Preparing Your Home for Baby
A baby has specific needs that require a significant financial investment. But with so much baby gear available, it's easy to overspend on these items quickly. The following will help you stay focused on the essentials as you prepare your home for when baby arrives.
Break Up the Big Purchases
Don't rush into buying all the essential big-ticket items, like a car seat, crib, and stroller, all at once. Take your time, do your research, then try to break the buying up over the course of your pregnancy. Remember, friends and relatives may want to help you acquire these potentially expensive items. If that's the case, don't turn down their generosity. Hand-me-downs are always nice when it comes to expensive gear, but take the time to research the items to make sure they meet current safety standards.
Wait on Smaller Purchases
As much as you'll want to stock up on infant clothing, toys, and blankets, it's almost a guarantee that you'll receive lots these things and more after your baby is born. And if you're having a baby shower, you'll probably end up with even more tiny cute things than you'll know what to do with. Keep the receipts for these items, and leave their tags on until you actually use them. Your baby will outgrow things quickly, and you may find that you'll want to return them later for much-needed bigger sizes.
Know What Just Isn't Required
While there are plenty of things you'll really need, like a highchair, car seat, and crib, there is just as much gear available that you'll probably be just fine without:
Crib Sets
Not only are many of these sets outrageously expensive, many come with heavy blankets and pillows that simply aren't safe for an infant to have in a crib while sleeping. Some safety experts also recommend not using crib bumpers, another piece typically found in these sets. It's just as easy to find coordinated separate pieces, like a fitted sheet and dust ruffle, for much less.
More than One Car Seat
Buy one car seat that comes with a detachable base, and then purchase an additional base for each car.
Baby Furniture
The only piece of furniture that really needs to come from a specialized baby furniture store is the crib. Other pieces, like dressers and shelves, can typically be purchased for much less in any furniture store. Second-hand stores and consignment stores are both good resources for nursery furniture, but make sure that any furniture purchased is both sturdy and safe.
Changing Tables
It's easy to find inexpensive, contoured changing pads made to fit on top of a dresser at almost any discount or baby store. You can also purchase a dresser with a changing tabletop so that you'll have much needed storage space along with a convenient place to change your baby. Remember that once your baby becomes mobile, changing tables become obsolete.
Jogging Strollers
Unless you and your partner are already committed runners, this may not be a smart investment, especially in the beginning. Small infants should not be placed in most of these strollers, in any case, so you'll have some time to find one after your baby arrives if you decide you really can't do without.
Be Open to Donations
If you haven't experienced this already, just wait. Most friends and relatives with small children will be overjoyed to pass on baby clothes, toys, and even more expensive gear as soon as they find out that you and your partner are expecting. So don't turn down these offers, even if you aren't exactly sure what you'll need just yet. Sort through what you're given, wash what you want, and pass what you don't need to someone else. This will give other people a chance to help you out, and will also give you immeasurable savings in money and time.
Shop Consignment and Secondhand Stores (Cautiously)
When you consider how quickly children grow out of early childhood, it isn't surprising that these shops, especially the good ones, will often offer barely used, high-quality clothes, toys, and gear at a fraction of their original prices. Be cautious when it comes to buying used toys and gear, however, especially when it comes to car seats and cribs. Always check with the Consumer Products Safety Commission to see if they meet basic safety standards before you buy. With car seats, always check for hairline cracks. Your safest best is probably to accept used car seats only from someone you know and trust (who can vouch that the car seat hasn't been damaged in an accident).
