’t wear the Cloud Island pjs anymore), Gerber has the best deal on 2 piece pjs I’ve seen (though I haven’t ordered them yet, so no clue about quality)
katrina2017
New member
@gaiealiyly You should consider creating a baby registry. I’ve heard a lot of commenters say they don’t feel comfortable asking for gifts, but my friends and family kept asking me about it so I decided to create a registry and share it with them. They were so happy to get us lots of baby stuff. I’m sure you have some friends/family that are super eager to buy your little one his or her necessities, I know before I was pregnant I used to love buying baby stuff for my friends haha.
Anything else you aren’t gifted, try Facebook marketplace! I was able to get a bottle warmer new in box for $15 and it retails for like $50. I also plan to get pre-loved baby clothes from there too. Amazon has some pretty good prices for baby stuff sometimes, and I have found that often the price for something new is only like $10-$20 more than pre-owned. Do lots of research and create an amazon registry ASAP (even if it is private) so you can get the 15% off registry coupon after a couple of months. It will help you save lots!
Best of luck and CONGRATS on your pregnancy!
Anything else you aren’t gifted, try Facebook marketplace! I was able to get a bottle warmer new in box for $15 and it retails for like $50. I also plan to get pre-loved baby clothes from there too. Amazon has some pretty good prices for baby stuff sometimes, and I have found that often the price for something new is only like $10-$20 more than pre-owned. Do lots of research and create an amazon registry ASAP (even if it is private) so you can get the 15% off registry coupon after a couple of months. It will help you save lots!
Best of luck and CONGRATS on your pregnancy!
emmajeanb4u
New member
@gaiealiyly There are charities that will give you cloth diapers if approved. The cloth option, and jakes diapers are both wonderful. The Facebook marketplace is an excellent resource, and if you make a post asking for free items, many people may donate things to you. If you lived in N.C. I’d give you a bunch of stuff. The ONLy things you can not get used is a car seat and a crib mattress.
reconstructionist89
New member
@gaiealiyly Lots of great advice on here, so I thought I’d just throw out my advice on toys for once your baby is past newborn phase. You don’t need much, in fact babies get overwhelmed by too many toys. Some sort of a bouncer is really great (lots secondhand available, we used ours for 4 months maybe and new they cost $150+). Babies also love everything non-toy (think boxes, wooden cooking spoons, your cell phone) so I’ve taken to cleaning out empty peanut butter jars and filling them with small objects or rice.
I’m not sure if anyone has suggested it, but check to see if you qualify for WIC. I save around $30 per week on groceries. It really helps.
I’m not sure if anyone has suggested it, but check to see if you qualify for WIC. I save around $30 per week on groceries. It really helps.
randomelement
New member
@gaiealiyly You do NOT need most of the must-haves out there. A snoo is absolutely unnecessary so don’t even stress about it. Much better to buy a 10$ bassinet and spend the money on a sleep course for newborns IMO.
We didn’t have a huge budget either. So we did used cloth diapers ($200 for all our diapers for his whole. Freaking. Diapered. Life), shamelessly asked for hand-me-downs, and got really used to the 25 cent box in Salvation Army. Facebook market place is great for getting lots of clothes or toys or books for like under 50 bucks.
But the one thing we spent real money on was a sleep training course. It was from takingcarababies.com and it saved us sooooo much money in the end because honestly we ordered in less, our mental state was so much better, and we didn’t buy all sorts of “gadgets” like the snoo to get baby to sleep. Our 10 dollar bassinet was enough.
Just remember that babies are so so simple for a long time. Baby needs minimal toys, they love Tupperware and spatulas, and if you breastfeed it is literally free if you don’t buy a pump or bottles (I didn’t)
We didn’t have a huge budget either. So we did used cloth diapers ($200 for all our diapers for his whole. Freaking. Diapered. Life), shamelessly asked for hand-me-downs, and got really used to the 25 cent box in Salvation Army. Facebook market place is great for getting lots of clothes or toys or books for like under 50 bucks.
But the one thing we spent real money on was a sleep training course. It was from takingcarababies.com and it saved us sooooo much money in the end because honestly we ordered in less, our mental state was so much better, and we didn’t buy all sorts of “gadgets” like the snoo to get baby to sleep. Our 10 dollar bassinet was enough.
Just remember that babies are so so simple for a long time. Baby needs minimal toys, they love Tupperware and spatulas, and if you breastfeed it is literally free if you don’t buy a pump or bottles (I didn’t)