I know, it’s exciting, your first baby and you literally want to have everything. You have never had to deal with this before, and the stores literally make it seem like you have to spend thousands of dollars before the baby is born, and we’re not even counting hospital bills, especially if you don’t have insurance. However, there are a few things that you can take off your shopping lists, and I’m not just talking about baby tiaras.
1. A Designer Nursery
Unless you’re J-Lo, can you really afford to do a designer nursery once, let alone for future babies? After all, while the first baby is definitely more exciting, your kids will have every right to resent you for not giving them the same perks. The truth is that you don’t need to have personalized monograms on everything, you don’t need Tommy Hilfiger or any of the other designers. Just go to Target or even Walmart.
2. Bedding
As cute as they may be and as basic as bedding may seem, bedding is actually completely unnecessary. Bedding can cost up to $200 if not more, and bumpers, matching quilts, and other added perks are actually choking and suffocation hazards. Just get a tight fitting sheet which will probably run you about $20 to $30.
3. Changing Tables
I wouldn’t recommend changing your baby on the kitchen table, because food…baby diapers….no. However, you don’t need a specialized changing table to change a diaper for a few months or however long it takes to get the baby potty trained. A cheap card table or frankly speaking just about any normal tablet hat you might already have suffices just fine.
4. Bassinet
Every movie and every movie star has a bassinet, but you can literally use a bassinet for all of a few months….total, and they cost thousands of dollars. Yes, bassinets are attractive, but are you really getting the bang for your buck? No. Playpens are much more useful for longer periods of time, and playpens cost a fraction of that.
5. Designer Newborn Clothing
Scratch that. You don’t need designer baby clothing in general. They literally grow out of every size in most cases in a matter of weeks, and you spent $40 on what? Newborns, babies, and toddlers all get dirty fast, grow out of clothes fast, and don’t need designer clothing.
6. Video Monitor
You may lay awake at night listening for your baby’s cry, or you may be half asleep ready to wake up at any moment. However, chances are you aren’t going to sit there all night watching the dark picture you get or sit there watching the video when you are supposed to be talking to friends or family. A basic monitor costs a lot less, and it is not lacking in what you need.
7. A wipe warmer
I actually thought that this was a joke when I first saw it, but there is such thing as a wipe warmer…..babies have survived just fine for years with room temperature wipes on their bottoms. Enough said.
8. A Diaper Genie
There are plenty of people who say that the diaper genie has saved their life. Whatever happened to just wrapping up a diaper and walking a few feet out to the garbage can? It’s a $40 diaper pail that has “specialized” bags that cost you even more over time. A set of just 3 refill bags costs $19.99. Really? Diapers aren’t that toxic, and it’s a few feet to get outside!