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Original poster

When you had a new baby, what was your biggest waste of money?

77 replies

liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 09:10

Don't know if this has been done before but can't find a thread if it has. I'm curious to know because I just seem to be tipping money down the mothercare drain and want to feel I'm not alone! Also that this thread may be useful for some mums-to-be...

Mine was a crib that I used ONCE!
Also wish I'd not bothered buying a travel system because it was too heavy, a baby bath, and the cute litte hooded towel that was so thin it didn't dry. Along with blankets because I ended up using a gro bag, the baby bjorn because couldn't get DS's legs over the top to get him in....

I could go on (and on and on) but more interested in what MN wisdom will tell me

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USELESSMUM · 19/08/2006 10:41

1.travel bag for the pram, for plane journeys. what a stupid idea... why checking in the pram if you need to carry DD around the terminal?
we never even opened the box but managed to sell it on ebay for same money.

dunno, maybe it was useful for someone, please explain how though...

2.baby walker. dd went once and hated it. she much rather walk holding on the DM and giving her perennial back ache...

3.millions of toys.

although I bought, and still buying loads, I am glad for friend to pass on clothes and toys... DH does not want anything second hand for his beautiful princess so I lie...is it bad??

Original poster
liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 10:45

not at all! though I've 'stretched the truth' in the other direction! my DH can't stand spending any more than he has to on anything! Partly why I get such a hard time about 'the amount of moey we've wasted on that baby!'

OP posts:
babyonboard · 19/08/2006 10:47

One thing we've bought loads of, and are not sorry for, is books, he's set for books until he's a teen the way we are going and he's only 8 months..lol.. DP is a literature fanatic so is very keen..
But why are baby books so exepnsive? £5 for a 6 page cardboard picture book!? pah!

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USELESSMUM · 19/08/2006 10:54

it is the opposite for us. I've never been stingy, the opposite if nothing else, but since with DH I am forced to. DH would always but the most expensive of anything, even when it's obviously not worth it or can't or shouldn't. I admit since having DD I'm a bit more careful, can't spend all my salary on several pairs of boots, I'm thinking about university etc. But also I can see the money literally running away...
I don't want to be a scrooge, but shouldn't we start being responsible? DH very responsible and in control of finance at work... very useless at home. He never checks bank account etc
I become such a nag sometime at weekends... 'do your expenses' 'call the bank' 'pay your cc'...

footprint · 19/08/2006 10:57

My biggest waste was the Moses basket and all the bedding with it - dd slept in it about twice, but I wanted her in bed with me and we've co-slept ever since (never had to buy a cot though!)

Also forked out for an Avent breastpump and accessories - never ever used it once!

Original poster
liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 11:00

Think of all the money we can make on ebay selling this stuff to the next generation of naive first timers! (ooh, is that just a bit mean and voyeuristic of me?)

OP posts:
USELESSMUM · 19/08/2006 11:01

babyon board, I am a literaure freak too and when I was pregnant I could not stop buying children books from charity shop for DD.
didn't care about nursery and clothes (did nursery 2 days before she was born), bought clothes AFTER she was born. so useless, we did not have anything usefull in the hospital bag. DH had to go out and buy babygro, pads, hat etc (came back with half mothercare...)
but never mind, at only 7 hours old she had that most important full stocked library!!! ...useless...

footprint · 19/08/2006 11:04

I didn't buy books for dd, BUT I was really worried about buying TOYS for her!! Thinking they were all important for her development....from day one!

crunchie · 19/08/2006 11:43

I was lucky in a way with DD1, she was very premature, so all I had when she was born was one babygrow!! I had planned a massive shop though

This meant we bought things when she needed them. I did use a baby bath for ages, it went over the bath, but she was so little it worked for us, dd2 used it once!!

DH made a changing station, which Iloved, I prefered changing babies upstairs, where everything was to hand, rather than all over the house!!

I loved my nappy disposal unit for the same reason, stopped her room smelling!

However I didn't buy loads of clothes/toys/nappy wipe warmers/towels/etc

In fact the biggest waste of money was shampoo/baby bath - didn't use it for years!!

Original poster
liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 11:59

Anyone's baby actually use a wrist rattle?

OP posts:
jabberwocky · 19/08/2006 12:13

Not mine, nor those little socks with the rattles things on them.

HarpsichordCarrier · 19/08/2006 12:16

I am a bit stingy and don't really buy much but I did buy one of those nappy wrapping bins and then was too cheap to buy the refill cartridge for £5.99 every time.

Callisto · 19/08/2006 12:53

Bouncy chair which dd hated. But I was lucky to get loads of hand me downs from sis in law so spent very little on new stuff.

As an aside I loved the baby bath we had - used it every day until she could sit up on her own but it was like a reclined chair in the bath.

jabberwocky · 19/08/2006 13:08

Uh-oh, ds loved his bouncy chair. I even had two so I didn't have to haul one upstairs. What am I going to do if the new one hates it?

Original poster
liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 13:35

Well thank you all! I'm not feeling quite so alone now! I think we definitely have a winner though - babyonboard's 'baby wipe warmer'! I'd never have known it even existed if we didn't have this thread, MN is great!

OP posts:
SewingMadMummy · 19/08/2006 13:48

Tie on bibs. Had about a hundred, never used them. Had half a dozen pop over ones and stuck with them....

Callisto · 19/08/2006 14:07

Oh yes, tie on bibs. I have to have velcro fasteners for my dd otherwise she tries to garrotte herself.

maretta · 19/08/2006 14:11

The nappy wrapper bin and a baby travel system.

Pinotmum · 19/08/2006 14:17

A graco battery operated swinging chair. Everyone told me they were a god send; but not for my children who just screamed louder to get out.

MuddyMum · 19/08/2006 14:22

Bottle Warmer
Breast pump
Blankets (used GroBags)
Change Bag that matched the travelsystem (I hated that travel system)
Front-loading baby sling thing (if you weren't stressed before, you were after)
Bumbo (Ds was out of it after 5 sittings)

footprint · 19/08/2006 14:25

This thread has reminded me of my dd's first 3 months - we were living in the Algarve at the time and she was born in May. I had the English summer in mind and bought lots of warm clothes!! Soon after she was born the temps rocketed to 44 degrees and she spent the most of the time in only a nappy and a vest to go out! So I now own lots of unworn baby gros etc, hoping for another baby so I can get some use out of them!

Original poster
liquidclocks · 19/08/2006 14:56

What is it with travel systems that we all seem to think they'll be fab then can't wait till LO reaches 3 months and we can buy a maclaren instead?!

OP posts:
Waswondering · 19/08/2006 21:46

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

expatinscotland · 19/08/2006 21:48

Takeaways.

LadyTophamHatt · 19/08/2006 21:51

Bottle warmer.

I totally useless waste of plastic and electricity to run it.

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