Baby for less! (Preparing for Birth On a Budget)

Member Name: anwar7

Product:	Preparing for Birth On a Budget
Date:	03/11/04 (915 review reads)
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When I had my first child our family finances were not exactly great. Although we weren’t poor and both had well paid jobs there was little money to spare once all the bills had been paid. I knew I wanted to take a year off to be with our new child and so money would be even tighter. Here are my tips for managing a baby on a budget; I hope they are of some use!

The first extra expense you will have before your baby even arrives will be maternity clothes. I was appalled at the prices for something you will only wear for a short time. However I managed to borrow some from a friend and found other good quality items in our local second hand shop. As they are not worn for long you should be able to find a few bargains if you look. I did buy a few new nightdresses but these were not especially maternity just normal ones with front opening for breast-feeding.

There are numerous (expensive) items of baby must haves in the shops and it would be easy to spend a fortune. However I decided only to buy the things I would need for the first few months. This meant that we waited before buying a cot or high chair. I think one of the most important items is a car seat and this should not be second hand. By shopping around I managed to save a bit here too. There are so many models on the market it is worth doing a bit of research before buying. I decided to buy a travel system, which included a car seat and pushchair onto which the car seat would fit.

It really is not essential to have a pram or pushchair, as a sling is a wonderful way to carry your newborn around with you. Baby slings can be bought second hand or again you may be able to borrow from a friend.

I did not buy a baby bath but instead used a washing up bowl when my son was tiny and found this worked well and a fraction of the price! I used cotton wool instead of expensive baby wipes too.

Nappies will be a huge expensive and I think that cloth nappies work out a lot cheaper not to mention that they are better for the enviroment. However whichever type of nappies you opt for I think it is a good idea to treat yourself to disposables in the early days.

I breast fed my son and expressed milk for him to have when I was away. I used an ice cream tub to sterilise all equipment rather than an expensive steriliser, it works just as well!

I did buy a Moses basket for my son to sleep in but this was a total waste of money, as he didn’t use it preferring to sleep with me! I bought him a cot when he was 6 months old but again it has been hardly used.

Baby clothes are fun to buy and you could end up spending a fortune. I was very strict with myself buying just one new outfit for him to come home in and 3 babygros,plus vests and cardigans. I was given so many clothes that I could have opened a shop! First size baby clothes do not last long and you will probably be given these, as presents so don’t buy too many.

I think it is important to remember that your baby really won’t care whether the pram is an expensive one or his clothes are designer labels. Young babies don’t need lots of toys either, they are just as happy to watch a human face or the leaves blowing on the trees!

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