Save or splurge

[1PinkLady]

Not sure this is the right section but feel like it could apply to a few areas. I'm pregnant with my first baby and I REALLY want a boujee fancy travel system. Love the Cybex Priam, M&P Occaro and a couple of the new Silver Cross ones too and have the money to get one but I can't shake the feeling that dropping £1000+ on a pram is just stupid when I could get something like the Ickle Bubba for half the price, or even second hand for way cheaper.

How do you decide where is best to save or splurge when it comes to big baby buys (or even big buys in general)

We didn't get fancy baby stuff as I wanted the savings for unpaid maternity leave. I was off for a full year :) If you have the money and really want it, get the fancy pram. You will be using it every day.

Don’t do it! We splurged on baby things and regretted it. We decided to stop at one and she hardly got any use out of her baby stuff, including her travel system.

I would get a quality pram like bugaboo 2nd hand. New car seat, when the time come new stroller/buggy as they tend to be more worn out 2nd hand.

Some babies hate the pram and live in a sling. Will you do a lot of walking or a lot of driving to places etc?

A lot of baby stuff is over priced and doesn't get used, furniture is not suitable long term etc.

I loved my big pram - had a coach built and bugaboo cam both 2nd hand and they got loads of use in the house and out and about as I walked loads and had 3DC.

Pretty much got everything 2nd hand apart from car seats for safety reasons.

I'm glad we got a second hand travel system as baby much prefers the sling anyway and it's not used much. Plus if I was buying it now I'd have gone for a different pram completely - it's taken using one to realise what features are actually useful for us! For me second hand is the way to go for anything apart from things like mattresses or car seats (saying that was given a car seat by someone I very much trust to have looked after it well). Better financially and for the planet. You can then sell on again and a lot of things get used for such a short amount of time!

I have nothing of value to add but just wanted to say that the name Ickle Bubba made me vomit in my mouth.

I find that excessive! But you'll use it every day so it's worth buying one you like. I buy most things second hand but pram was new. We bought a baby jogger (we'll grandparents did). £500 including the pram and bassinet. It s so sturdy and has served us amazingly for 2 years.

If it is inevitably going to be puked on go with save. If it offers better potential for sleep or safety go with splurge.

I think it's worth paying more for a car seat.
Everything else is basically for you - the baby won't care and may not even take to it. Even if they do, think about it as cost per use and whether you think it's worth it.

Unless you have money to burn, you would be better off saving your money to cover the huge dip in disposable cash you're likely to experience in the baby's early years.

Consider your lifestyle and how you will use your pram. Do you need to use public transport? Do you have space to store it? Do you need to go into small shops?

My buggy cost £249 and met all my needs.

Yes, I splurged on a bugaboo and no regrets, it was lush for 2.5 years! And sold it for a fair chunk afterwards too.

I have no regrets getting a more expensive buggy. Lasted both of mine and was used for a 6 year span. I’ve got friends who brought cheaper ones which were fine for child 1 but didn’t last as well for their second or subsequent ones. Looks at reviews for the ones your interested and see what re-sale value is.

Car seats are also worth spending as much as you can afford to get top-rated ones. Unfortunately some of the cheaper models really don’t fare well in testing and the safety reg minimums are far lower than the standards some of the better ones test to.

This. What is suitable for one person might not be for another.

Plus the other consideration is some expensive pram/pushchairs/travel systems have a good resale value so you can always sell it might not necessarily cost you that much more than a less desirable brand or one less well made, so that it's junk when you've finished with it.

But obviously you need to be able to afford to have £££s tied up while you're using it. Look for second hand prices for the brands you mention, and either get one second hand, or buy new with a view to selling it afterwards.

You might even be able to buy a used one that's in 'as new' condition, I know a friend of mine bought and sold a couple of prams before she settled on 'the one'.

Personally I would not spend that much on a buggy.

It depends what you value really, no one can advise you - how are you for cash?!

I got an expensive Silver Cross pram when I had my first - as I don't drive I used it daily in all weathers for four years. It went rusty, got covered in mud, the seat cover which doesn't come off got covered in food stains, the material faded in the sun and the hood had black spots on it from constantly getting wet. Eventually the frame snapped and it went to the tip.

When I had my second I got a pram half the price, everything that happened above happened to the cheap pram except I've only had the cheap two years and it's nearly had it. The better quality Silver Cross lasted twice as long.

In the case of a pram, are you going to have more than one child? How often will you use it? Do you plan to sell it and get some of your money back? I did and it broke before I got the chance.

I also got an expensive high chair and the legs cracked and the seat cushion split but my son sat in it for three years as it was really comfortable. Got the cheap IKEA highchair for my second and he refused to sit in it after he turned two (but that could have happened anyway).

I still regret not getting the bugaboo that I wanted because DH took the piss out of me wanting a pram like Gwyneth Paltrow. Get it.

I splurged and bought my friend's little frog sling off her for £20 and it was the only thing I needed. Getting on bus, no problem, feeding on the go, no problem, cuddles? no problem. no crying, she was there the whole time. Best year of my entire life.

Silver Cross aren't quality anymore

I do agree the name is awful BUT we've had ours 5 years and have used it daily between DD1 and now DD2 and it's still going strong. I think it cost us around £250 and considering babies puke in it/nappies leak/drop crumbs in it when they're older I'm glad I didn't pay more.

I really regret spending £££ on a buggy and overpriced accessories that my child HATED. In fact until we had DC2 it was used so rarely that it looked new. By the time we had DC2 we lived in a city and the large buggy was super inconvenient so was also not used much. Huge waste of money! Wish i bought second hand for a third of the price...

I had a new pram for all of mine. Did get second hand for buggy /off road one for ddog walks.. But that new pram had to be a bargain /sale one!!
Once joined the end of a queue at 3 am post night out (for an early bird sale opening) with a mate and pushed an empty pram home at 9 am still wearing my clubbing outfit!! (Barely pregnant and hadn't drank alcohol!)..