How can I save for the arrival of my baby?
It is always tempting to get newest shiny things for your baby, but what if we have a tight budget? Well, let me help you with this.
First of all when I decided to have a baby, exactly in that instant, I started to put some money aside each month. This doesn´t need to be a fixed amount, everything is helpful when you start getting all the stuff.
Don´t be scared of thinking that second hand things are not worth for your baby. Second hand baby stuff is actually amazing because it has been used for so little! And guess what? When you finish using it you can sell it again and get some of the money back! The second hand baby essentials market is very dynamic and with time and ahead planning you will find good bargains. In my case I used Ebay a lot, Wallapop, GumTree even Amazon has many second hand options.
Another option for saving would be… Sales! A pregnancy is on average 9 months long, during that time I´m sure you come across some of the Winter Sales, Easter Sale, Summer Sale, Black Friday etc. If you are looking for something specific, a specific brand or specific item, as I said… planning ahead will probably get you some bargains.
Here are the 4 main categories that I think are baby essentials and what it cost me:
Furniture/ appliances
MiniCot: start with a mini-cot, moses basket or a cosleeping crib. Within this the budget can vary tremendously. (I bought Chicco Next-2-me crib, second hand on Ebay for 80€)
Cot: This cot you only need to buy later, at about 6 months age of your baby. (Plan ahead) Personally I would look more into the quality of the mattress than the quality of the bars. I actually bought a travel cot, that my daughter uses at home and wherever we travel. This way she always sleeps in her own bed. (Hauck Travel Cot 80€ + Memory Foam Mattress 40€, Bedding aprox. 20€, all new on Amazon)
Baby Car seat and pram: The options are endless, I decided for a travel system, baby car seat and pram. The bassinet of the pram was convertible to a stroller. (Chicco Urban Pram, 350€. Bought on https://www.preciouslittleone.com/ on Easter Sale. Car seat actually was free)
BabyBath: You get from inflatables, to flowers to stick into the sink… to a normal plastic bath. (Boots Store UK 9€)
Changing station. Can be as simple as a changing baby on the bed with a small mattress protector and a basket with nappies, cream and wet wipes to carry around.
Hammok/Bean bag. Very handy to put baby inside when you have to do other stuff around the house. I was lucky that I got a second hand one from one of my friend. Ask around!
Nappie bag for outings. Can be actually a big bag of your own. (I got mine on Amazon for around 35€)
Textile essentials
Clothes : Basics, 7 Onseis or romper, 2 hats, 7 pairs of socks 4 sleepsuits. Add for winter: 1 wintercoat or all-in-on, 2 pairs of booties, 3 sweaters, 5 pants. Add for summer: summer hat. If necessary get a smart outfit for a special occasion. (wait for the opportunity)
Blankets and/or babygrows
3 winterblankets
1 or 2 light summerblankets for shade
2 Baby towels with hoodie
Face cloths pack
I was pretty lucky because most of this I got from friends and family.
Disposables
Feeding
Breastfeeding will save you some money, as you want have to buy formula milk. You still need a breast pump, to help you sometimes. I recommend a manual breastpump to an electrical for 2 reasons: It´s a third of the price and you don´t get annoyed by the sound!
If Bottle feeding I would suggest into getting a kit with a number of bottles, bottle warmer and steriliser. Look at the options from Tommee Tippee, Avent, Nuk….
I breastfed so I actually saved quite a lot here.
In total (excluding disposables) I spent about 620€. If you plan minimum 9 months in advance you would need to save 70€ a month!
Source for pic:
https://unsplash.com/photos/p0hDztR46cw
