Everything you need when having a baby? (No negativity please)

CompKB

I'm creating a list of items I want to get / stockpile. My aim is to get everything as cheap (free?) and eco-friendly as possible, therefore want to start ASAP as I want time to get the best deal possible or find the option for free. Please comment below EVERYTHING you needed for having a baby and any ideas on how to get things for free and cheap. Thanks so much for all your advice.
(Please no negativity, if you can't say something positive or answer my questions then please move onto another post! Thank you!)  

Comms69

Bit hard to list everything.

Cot/ crib
Stroller
Nappies
Milk?
Baby grows
Sudacrem 

But most importantly a video baby monitor. 100% video.

Fireflyaway

For a newborn - Cot , bedding, nappies, wipes, baby vests, clothes, pram, car seat, bag to put bits in when you go out, bubble bath, nappy cream, happy sacks, nail clippers, cotton pads. When they are slightly older then you may need stair gates, toys, books, shoes, bigger car seat. 
I like getting things on offer. I do that with toiletries! Always buy stuff on offer and put it in my bargain box so I never pay full price for anything! 

pavlovs_dog

Gumtree and facebook marketplace always have plenty of baby items.  They seem to virtually give baby things away at the big car boot sale near us.  

You may have friends, colleagues or relatives looking to get rid of their old equipment.

On these boards you consistently see the advice that you don't need half of what the advertisers lead you to believe.  There are many, many relevant threads on this very topic - why not start by reading some of those and then drawing up a list that is personal to your circumstances?

strawb_shortcake

Muslin cloths are a must, you'll never have too many.
Join the baby clubs, boots you used to get a free changing bag plus other offers. The bags now can be really expensive! 
IKEA can be pretty good for  bargain baby bits too. Facebook selling and freebie pages are always good. Eco-friendly does often come with a price premium.
Perhaps ask the question what isn't essential instead, not buying these things are surely eco-friendly right? 
I'd argue a video monitor is not essential, neither are the ones with a mat to monitor your baby's breathing, these have caused parents all sorts of worries as the babies wriggle. 
You don't need a changing station either, or cot bumpers. All singing and dancing baby bouncer chairs that sing, flash and vibrate also not needed. 
Get knitting for hats and cardigans. 
If you are looking at washable nappies, shop carefully, they aren't always a good fit. Not sure what it's like now but you couldn't sell used (but clean) washable nappies on ebay years ago, but worth getting some second hand ones to see what suits your baby. 

Good luck, if you break it down to what you really need I always found babies to not be that expensive, it's when they start school their cost goes up! 

Savvy_Sue

the problem with stockpiling stuff is that it may not actually be what you need. For example, you might buy multiple packs of a particular brand of nappy, and then find your baby either reacts badly to that brand, or outgrows them before you've used them all. Plus you may be given more than you need. 

gettingtheresometime

CompKB said:

(Please no negativity, if you can't say something positive or answer my questions then please move onto another post! Thank you!)  

Can you define negativity?

just bare in mind that one person's must have is another's essential 

MPD

Cloth nappies, if you are going to use them.

Our local authority gave a £30 cash incentive to buy them, maybe worth checking?

Get a bucket with a lid to store them after use, preferably one that doesn't let the smell out.

Use disposables until the meconium has gone, that stuff stains.

Good luck

CompKB

Savvy_Sue said:

the problem with stockpiling stuff is that it may not actually be what you need. For example, you might buy multiple packs of a particular brand of nappy, and then find your baby either reacts badly to that brand, or outgrows them before you've used them all. Plus you may be given more than you need. 

Yes, that's why getting things for free / as cheap as possible is important. I would pay it forward by donating/selling anything I didn't use or baby has outgrown. Or keep for future children.

CompKB

MPD said:

Cloth nappies, if you are going to use them.

Our local authority gave a £30 cash incentive to buy them, maybe worth checking?

Get a bucket with a lid to store them after use, preferably one that doesn't let the smell out.

Use disposables until the meconium has gone, that stuff stains.

Good luck

Thanks for the tips on cloth nappies! Thats super useful info to know!

Spendless

if you think of it this is what baby needs to have
something to drink
something to wee/poo into
somewhere to sleep
something to wear
somewhere to store what they wear
some way to travel.
something to wash them

If you go by those categories, you can go from the cheapest item or free to the most expensive and additional items under that category.

It's also impossible to say, my most used and wouldn't have done without item for my eldest was a travel cot. I never used it for my youngest. That's because we'd moved closer to family and friend by baby #2 and were more restricted in where we went anyway due to also having a toddler with  us.