How much do babies cost

Sally_A

Baby accessories and marketing is big business, they also make you feel guilty if you don't have all the gadgets to suit baby's needs.

Woah! take a step back, how did our ancestors cope without Mothercare et al?

They must have been pretty successful or we wouldn't be here posting about it!

A lot now is time saving but not necessary, eg disposable nappies; as our lives and commitments have changed, but for the general well being of the baby, well it's the same as the iron age.

As for what a baby needs, think back to your childhood, what do you remember from the day you were born until say 3 years old of material objects?

Probably not a lot = 'nuff said.;)

DianneB

They will bleed you dry for the rest of your life, you can't possibly save for that!! But they are worth every penny.

conradmum

I got all three of mine free, and they were good quality ones too!

LandyAndy

DianneB wrote: »

They will bleed you dry for the rest of your life, you can't possibly save for that!! But they are worth every penny.

Is the correct answer.:D

bossymoo

Lol at some of the replies here.

I know couples who claim they are skint yet buy brand new top of the range prams, Moses baskets etc even for a second child as they won't re-use things from the first!

Newborns don't need much, we were given a second (third?) hand Moses basket so just bought a new mattress, about a fiver. We were given lots of clothes and bedding, my friends clubbed together for a monitor so we just had to shop around for a pram and cot.

Kiddicare have some great deals and there are eBay shops that do new cots, prams and mattresses at a fraction of the M@thercare prices.

Hermia

There are a lot of frugal mum (or mom as they are often American) and homemaker blogs out there which will give you an idea of how cheaply you can do it. My friend was determined she would be a frugal/green mum and it's amazing how cheaply she has done it. For example, when she was pregnant she only bought a few multipacks of basic clothes so she knew she would always have something clean and dry. Then she just waited to see what clothing presents and hand-me-downs she would get when the baby was born and evaluated what she needed to buy. She also only buys a few toys and rotates them. Her kid has considerably less toys than most children, but he seems quite happy with them. She is a SAHM so has plenty of time to wash nappies and cook food from scratch so she doesn't have to pay for convenience.

It all depends on the sort of person you are. If you are one of those mums who won't be able to resist the little santa outfit or overpriced pink headband because "he/she will just look so cute in it" then you are doomed! It also depends on the circles you move in. I know this middle-class north London-type couple who are actually quite minimalist and sensible, but they have spent so much money on their kid. It's partly because of social pressure. Basically if you don't buy the absolutely best quality items for your baby you are seen as a bad parents (hence the reason why they ended up with a pram that cost £££££ss when a cheaper one would have done the job).

rpc

They will cost you your spare time, your sanity and any chance of a good night's sleep. Anything beyond that is up to you!

There are only two things that should be bought new IMHO - car seats and matresses. Everything else can be picked up at good value from nearly new sales if you want. Babies don't need bling, they need time and attention.

fluffnutter

If you've got a car, you need a car seat. The baby will also need some sort of arse covering and some clothes. Strictly speaking that's all it will need. Things like a pram, cot, bed clothes will make your life immeasurably easier though

victoria270385

hi everyone, thanks for all your replies, i realise it was a bit of a daft question asking how much babies cost but just to get an idea. I think from your answers we will have saved up enough for when it comes along. With regards to time off, i plan on having 5 months off as this is all we can afford on the basic 6 weeks @ 90% of your wage then standard maternity pay after that. I dont know what my company offers but for now will base it on worst case scenario. My husband earns minimum wage which after tax isnt much more a week than what full time child care would cost and as i dont want to put the baby in full time childcare my husband will become a sahd, i know its not the "norm" but i earn about £500 more a month than my husband so it makes sense.

By the sounds of it i can get most things second hand, im not bothered about top of the range stuff and couldnt care less what my friends think, they will understand when their time comes. I will however like mentioned not scrimp on a car seat, this will definately be brand new. Luckily I have a 2nd job at matalan so i can get baby clothes if needed nice and cheap with my staff discount. I was just panicking over the big stuff as my best friend is pregnant (nearly 6 months, im so excited) and i was looking at what i can get her, i had a budget in mind and wanted to get something useful rather than loads of clothes and toys, ended up with a voucher for mothercare and she is going to buy a high chair. Everything just seems so expensive but like people have said second hand stuff is fine :O)

thanks again for all your replies xxx

BAGGY

rachhh wrote: »

Depends where you buy them!
:rotfl:Sorry, couldn't resist!

Mine were BOGOF (twins):rotfl: