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Buying used items saves so much money

One of my friends told me not to buy too many infant items because they grow out of them so quickly and they are so expensive. But again, if you can get those things at low costs, why not get things that make life easier when caring for your new infant? For instance, a bassinet is not used more than 3 or 4 months after the baby is born. However, it's nice to be able to have it and set it near your bed. And the much coveted Moses baskets are adorable but not useful for very long either. Here are some items and prices I purchased at a local Goodwill and the prices I paid for them. And plus, buying from the Goodwill or Salvation Army is supporting good causes.

Item Price I Paid Retail Price
Kolcraft Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet
Kolcraft Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet
$4.99 $89.99
Lulla Smith Moses Basket
Lulla Smith Moses Basket with 100% Dupioni Silk linens
$9.99 $290.00
The First Year's Infant To Toddler Tub with Sling The First Year's Infant To Toddler Tub with Sling
The First Years "Sure Comfort" Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub with Sling
$6.99 $17.99
Fisher Price Aquarium Bouncer
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Bouncer Chair
$5.99 $129.99
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Swing
Fisher-Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium Swing
$14.99 $241.00
Crib & bassinet beddings: You can find some modern designs in excellent condition, and some even look brand new. I found some nearly complete sets with matching bumper, dust ruffle, comforter, and valance! These used beddings are perfect for a second or third set of beddings, which you will most likely need in between washings of your first set. Just make sure to wash these used beddings well before you put them on your crib.

Tiddliwinks Plum Butterfly Crib Bumper

$3.99
  Tiddliwinks Safari Crib Bedding Set
Tiddliwinks Safari Crib Bumper & Comforter

$3.99 a piece
$3-$20 $30-$200
Baby Clothes: The cheapest place I've found these are at yard sales. Community yard sales often have huge selections. Infant clothes are used during such a short time frame, and getting them second hand makes a lot of sense. I had origially planned to get gender neutral baby clothes in case I have a boy next time. But at these yard sale prices, I am finding that I can easily stock up on girly onesies, sleepers, hats, bibs, and outfits. Also, friends' hand-me-down baby clothes are also a great way to stock up.

For cute matching outfits, you may want to shop baby consignment shops. Sometimes at yard sales, especially community ones, the two piece outfits are scattered, and its hard to put them together. Although consignment shops are a little more expensive, you can still get cute outfits at a fraction of the retail cost. And sometimes the items there are brand new and still have the original tags on them.
5¢-25¢ (yard sales)

$2-$6 (consignment shops)
$5-$30 (retail)

These baby items were in great condition at such great prices that I couldn't pass them up! The fabric portion of each item is washable, except for the silk, which is dry cleanable. When I got home, I checked these items off my registry list!

Buying New Baby Gear at Bargain Prices

Of course there are some baby things you will end up buying new. Here are some great bargain places to shop:

Crib Bedding Sets

  • Tiddliwinks Plum Butterfly Crib Bedding SetTarget.com carries Tiddliwinks brand crib beddings at very affordable prices. I love these Tiddliwinks designs! They have beautiful colors, cute and modern designs, similar to what you would find at Babies R Us and other baby shops. I bought the Tiddliwinks Plum Butterfly bedding set, and it matches the nursery colors perfectly! Since I also found part of this Plum Butterfly set at the Goodwill, I have a backup to use during washings.

    I also bought more accessories from a different set called Sugar Plum by CoCaLo that BabiesRUs.com carries at great prices. The Sugar Plum accessories match very nicely with the Plum Butterfly. My husband just put the Sugar Plum border up in our baby's nursery yesterday, and it looks so beautiful!

    Tiddliwinks Safari Crib Bedding SetI also bought some crib sheets at Target to go with the used Tiddliwinks Safari Bedding Set that I found at the Goodwill. Target.com also carries many accessories for this set. This is a great way to save if you can get part of the set used and adding on new accessories of the same set.

Baby Clothes and Accessories

I never thought of looking for baby clothes and accessories at Ross, TJ Maxx, or Marshalls, but they have great prices and really cute things. I found some well priced receiving blankets, wash cloths, car seat cushions, and more there.

Baby Slings

posted August 3, 2009

I am thinking about getting a baby sling. I see mom's carrying them all around, and they come in so many cute colors and styles. I heard that babies absolutely love them. They love being so close to their mom and being able to hear their heartbeat. We got a Bjorn baby carrier, which looks great, but I'm thinking my husband can use that, and I can use a cute stylish sling.

I've been looking at a few different brands, and I think I might go with the Balboa Sling or the Balboa Serene Sling. The original Balboa Sling got good reviews, and there are a few Youtube videos that demo it. The Serene Sling looks really comfortable, but as of now, I don't see much reviews because I think the product is too new. Also, you need to get your specific size for that, whereas the original Balboa Sling is adjustable for any size.

I also just found a DIY baby sling video on Youtube. Maybe I'll go that route. I'll let you know....

posted October 14, 2009

I bought some nice flannel fabric and rings to make my own baby sling. I bought the rings at www.slingrings.com. Here are some updated videos on how to make a baby sling, thread the rings, and use the sling:

posted April 11, 2010

I have tried and tried to fit baby into the sling that I attempted to make. She cried every time I tried to put her into it. I think part of it is because I couldn't figure out how to properly wear the sling and then baby doesn't seem to like being scrunched up inside of it with her chin tucked against her chest. Oh well....

So I moved on to a BabyBjorn baby carrier that our friend handed down to us. I had been a little intimidated by it at first and had to have our friend show us how to use it again. But it is definitely more straight forward than the sling to me. And baby seemed a lot happier in it. However, it has still been sort of a pain for me to use. I think it might be because I'm short and sort of weak. Her feet dangle down the front of my legs and make it hard to walk. I can't pick up anything bulky (like a case of water, or box of diapers) because she protrudes out of my whole midsection. And after about 14 pounds, it was killing my shoulders. That said, it is still a lot easier to tote her around on the Bjorn verses carrying her in my arms.




Baby Gear Resources

Expecting Money: The Essential Financial Plan for New and Growing Families - This is a great book I read about getting financially ready for a baby. Many parents get a little stressed out with finances when expecting a baby. This book helps you get prepared and plan for baby purchases.



More pregnancy articles...

Baby Gear Reviews

Buying baby gear sometimes feels like a never ending process. We've purchased some of them second hand, received hand-me-downs from friends, but still many of them we've had to buy brand new. Here are some of my experiences with baby items we have used.

Kolcraft Light Vibes Rocking Bassinet

posted April 11, 2010

This model is no longer made, but there are more updated versions of this bassinet. I really loved this bassinet. The melodies were so pretty, and baby really liked the music. The vibration worked well to help baby fall asleep. The base has a wide footprint that I stubbed my toe on a few times, but it made the bassinet very stable. We kept the wheels retracted and used the rocking feature of the bassinet. That was useful when baby was having a hard time going to sleep. It was so nice to have baby sleep right next to my side of the bed when she was first new born.

Unfortunately, after about a month, she was diagnosed with G.E.R.D. (acid reflux), and we had to move her into a wedge bed. I missed the bassinet so much that I used the vibrating/music unit from the bassinet with the wedge bed for a little while. Since we had bought this bassinet used at the Goodwill, I wasn't so heartbroken that we didn't get to use it long. But I've found that so many baby items are used for such a short time.

Lulla Smith Moses Basket with 100% Dupioni Silk linens

posted April 11, 2010

I fell in love with this beautiful Lulla Smith Moses basket when browsing through the Goodwill while I was pregnant. It was in great condition and had such elegant silk linens. For $10, I couldn't pass it up. My hubby's sister gave us a nice rocking stand to set it on, too.

It was great for taking pictures of baby, especially when she was new born. I couldn't really tote her around in it comfortably because it was a little bulky. But it was nice to have it in the living room as a place to put her in while we were in there. It is really lovely, and we even used it during her christening ceremony. But because of her acid reflux, I couldn't use it very long because we couldn't keep her lying flat down.

 






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