Baby Budget?

ginvzt

Kerriebaby wrote: »

Okay...from this thread so far...

I NEED

Pushchair/Pram ( is it wrong that I really like the old fashioned styles best?!)
Cot/Moses basket
plus maybe 3-4 months worth of wages in the bank ( just in case )

am I missing anything

I agree about the old fashioned style pram/pushchair!!!! I don't like babybjorn - I think it is horrible actually, but it is not for me to choose - I am heavily gifted on top as it is and I can't stand anything obstructing my movement, being able to see the stairs as I go down, etc.

Instead of the moses basket - have you thought about the crib - it is smaller than cot, but bigger than moses basker, and baby supposedly feels more comfortable in one at the begining. Also, if you are thinking to keep the baby in the same room for the first few months, it takes much less soace than the cot and you don't need to keep running to the next room for any niggle or feeding.

Oh, and the wage in the bank would be very useful!!!!

osian

Hi, not sure if anyone has mentioned it, but if you are self employed and pay national insurance contributions you can claim maternity allowance for 9 months. I think it's just under £120 a week. The only thing is, you cannot work during that time.

I'm expecting my 1st baby in 3 weeks and I think I have paid out about £800 to buy everything ready for my baby, all new. I have not bought one thing in mothercare, I find it very expensive. TK Maxx occasionally have baby stuff on sale, worth a look. Ikea do great baby furniture - cot's, mattresses, wardrobes etc.

I think it's worth shopping around and taking your time, I've been very lucky picking bits up in the sales, I've been shopping for the baby since about 20 weeks and
managed to get most things on offer when I see them.

Also, check out different clubs, like Tesco baby and toddler club, huggies, pampers etc - they send lots of vouchers for nappies etc.

Good luck

angelfairy

kerrybaby, you will also sign up to lots of different baby clubs and receive different freebies or vouchers. with the boots parents club you get your first set of vouchers which includes getting a free nappy changing bag when you buy a back of nappies. you also get double advantage points for items (which you can then of course spend the points instore).

galvanizersbaby

fernliebee wrote: »

I use the kitchen sink for my girly

I must be really strange cos I just used the actual bath for my 2
Just ran a little bit of water in and used to lie them in it - they seemed to like it well enough - got a pic of my son, my niece and my nephew (there is a few months between them all) all lying in the bath together smiling (could have been wind though I suppose!) :rotfl:

I would have loved to have used my baby bjorn sling - I so wanted to be one of those mum's walking about wearing their baby!
Looking back even if I hadn't had the c section I still reckon it would have half killed me walking about for any length of time - what a lightweight!

robin_banks

Also a tip for any potential baby bjorn users, put the little one in clothes 1 size up, as trousers will ride up their leg whilst they are in the carrier.

itsmylife_2

Instead of the moses basket we just put our little one into the cot horizontally (feet to the side of the cot instead of at the bottom) for the first few months, then when he was bigger used the cot the right way! He was very contented in it from the word go.

onlyroz

The best money-saving tip is to make sure you buy the *right* pushchair - this will likely be the most expensive outlay, so if you get one that's unsuitable you'll really kick yourself. Things to consider:

- The size of your car. You're not going to be getting a huge travel system into the boot of a Ford Fiesta.
- Will you be offroading? Because there are plenty of compact buggies that struggle on anything but the smoothest of pavements
- Do you need storage space? A shopping carrier underneath is wonderful when out-and-about
- Do you want a buggy suitable from birth up to 4 years? Because some buggies are only suitable for under 18 months, whereas others are only suitable for 6 months+
- How easy is it to put up? Because if you're going to be using the bus a lot you'll need one that can be collapsed in an instant, preferably using only one hand

As for cots - second-hand is fine (and there are loads on eBay or in charity shops) but you really should buy a new mattress. Car seats should also be bought from new, and you'll probably need to upgrade from a rear-facing seat to a front-facing seat at about 9 months to a year.

Clothes are so cheap, and you'll get given plenty too - so don't buy too many. As for creams, lotions, potions, medicines, wipes etc - all of these can wait until you actually need them. A newborn just needs cotton wool and warm water - and remember that the rolls of cotton wool are much cheaper than the cotton wool balls.

robin_banks

Bugaboos wont go down the aisle on most buses. Mind you if you've a bugaboo you probably drive a tank or something similar.

ticklepenny_2

So far I have bought:

Wooden Cot = £6.99 (Charity shop)
Mattress = £35.99
Travel system 3 wheel Pram + Car seat = £55 (Ebay)
MIL is buying the babies clothes, non negotiable she says, hehe I'm happy!

To buy:
Terrys Nappies
Flushable Nappy Liners
Nappy bucket
Changing station (£15)
Sling
Bouncing chair
Baby monitor
Baby bedding

My plan is to buy little bits here and there so there are no sudden shocks. And I will be putting 2 months rent aside for emergencies (OH becoming redundant etc):D

foreversomeday

Just wanted to add my tips as I have a 5 week old baby

- I don't like the baby bjorns, I wish more people would try out proper slings, they are 10x better, more comfortable, better for baby, better for your back and last much longer and you can get loads of different styles so you can even end up a bit addicted with several so you can co-ordinate your outfit hehe! They might look fiddly but once you have done it twice or so it is really really easy. https://www.slingmeet.co.uk for more info on slings, and you might have a local group you could go along to to see the different types in person as you can't seem to buy anything except the baby bjorns in shops.

- We were given a cot, like you I decided what is the point of the moses basket? But it is currently being used as a bedside table where I store all the nappies etc! I found we all get much more sleep with baby in with us. (Not for everyone though and to be avoided if you are overweight or smoke.) However he will need a cot at some point as at the moment I would like him out of our bed by age 1 and he will still be too little for a full sized bed then.

- Although I love my sling I have got a buggy as well, I wanted something which laid completely flat (ie not just where the car seat slots in) but apart from that wasn't bothered what it looked like, then I did some more research and decided I wanted a buggy which would convert from lying flat to sitting up because I knew it would cost a lot of money and didn't want to spend out on something which would be used for less than a year, most buggies/travel systems do this by selling a carrycot separately which can be expensive. We went for the Loola Up which converts from lying flat to a forward or rearfacing pushchair, the only thing I don't like is the shopping basket is quite small, but you can hang extra bags on the handles without it tipping so it's not a big problem. I'd recommend you go into mothercare or somewhere and try them all out so you have an idea of what you are looking for before you buy one, even if you are looking second hand, and look at online reviews as well. I went in and looked and then said I was going to buy one online as I didn't have my card on me, stopped them trying to pressure me into ordering it in store as mothercare are expensive even with voucher codes.

- I think I will go and buy a bucket from a £1 shop as a friend has told me her baby loves her tummy tub and mine hates baths! You will need a bucket anyway if you are using washable nappies so worth getting one.

- I got free samples of sudocrem in more than one of my bounty packs and he hasn't had nappy rash at all since we switched to washables and let him have some nappy free time each day. Breast milk and lansinoh (nipple cream, you can get it on prescription if you are breastfeeding) also work on nappy rash. We have never used any other products on him at all, he gets washed in warm water only. You don't really need anything else until they start getting sticky. For dry skin you can either use olive oil, breast milk (again!) or just wait for it to clear up, most newborns get some dry, flaky skin.

- Car seats, if you are only having one baby, get a seat which goes from birth to age 4 or birth to age 12, you will save money. If you want more than one baby it makes sense to buy one infant seat and then get one which goes from age 1 to age 4 or 12 for each child.

- Nappies, it is hard to choose! I'd recommend using disposables (nature baby eco disposables are nice and you can get them in Sainsburys) for the first few weeks because you will be so much more tired than you'd anticipated and washing is really not a priority, also they are so tiny that washable nappies look ridiculous! Then use fuzzi bunz small size (these are the least bulky, and very easy to use) until baby is 6 months or so, and then at the moment I'm thinking of switching to a birth to potty pocket nappy. The best site I've found for washable nappies is https://www.usednappies.co.uk , they sell new ones there too but they are much cheaper even than ebay. Use the 6 months while you are in the small size to chat to other mums, trawl forums etc, to see what other nappies you would like. There is also a site called the nappy lady which is useful for choosing a brand.

Oh and you missed muslins off your list They are priceless! I didn't think I'd need bibs until he was on solids but they are useful for winding him as he dribbles and is sick sometimes too, although if I was a bit better at remembering to use the muslins I wouldn't need bibs at all yet.

Good luck!