Budgeting for baby

[ByGreenBiscuit]

Wondered if you had any advice on whether I have gone overboard here, particularly on clothes - I admit I got overexcited on Vinted. I earn a decent amount but am really feeling the pinch at the mo with all these extra costs, so wondering about returning the clothes I've bought new. I'm a first time mum, so it's all new to me!

Clothes - total of £384
Have bought the following (leaving some gaps for people buying me stuff and hand me downs - I need to collect these, so not sure what I'm getting, I will know more on Sunday):

• pretty much all clothes up to 3 months
• a decent amount of 3-6 month
• a smattering of higher ages

This includes £200 on Vinted, and a £100 shop in M+S, then sales shopping at White Company. I know the M+S haul was naughty but I LOVE the designs.

Other bits - £596 spent
I've been gifted a cot, a bath, books,a moses basket.

Have bought bits around the side like thermometer, white noise machine, fitted sheets, 3 x bottles, feeding pillow(secondhand), towels, sleeping bags (secondhand), muslin sheets, etc. Got some nappies and bum cream, nipple cream, spritz for bits stuff, changing bag, sling, changing mat and liners etc.

I also bought a Tripp trapp high chair with newborn holder which was expensive new but same cost as secondhand pretty much (this was £280 so the brings costs up here a lot).

Room furniture and decor - £270

Includes wall paint, curtains, lamp, bookshelves, few other small bits.

To buy

• Still to buy a pram - that will probably be secondhand, or I might get one for free.
• I might also get a car seat for free.
• And I will probs need some breastfeeding paraphrenalia but going to see how it goes first.
• a bouncer (probs secondhand, £50 at most) - do I def need one?
• playmat (hopefully will be gifted as on amazon wishlist)

Total spent so far - £1,250. Have I gone massively over the top? How much did you spend?

yes this is why I bought the Tripp trapp and new born bit - she should be able to sit with us at the table if she wants to; or watch me cook!

which bouncer would you recommend?

Thank you :) I will take this green light from a nice stranger from the internet and go forth!

I loved the babybjorn bouncer. We bought new as I couldn’t get secondhand where I live and it was worth every penny. So lightweight and it folded flat to carry or store ( ie ours lived behind door when not in use). I would carry it flat and Ds in other hand to use in garden, in bathroom whilst I got ready, in kitchen etc

We didn't buy much and were glad we didn't. My 'small' baby was actually 9lb 2oz and in 3-6 month clothes at 5 weeks old. It's a fine line between getting enough and having too much.

£200 on vinted at £2 ish average price is 100 pieces of clothes. Even with a couple outfit changes your baby will barely have chance to wear each thing once 🤣

Thank you, there seem to be quite a lot secondhand I can have access to I will go for that. I live in a small house so definitely need one that folds flat!

Lol I know!! No more clothes buying for me 😂(that number includes hats, socks, mittens too but let's not pretend they make up the bulk of it....!)

I mean it's more than I'd buy but you can resell all these things on vinted or marketplace, when no longer needed so you do you! Congratulations!

Definitely buy a new car seat. If you get an infant one with the pram that's greay for first off (I'd have a look at prams as you may like a particular one rather than have a used one). But further down the line I'd invest in a spin one that you won't destroy your back trying to strap them in.

Clothes wise, they pretty much live in onesies until they're older.

Good luck OP.

You have to remember as well temperament will come into it. My baby HATES wearing hats (was already pulling it off still at hospital and has not worn a hat since at 14 months), could remove mittens very early on, socks the same. Still never wears them.

The only things we bought new were car seat and base and mattresses for cot and Moses basket. We did buy 5 babygrows new. The little bugger was so long he didn’t fit in to them despite being size up to 1 month!

We were lucky that a sibling gifted us their pram and a friend their cot. Not that my child will sleep in a cot! We also got bouncers etc handed on. It was the only benefit to taking over 7 years to conceive and our friends etc being done having babies.

Our local area has a hand me on baby, toddler and maternity page and it has been a god send. Have got clothes, toys etc from there. Might be worth a look to see if your area has one of those.

Congratulations on your pregnancy, do what feels right for you spending wise.

I got the first car seat from a friend too. Her DD was 9 months older and massive for her age so was getting rid to move up to the next stage exactly as mine was due so it worked really well and I know she was 100% trustworthy on it not being in a crash or anything, especially as her DD was using it right up until the day she gave it to me. In that sort of scenario I don’t think you need to buy new. It’s not like you’re trusting the word of a total stranger trying to make money on marketplace.

IDK about the white noise machine. If they’ll sleep without one going definitely don’t start using one as then they’ll struggle to sleep without it. Personally that would be a return for me and I’d reorder next day if sleep is a struggle and it’s something you’d like try.

Did I see dummies on your list? The one that came free with my mam bottles was an absolute lifesaver!

Get the baby bjorn bouncer.

I would go with a new pram. I got 7 years out of my yoyo before the wheels went dodgy by which point my youngest was 3.5 so got rid. Second hand would have been a false economy as I don’t think it would have gone the distance.

Def chill it on the clothes. So hard to know what brands will be a good fit and what size they’ll be in and when. There’s always a sale somewhere and with next day delivery available you don’t need to stock up as much as you think.

Exciting though isn’t it?!

Before you pay £1500 for a pram make sure you try out loads, John Lewis is good for this, think about weight,foldability, home storage, getting up and down kerbs, folding and lifting to get in a car . It’s not all about cup holders!

Be careful with buying too much clothing in advance as you don't necessarily know how fast/slow growing they will be and you might find you don't have the right clothes for the season!
My daughter was slow growing. In first size/upto 1 month clothes until 8-10weeks depending on brand then in 0-3months until over 5 months. She was bought some cute summer dresses in the age she would be in the summer. I was gutted that she was 2 sizes smaller than them. Thankfully she was so slow growing she fitted into them a year later! She's 4.5 now in 2-3 clothes but still fits into some 18-24 month clothes!!
I also found I hated sleep suits with an absolute passion. If I have a second I'm going straight for pjs!
We bought nearly everything second hand but bought a new car seat and cloth nappies - muslins and wraps. From the start of pregnancy to her first birthday we spent £1000 in total including pregnancy and breastfeeding things for me.

For us the baby bath from john Lewis was out best buy and she used up to being 3 and a half year! We didn't buy a baby monitor until she was 2 by which point we just went with the super basic audio only one from Argos. My tip to all prospective parents is to buy nothing until you realise you need it!

I shudder to think how much I spent on my first. Ways I did save or wasted money I could have save:

brought luxury pram second hand on Ebay; it's still going for my second a decade later, 6 years of use for us, who knows how much for previous owner, needed a small amount of new accessories it didn't come with (some got second hand on eBay) and a couple of replacement parts (easy to get from manufacturer - Bugaboo - even though they no longer make the pram) over the years

didn't buy a baby bath or seat, just lay baby in the big bath

didn't have a changing unit, used normal furniture for clothing and changed on mat on the floor - safer too

no nursing chair, they only fit tiny babies, used Ikea chair and cushion, feeding pillow was useful though

I bought dummies, bottles, steriliser and an expensive double pump for babies who refused all bottles, never had dummies and although I had an oversupply with my first I never managed to pump much, could have save a lot of money not bothering with any of that. All I needed was a feeding pillow, muslins, and nipple cream and breast pads for early days. All the rest can be purchased after the birth as required.

I was bought a lot of size 3-6 month clothes as gifts so could have just bought a few items after I know what had been gifted.

I bought a sling I didn't get on with (ring sling). I could have borrowed from a sling library and decide which to buy (I preferred a stretchy wrap then a more structured, buckled carrier like an Ergo original from 6 months).

We used the cheap Ikea highchair but the Tripp Trap looks lovely.

I am going to go totally against the grain here and say - if you can afford to do so - go all out! You’ve waited for this baby and thought it would never happen, enjoy preparing for your new little person and buy all the things that make you happy. You may never get to do it again so treasure it!

I agree!! Buy the pram.

Controversially I would lost without my changing unit

We have budgeted £1500 for baby.
This doesn't have to include a pram as I still have my trusted bugaboo. But we do need a replacement car seat that fits it.

We have budgeted £350 for that
£150 for next to me crib
£200 for cot and mattress
£170 for swing.

Which leaves around £600 for everything else. But we have chosen what we would like. And now intend to purchase as much as we can on offer.

I haven't included clothes etc in the budget as after 4 children already I learnt not to in my family. As we end up being gift enough clothes for the first year.

What swing are you getting for that price?????

Will need to buy the cot because our son is autistic and he needs to see the things up and in their places to be able to adjust to changes such as baby going into a particular room.

Swing wise we want the mamaroo again. The price is us getting it with my discount as it's actually £250. We have had the same swing with all 3 older children.

I was just silly enough to get rid of all baby bits last year 🤦🏼‍♀️

Never heard of a mama roo! Will take a look on Vinted!

It's a 4moms mamaroo.

Mine was 10 years old when we gave it away and was still working like it did when we first got it.

With my older ones I had an expensive play mat which they all used. I'd say that was a waste of money for us. So will definitely get something cheaper this time around.

We don't bother with nursery furniture. We buy a full size drawers and wardrobe. Which lasts a lot longer. I previously used same cot bed with all 3. But for us this time for us it's pointless as we have always swapped to single beds at 18-24 months. So will buy a cot this time.

@ByGreenBiscuit its all for your very much wanted and hoped for baby! Honestly we spent way more than that. Not on clothes, got all the newborn bits from vinted (also check out asdas clothing range - absolutely adorable and way more affordable than M&S) but on stuff like pram and bedroom set etc. We could have probably (definitely) spent less and gone second hand, but we didn’t have to, so we didn’t. And I don’t regret it for a second. My baby is the most precious thing in the world to me and I spent all the money I wanted to on her before she arrived - and have done the same since 🤣. Congratulations on your pregnancy ❤️