What do I need/don't need for new baby?

pabby-ellis

:j :j hi, my children haven't really cost me much at all. i decide what i need months in advance, like cot, sheets, steriliser, baby bouncer, pram, clothes etc etc and pick them up as i see them at car boot sales, charity shops etc etc. i could afford to be choosy because time was on my side. i also managed to swap my son's old clothes for my friends daughter's old clothes when we both had the opposite sex second baby. this has saved us both SO much money.

i also stopped sterilizing at about 6 months when they both started gettng hands all over the floor and putting in their mouths. and i pureed all the extra veg left from my tea's to freeze for the baby. agree with previous writer - stick blender is worth weight in gold. (try kelkoo etc for cheap ones) i believe tesco sell them for £4-£5 anyway. i also agree with using cotton wool and water. it is cheaper. toys can also be picked up in nearly new condition at boot sales and charity shops and no one else knows that another child has already played with them. that goes for clothes too - joe bloggs on the street doesn't know that the outfit from next that your child has on today, wasn't brand new - its quite a smug thing to do knowing that you've still got the money in your pocket, yet your child is dressed very well in next or baby gap etc etc. even matalan stuff and primark stuff is good. you'll need baby bottles and beakers, but the cheap slim ones are just as good as the avent podgy bottles.

if you want to save money, go for cheap and second hand stuff. look at what you have acquired and just think how much money you have saved and how good all the stuff is that you have.

good luck - babies are great (you'';ll also get double tax credits for 1st year too wont' you?) :T

across

whatever it costs believe me you will adapt! it isnt worth losing sleep over, babies bring so much fun that you'll forget youre skint and you wont have time to notice it goes so fast!! :rotfl: a large pack of nappies lasts roughly 1 and half week i find and then can use healthclinic to get formula milk cheaper if necessary(and if on tax credit it is even cheaper! so dont buy in supermarkets at all no need too!), clothes you get great things at tesco and asda and for the time they are in them it isnt worth spending loads anyway! if you use boots you can earn lots of points i did this with my first one bulk buying all the time and using special point offers i saved a fortune but by the second child i had no time to go in boots!!!online delivery for groceries save loads with codes and you have more time with baby and less stress!! :j always buy sleepsuits bigger size they last longer as noone sees them in bed and they soon grow into them!!!!!!!!!!!i didnt buy anything that was only going to last first few months to cut costs so no carry cots in my house straight into cot to sleep and pliko pram(folds umbrella style easy to get around) as little storage necessary no bulky pram, no bouncy chairs!! i thought all these are lovely but i coped without and saved money! borrowed changer,cot, travel cot with basinette(baby slept in that in day it was great!),carseats different sizes!baby bath/top and tail bucket/potty/step/2 gates/intercom/even lightshows toys swing everything you can imagine!!!!!!!!!! from sister!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! so i only actually bought a pram!!(couldve borrowed one but thought i'd best buy something!!) so it neednt cost much at all if you know someone with a baby!! good luck!

Alleycat

Reusable nappies :j

Don't worry about a steriliser (at least until you know if you will be breast or bottle feeding). You can use an old icecream tub or large tupperware box and some milton. Bit more of a faff, but does the same job at a fraction of the price.

Clothing lots from Ebay, charity shops, jumble sales. Baby clothes hardly get any wear out of them, though some I've seen for sale on Ebay have been hideous!

Its so hard to put a figure on it though. We have spent more than we could have done, but we are able to now and again have a mini splurge!

Woby_Tide

on the clothes front we've found it a false economy on clothes buying from Tesco/Asda, after a few washes they seem to lose shape etc. Not ideal for everyone but most of ours have been from Next sales(and in most cases have been our sis-in-laws Next sales hand me downs .i.e they cost same as Asda and Tesco but have lasted ofr 2 kids and still in good shape) Each Next sale we just try and buy what we can that looks a good price for next few age groups(just have to hope for a second boy or some relative gets a bargain)

Becles

That's surprising that your cheap clothes didn't last. I've got items that have lasted for 2 children and are currently up the loft to be used on the 3rd!

supershopper_3

Woby_Tide wrote:

on the clothes front we've found it a false economy on clothes buying from Tesco/Asda, after a few washes they seem to lose shape etc. Not ideal for everyone but most of ours have been from Next sales(and in most cases have been our sis-in-laws Next sales hand me downs .i.e they cost same as Asda and Tesco but have lasted ofr 2 kids and still in good shape) Each Next sale we just try and buy what we can that looks a good price for next few age groups(just have to hope for a second boy or some relative gets a bargain)

I have to agree here. I bought cheap clothes for my first son and within a couple of washes they looked shabby and drained of colour regardless of which washing powder I used. In the end I bought Next clothes, in the sale when necessary and always a year or so ahead. Both my sons have worn the same clothing since and the jeans and fleece jumpers still look good enough to be passed on to other children in time. The clothes are definitely cut better, fit better and are made with better quality cloth. Compare an Asda teeshirt to a Next teeshirt and you will see what I mean. Next seem to be the only one consistant in size as well. Both my son's are tall so Asda Jeans are too short within a couple of months.

gemmaj

Thanks for all the replies, its really reassuring! I guess I thought a baby would be more of an ongoing expense, so its good to find out that with an OS baby (the best kind of course!!) there's not so much to cover after the initial equipment outlay. (until they get older, of course!)

Presuming (worst case scenario) all my baby savings go for the initial stuff (hopefully not since my mother-in-law is desperate for a baby and LOVES car booting :T ) then the budget doesn't look completely hopeless, but still not good.

No double tax credits, but with the mortgage allowance and my tax-free allowance, Chris wouldn't pay any tax - income £1,100 per month.
Mortage £1058 a month.
I calculate that I will need £550 per month to live off, if I don't do anything really radical like sell the car. Might be a bit extra to cover doctors fees and baby clothes - no cheap supermarkets like Asda here. Will have to check whether any cheap websites for baby clothes? Always Ebay and Carboot, though.
I'll have a boost to start with, 10 weeks full pay and 18 weeks maternity grant at £100 per week, then £50 per month family allowance.

Which leaves a £115 per week deficit. I need to look at whether there are any other things I could claim off my government, or how far my savings are going to go after I've bought the necessaries.

Its not as hopeless as I thought, though! :j

Thanks all.

supershopper_3

Another thing, NEVER buy a second hand car seat or mattress. Make sure you buy the best of both that you can afford as the car seat is essential and a good mattress will ensure less back problems later in life.

Oh and save a fortune on toys, just buy cardboard boxes instead. My two fight over the boxes and ignore the toys

debsley_pig

I would advise not getting baby clothes from cheap shops, but getting clothing lots from ebay instead (as someone has already suggested). I have kept my eye on the final selling price (incl. postage) of a few clothing lots for babies recently (am pregnant at the mo!) and most of them work out 50p per item. Sorry, but I don't think you can get that cheap in any shops! A lot of the clothes are better quality as well (Next etc) and some have been barely used/are brand new.

across

my first child only lived in next clothes then by the second one i shopped more at asda and tesco because its harder buying for two! i would disagree that supermarket clothes are that much different for the amount of time they wear them if you are careful and look after them plus it doesnt matter when you pay such a little you can have double the amount of clothes anyway for the price at next and i am a big Next shopper believe me i too live at the next sale but you must not rely on this because you can end up with nothing in the size you want and still end up full price!!!!! i have been lucky at some sales and not got much at others depends on size and items youre after!
i must say that my children still look as cute as ever in tesco and asda as they do in next yes next wash brilliant always look new but then they just go to charity shop looking new in the end too because you cant wear them forever i prefer to spend my money on different priorites now!