Being a parent of two means playing the part of occasional mentor to my soon-to-be-a-parent friends. In fact, no less than 5 of my friends will have welcomed their first child into the world this year and each of them has come to me at some time with questions about how to prepare.
Most often, I’m asked a general question such as, “What’s it like?” or “Were you scared?” Sometimes I’ll be asked something more useful like, “What brand of diapers do you prefer?” But no one has asked me the most important question, “How can I make preparing for baby less expensive?” If one of them were finally ask me this, here’s what I’d tell them to avoid:
Burp Cloths
I was amazed at the things one of my friends put on her baby registry, but the one thing that really caught my eye was a set of 2 “designer” burp cloths for $14. Seriously? $7 for a 27 square inch piece of colored material on which your child will be depositing various bodily fluids? That’s a big waste of money.
Instead of spending that much (or asking other people to by putting it on your registry), consider buying cloth diapers. For $11, you can buy a pack of 12 cotton cloth diapers that will literally last you for years and serve a number of purposes. We bought 36 diapers before our first daughter was born and they’ve seen way more than $30 worth of use. They’ve served as burp cloths, backup diapers, mild day nap blankets, bibs for messy meals, and so much more. Just avoid single-purpose burp cloths altogether and save your money.
Diaper Genie
Diapers stink, but they’re not that bad. You honestly get used to many of the smelly, messy substances your child creates very quickly because you have to. Paying $40 for a glorified garbage pail and then $6 per “refill” of trash bags is quite literally throwing your money away. Before the birth of our first child, we got a second-hand Diaper Champ at a garage sale for $5 and that uses regular kitchen-size trash bags. It doesn’t smell, it locks the diapers away safely, and it’s simple enough to use that my 2-year-old can throw her own diapers away. And since the birth of our second child, we’ve been content to throw (non-stinky) diapers in the covered kitchen trash can rather than take up space in the diaper pail. You just don’t need an expensive setup to dispose of your child’s disposables.
Baby Wipe Warmers
Baby wipe warmers are one of those things that clever marketers came up with to make parents think they’re doing something good for their child. All it does is sit there and waste electricity keeping disposable wet wipes slightly warmer than room temperature until you whip one out to clean up your messy child. This one gets double negative points for wasting your money up-front and wasting electricity (and money) over time. That wet wipe you’re holding is going to be in contact with your child’s skin on average no more than 5 seconds before it is thrown away in favor of a fresh, clean wipe. Do you think it’s going to make a huge difference to your child if it’s 72 degrees or 95?
Name Brand Clothes
Have you ever heard of one infant commenting that her playmate’s clothes are “so last year” and “definitely not designer”? Your kid won’t know the difference between a $2 white onesie and one that costs three times as much because of its “name brand” label – and neither will his playmates. There’s nothing wrong with looking good, but if you’re spending more on your child’s wardrobe than on their future education, you need to get your vanity in check.
Along that same line, you would also be smart to avoid buying new clothes whenever possible. Most children will outgrow their clothes long before they wear them out and money that’s spent on an outfit that will get worn maybe 10 times should be spent wisely. Goodwill and other thrift and consignment stores are a great place to find quality children’s clothes. Your child is going to soil its clothes in every imaginable way – would you rather get a shopping bag full of good clothes for $10 or two brand new shirts for that same price?
Baby Shoes
They may look cute, but baby shoes are a waste. At home, shoes aren’t needed (and should be avoided to aid in baby’s motor skills and development) and when going out, the baby won’t be walking anyway. With the tremendous growth spurts your child will have over its first year, you’ll be lucky if they even scuff their shoes before they outgrow them.
As long as your child is still traveling by a carry-along car seat, they really don’t need shoes anyway. Socks and a blanket should be sufficient for most situations. If you must have shoes for an occasion, I recommend picking up some slip-on booties for under $10. They come in many stylish designs, they are easy to get on the baby’s squirmy 
New Furniture
Your first instinct when setting up your child’s nursery might be to head to your nearest baby-centric store and scope out all the great baby furniture they have. You could easily drop over $1,000 on a crib, changing table, and matching wardrobe or dresser if you were to buy there on the spot. Instead of rushing out and gathering up all the newest and best furniture you can find, take your time and scour garage sales first. We got just about everything we needed to outfit our daughter’s nursery for $150 at a neighbor’s yard sale. You’ll want to have a good eye for safety and double-check for recalled items, but you can easily get everything you need for a fraction of the baby store’s retail price.
That $40 Mobile
Just because a mobile is expensive and looks good to you doesn’t mean your child will like it. We made that mistake with our first daughter. We loved the musical animal mobile we bought her but she wasn’t interested in it. Trying to learn from past mistakes, my wife purchased an new mobile for our second daughter using points she earned through a survey program, but we believe even it wouldn’t have been worth the $20 at retail.
If you’re feeling creative, you can save money and do something loving for your child by building your own baby mobile. That way you can easily and cheaply change it if your child becomes disinterested in the scenes you picked out.
Electronic Toys
Not only do your kids not need some flashy gizmo that talks to them as they play with it, you’ll quickly be searching for its off button to save yourself from its annoying chatter. As soon as your child is able to grasp things, they’ll be more interested in making noises themselves by talking or shaking a rattle. Your child needs to learn how to self-stimulate and not be dependent on artificial, electronic baby sitters. When they’re little, a rattle or two and a pacifier will be sufficient to entertain them. As they grow, blocks, books, and your pots and pans will be their new toys.
Save Your Money for What Matters
There’s no denying that children are expensive, but many new and to-be parents make it way more expensive than it needs to be. Keep things simple and look for bargains where you can. Your children won’t suffer for lack of the “newest and best”.
What else do you think is a waste of money? Do you think I missed something? Am I wrong calling something a waste? Tell me in the comments!
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One thing you want to watch out for is buying too many newborn or young outfits. They will outgrow them very quick. Make sure you have clothes for later on or one day you’ll find yourself with a lot of outgrown, barely worn clothes but you need 6-8 month stuff instead.
And I totally agree on the toys. They don’t need a lot. Too many toys will just cause clutter and they won’t pay much attention to anything in particular. Resist the temptation to buy them everything you see!
Very good. People use to get very excited having a baby and so they buy lots and lots of thing they won’t need anyway.
There’s something i would like to add, for when the baby is already something more than a toddler. People use to buy rooms especially designed for children, with all that fairytale pink, or that little starry beds or anything designers can imagine for anxious parents.
Well, think about it; when your son or your daughter will reach 12, or sometimes earlier, they will start to be ashamed to have that childish bed and they also will grow enough to find those desks quite harmful for their back.
So, i suggest not to spend too much in children’s rooms, and, if possible, choose durable and “adult” furniture for them. My parents did like that, and I first started to sleep in a bed at 4 years, and that bed lasted me till i was 18 and moving. It came with me in my new house, even if now i use a double bed so it’s now a couch. I’m 24. That bed lasts in PERFECT shape from 20 years.
Obviously, that durable and adult furniture is going to cost you more than the children’s, but it’s going to last a lot more…so in the end you will find that you saved lots of money.
Great list. As a mom of 4, I could probably add 20 more things to your list!
We did use a wipe warmer and it wasn’t a waste for us. The changing table was in a really cold room in our old house (seriously 15 degrees less than the rest of the house since it got no sun and we were on a steep hill).
With a winter baby who didn’t like cold wipes it was worth it. I did turn it off at night though.
Awesome tips. A lot of these are just frivolous items you don’t really need. Things like furniture, meanwhile, are necessary – so your points on garage sales are great.
With services like Craig’s List and others, it’s easy to hook up with other parents who are desperately looking to get rid of this stuff, and are willing to sell it to you for cheap. After all, another parent is more likely to understand your situation and won’t try to charge you an arm and a leg.
The trouble is, new mothers don’t want to hear any of this. I can’t even count how many baby bibs we had.
These are fantastic tips.
You want to know the most valuable thing we got as a gift? Diapers that would fit at 6 months old.
We had so many diapers right off the bat (no we didn’t use cloth, might try next time). We almost had too many diapers, because she outgrew them so fast! Great read!
yep i agree,
I would definitely disagree with the wipes warmer. It is tough enough to change a child without getting poop places that the added hassle of a child wiggling or crying from an cold wipe is not needed. I mean we are talking $20 bucks and the thing doesn’t run but probably a few minutes an hour. Getting into a 70 degree pool vs. an 85 degree pool and tell me a few degrees don’t matter.
The rest are pretty good. I would second the shoes big time. Neither of our children touched real shoes until probably a year ro more. Plus since children go our of them so fast, hand me downs are often easy to come buy. Our 3 year old’s favorite sneakers finally wore out after three owners.
Our first child really loved his mobile too, so you can always borrow or test this theory.
This totally makes sense, and when you look in the magazines at the famous new parents showing off their nurseries, the money they spend is such a waste. But I’m sure they think their babies need the “best” and the best “MUST” cost more…..
I absolutely love the way this post challenges the “normal train of thought” new parents usually have and are bombarded with from media and people alike.
I am always urging my wife to “think outside the box”.
I second the different sizes of diapers and clothes. Babies grow so fast at the beginning, it is always good to get clothes and diapers that are a few sizes bigger so that you have something of the next size.
I agree with this post. But I wish I had found this when I was pregnant because I was so confused by the bombardment of products. The main thing I would emphasize would be to get hand me down items & especially clothing, whether it is from someone that you know or where ever. It is definitely the best way to go. Then buy a few other items, special occasion outfits and clothes for the next sizes up when clothes go on sale after the season. Even if you have money to spend, you only use somethings for just a couple of weeks so it is just a waste to go any other way.
Fancy Schmancy potty chairs are a huge waste. Get one that’s comfortable for the child to sit on. We have the 3 in 1 potty. It’s a stool, a potty and you can put the outer ring on big toilet so they don’t fall in. I got it at Walmart for $16. Super useful.
With our first child I looked at an expensive potty as potentially saving money on diapers. The logic being that with an exiting potty – if it saved just 1 week of diapers – then it would pay for itself. lol. Anyway I can’t remember my daughter ever actually using it for the intended purpose.. it just became a glorified play chair that sang a song when she put toys into the bowl.
Excellent advice. I only wish my wife had read it sooner.
Yeah, I had a baby wipe warmer. It was called my HAND. Wipes are very thin (duh), so just hold one in your hand for a second to warm it up and save your money.
I had to laugh about the Diaper Genie. My wife and I were given one when our first child was born. They are nice, but boy after a couple months of putting diapers in there, we could not clean the smell out of it. We eventually used grocery store plastic bags. They are the best.
This post can also help out friends and family looking to buy gifts for new parents. I stopped buying baby clothing and now prepare a weeks worth of food as a gift. There’s nothing like many meals prepared in advance to help a new mom and dad out. ;)
TOTALLY AGREE!
My mothers’ friends have a ridiculous list for their baby showers as if an average person can afford. They asked for stupid and unncessary items like a $60 basket to but baby items in!! $1,000 to $2,000 for a stroller?! I don’t have children and I am not updated on product prices for infants but I thought this was ridiculous. Plus when we went to the shower, giving them a $40 gift, they ignored us the whole time and spoke to her other friends instead; we were bored out of our minds.
I have to agree, I think parents spoil their children all the time with things they do not know what they are or need. Babies do not need so many of those fancy electronic landfilling toys. My sister played with a stuffed rabbit from GAP Kids ever since she was a baby and she still loves it (she’s 13 years old now) Buying all these unneccesary items are only spending in extravegance and making it seem like children are expensive to raise.
Safety comes before price, but just because an item is $800, that does not mean it’s always safe.
Please do not dream to find cotton diapers for a couple of $. I am in Canada and the cheapest ones are 12.50$ the baby store I work . Plus you need a plastic diaper cover (about 10$) .
Great article – I used receiving blankets as burp cloths because I think I was given close to 100 of them from various friends. They had so many uses from rags to using some of the really newer ones to wrap gifts for other moms to be. I even used some as temporary curtains until we moved!
The playtime mat with the hanging mirror and toys was a godsend (used for $20) but the 50$ I wasted on the tummy time spinner at my doctor’s advice was wasted since my son wasn’t happy on his belly until he was able to roll over by himself and no longer felt trapped.
Bottle warmers – if your breastfeeding and use bottles for whatever reason I can understand since breast milk is warm naturally. Formula feeding which I wound up having to resort to does not require bottle warming! This was the best advice from the nurses, talk about saving the hassle for night time feedings or when on the go having a child that would drink his milk at room temperature. He also adapted to cold milk from the fridge with no issues when we stopped the formula much faster than any of the other kids his age that were used to warmed bottles.
However what works great for one family might not work for another, the trick here is to keep an open mind and be willing to try new things and not get caught up by the marketing schemes aimed at new parents to exhort money from us!
Agree with all but the diaper genie!
I loved mine and no matter what, after three kids I never got used to the smell. But yes, DO pick one up at a second-hand store. When I emptied it the first time, I told my wife, “Hey, these look just like sausages!”
Baby Wipe Warmers can be a breading ground for bacteria and mold. Warm, dark and moist – the perfect environment. I have actually seen mold growing inside one of these!!!
In India we do some very interesting things: (at least we used to when I had my baby, who’s now 20 years older).
My baby had just a few ‘new clothes’. All clothes including diapers, the cloth on which he slept, the bib he had were made from old soft cotton cloth which was once a saree or a dhothi. These are unstitched clothes worn by adults. Even the little new knitting I made, I washed and dried.
Cloth should be dried in the sun. Then, the best way to remove bacteria and to make it softer is to iron it once. Baby will be warm; cloth: comfortable.
Encourage all your family to walk barefoot inside the house. Baby will too and the home will be safe for all.
Babies don’t really need cribs or cradles. I think, first few months the baby should be between parents. Keep a rubber sheet, and a cloth on top so s/he doesnt mess the bed.
Hand-me-downs are good for your baby, budget and the earth. You could keep it in the family if your sibling or cousin has had babies, ask for things from them. Wipe them with some dettol or antiseptic and it will be clean enough for your little one too.
with apologies for any typo or other errors to cut things short.
post script: I never used disposable diapers unless I took the baby out visiting or on long overnight journeys. The lesser disposable ones used, the quicker the kid learns to tell you when s/he wants to go. Toilet training happens smoothly
Good list. Stuff still does not equal love. Your child is not going to resent you in their 20’s because they didn’t have Baby Gap socks.
I totally agree with you, we can at times go overboard with our expenses while basking in the glory and pride of being parents. This can lead to financial stress and the key is to strike a balance and use your money judiciously to make the whole process finacially prudent and emotionally fulfilling.
You are so right!
What I would add to the list is anything that has a use life of less than two months. It sounds obvious, but how many people think they need a sitting-helper seat for a baby who will be sitting independently in three weeks? Obviously, people are buying these things… but not only is it ultimately a waste of money, it is also a waste of space.
Great article! Another thing that I have found quite expensive here is baby wipes- I have seen them from rps115 to rps250! I have found a cheaper and better solution to this- buy the Value Plus paper towels (the other one’s are too thin and shred)- often you can get buy one, get one free- so about rps45 per roll. Buy a cylinder shaped storage container. In the bottom of the container put two cups clean water, one tablespoon baby oil and two tablespoons baby shampoo. Shake up the ingredients and add one roll of paper towels with the card board center out (just smash down the paper towels a few times to loosen the center and pull it out). Place the lid on the container and turn upside quickly. Do this a few times then just let is sit an hour or so and these make the BEST baby wipes and there are 150 of them! They smell so good, are very soft and last a long time. You could also use them to wipe baby’s face. Hope this helps someone!
Thumbs down on the Diaper Genie as well. That this smelled like a dead horse, and nothing would remove the stench. Cool idea, and we liked it for a while but it didn’t last long.
With our second we really LIKED the Bumbo Chair. Its a cool form-fitting chair made of foam rubber so babys can sit upright. They love that little baby-prison!
We also liked this little folding booster chair thing I can’t recall the brand name of. It strapped to the seat and had a tray with a clip on cover, so at the restaurant you just cover the disaster and deal with it at home.
Great list! I totally agree with all, especially the wipes warmer! I just held a wipe in a closed fist for a couple of seconds to knock the cold off, and it worked fine.
My mom, on the other hand, was appalled that I didn’t use a wipes warmer……. :)
Def. agree about the toys, too. They only play with things in short bursts, and usually like adult stuff (like tupperware, kleenex boxes, old magazines, etc.) better than toys anyway.
I too wasn’t able to breastfeed my son. I did try to warm his formula for him, but he just didn’t take to it. He preferred having it straight from the fridge. This made it much easier to deal with. I was able to make a batch of bottles for the next day and not have to worry about doing it in the morning, or not have anything for him if we had to go out unexpectedly.
Another thing that came in handy, which has been mentioned was the receiving blankets. Not only are they cheap, they’re versatile! I used them for just about everything and anything. We still have them to this day and my son now age 5 still uses them, but as a “snugly blanket” to cuddle with at night.
Thankfully I wasn’t one of those new mom’s that felt I had to have everything new. The only new thing I had for him was his crib, everything else was second-hand. And even then I didn’t get much for him. What’s the point when for the first few months they’re only going to sleep most of the time anyways.
I love this! During my pregnancy over 6 year ago, my husband left us. I struggled as a single Mom, I made it by on garage sales and hand me downs. I always felt maybe myself and my son were missing out by not having the fancy toys and diaper genie. Mostly I wondered why so many parents were buying these things I never saw the point of them. My kid grew up with a regular garbage can as a diaper pail, pots pans and homemade shakers for toys, and garage sale furniture. He is now happy, healthy, and in kindergarten and reading at second grade level. Really people save your money, the only difference it makes is on your budget!
I totally agree. I am due in a few weeks and was finally pressured into the whole “registering” for gifts thing about two months ago. But when ever someone asked “What do you NEED.” My response was “Nothing really. I intend to breastfeed and I have a carseat. Everything else are just wants.” And every week I go online and remove something fromt the registry because people keep GIVING me things great hand-me-downs. One neighbor recently gave me a giant stack of cloth diapers… so I went back to the registry and removed burp cloths and bibs. She gave me about 5 pair of baby shoes and tons of socks… more removed from my registry. And a giant bag of adorable clothes to last from age 1 1/2 to 2. Then someone else gave me a bag of perfectly good ,used receiving blankets….removed from registry.
My mom has been pressuring me to decorate the nursery but the baby probably won’t sleep in it until she’s at least 6 months old and won’t actually hang out in it until she’s over a year. Other than a place to keep her stuff and maybe naps during the day while I’m on maternity leave and sneaking a little T.V. time. So what’s the hurry?!?!
And she’ll be born right smack in the heat of a Texas summer so all she really needs at this point that she doesn’t have are some cheap onsies and disposable diapers. I have no shame in letting people now that I not only accept and am willing to give hand-me-downs. And I’m sure if I sit still long enough someone will clear their stuff and be glad glad to get rid of some that their baby outgrew to quick. So far accumulated enough disposable diapers to get through the first week that way!!
I agree! When I was preparing I purchased all of my items except for diapers at Thrift Stores. I still do and my kids are 5 & 7.
I saved boat loads of money.
You’re 100% right about that diaper genie. Plus, if it’s summer and you don’t have AC, that thing can stink up a house. I don’t care what they say, it can smell.