The phone rings and I hear a voice on the other end say: “Hi prima, guess what? I’m pregnant!! I’m so excited; I can’t wait to go shopping for baby clothes!”
It brought flash backs from my first pregnancy, how I wanted just the best for my baby; and to me, the best meant new items! I went out of my way to get the best baby gear I could afford and recall turning down offers of hand-me-downs by using lame excuses…. Now I’m startled at how much I’ve changed from one child to the next as I now I know what it takes financially to get new gear. Also, some baby items appear as “must-have” at the beginning, end up practically unused! I can think of several baby items that never even saw the light of day and I passed unopened to other expecting moms.
So, if you’re a mom in the making with baby on the way, or you are thinking about kids, be smart and optimize your budget.
Don’t use BabiesRUs gear check list to decide what you need, instead research with your friends who actually have kids, use real mom blogs for brand research (versus brand blogs). You might think you need a bouncer, swing and baby play station but after talking to those moms you might discover one of those items can do the trick. By all means accept those hand-me-downs. I would probably not recommend accepting a crib or an infant car seat as regulations and safety features change regularly; items such as diaper bags, clothes, booster or high chairs, swings, bath tubs, strollers, can definitely save you a lot of money. You will be tempted to get all new items but hold off as you will probably get a great deal of items from relatives excited about your soon to arrive baby. Be smart and retain your shopaholic impulse. Now I not only take hand-me-downs but also hand down to others as well.
My advice to my “prima” and to all of you is to buy a cute little outfit and get the immediate urge to buy it all out. Talk to your friends with kids about gear, check out blogs to build your baby needs list and wait until your baby shower happens as this is when you’ll really know what you truly need to purchase.
2 comments:
cool. wise words.
If only the emotional need of going shopping and CHOOSING stuff for baby wasn't stronger than the rational need to save...
I wonder if I was the lucky child to receive all the hand me downs?
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