What NOT to buy... save money by not buying useless stuff!

[KingRolo]

Inspired by the fantastic "great big list of products that are cheaper but just as fab versions of their expensive counterparts", here's another money saving thread.

What have you bought that turned out to be absolute bobbins? Come and tell all and help others avoid making the same mistake!

For me:

No7 Protect and Perfect serum - made no discernable difference to my skin.

New Look Hula jeans - just made my muffin top rise several inches.

Birds Eye Seaside Specials frozen fish - boak.

We love our popcorn maker! Better than a pan as you don't need to add any fat, and it looks great as it pops out the funnel.

Very happy with Bumbo, but do think it is expensive for the amount of time you're likely to use it.

Shade-a-babe - maybe just me, but I couldn't see how it really added anything to the existing pushchair hood. Never used it and bought a Rayshade instead which I get on really well with.

Expensive baby cradle swing. I think it will work out at about £1 per minute used...

Thing to stop baby rolling over when sleeping on side - never used!

Miracle blanket - maybe controversial, but we found the swaddleme so much easier to use.

Embroidered purflo sleepsac - I didn't realise they came in plain white for half the price !

Extendable curtain pole - why would I want a pole that changes width part way along?!

Oh no! I also own several embroidered purflo sleeping bags!

Better add that to the list!

(Sniggers uncharitably at PDR, and feels smug that only bought one)

Oh bother, just remembered all the expensive rompers that I bought for DC in size 0-3 thinking he would stay in them for three months, and about four weeks later already some of them had to be retired...

Any cleaning gadgets other than

Microfibre cloths
Broom
Hoover
Dustpan and brush

Especially things that have only one function like wood-floor-polisher-on-a-stick

I have been suckered by Lakeland too many times.

Couldn't do without food processor here though. We'd never eat cake...

Baby bath - used perhaps twice, ever. When too small to use bath alone the sink works just fine

Too many baby clothes - he never wore anything but the babygros and woollies until about 5 months, anyway

Bottle warmer - why train them to only accept hot?

Food processor. Can't make cakes, and everything else it does I can do by hand or with a stick blender anyway.

Dualit toaster. They look very nice but aren't much cop as toasters. Wedding present, but not something I'd ever buy.

Carpet cleaner

Slow cooker

Juicer (not powerful enough to make nice juice)

Expensive face gubbins. Doesn't turn you into Elle McPherson, and middle ranging stuff feels just as nice

Posh knickers. DH would only notice if I stood in front of the football, nobody else ever sees, and they don't perform any actual function, unlike posh bras

Blu-ray. Why? Physical films are on the way out anyway, we'll all move over to online storage at some point, so why shell out for something only marginally better, that will be obsolescent before you can say "betamax"?

BUT

The coffee machine has saved us a fortune in coffee shop costs

The Stokke Xplory is a wonderful thing

DS is the best thing that ever happened to me

• so not all eye-watering expenses are pointless.

Qually, I've got to agree there about the posh knickers, bloody waste of money unless it's your honeymoon .

I agree with most of these

Bumbo - all babies hate these IMO
Slow cooker - I need things quick and fast
Top and tail bowl - waste of time
Baby bath - mine prefered the big bath and much easier
Napper wrapper - dont be lazy and run out to the bin

Dont agree with

Dyson (sooooo much better than any other vacuum)
Quinny Zapp (fab and lightweight)
Disposible wet wipes (my everyday saviour)
Clarks shoes (love them)

Don't get me started on LAKELAND!!!!!!!!!! I need to get myself taken OFF their mailing list!!!!

Love Lakeland! Who doesn't need at least one set of those egg poaching thingummys to gather dust in a drawer?

Tesco Value scales (£3.20) are a full stone and a half out no matter how carefully they are set.

depending which way the stone and a half goes I would call that money well spent!

Never, ever buy presents for children aged over 10.
They will hate anything you choose and never use them.
Always give them money or vouchers.

Any outfits for babies aged less than 6 months... too fiddly and you're endlessly changing them.

BebeConfort Loola pushchair, straps stopped fitting ds when we got to his second winter (he was about 15 months old!) when he was wearing a coat. And ds isn't that big, he's quite skinny really.

I kind of agree with the Bumbo, ds quite liked his, but the time from when he was ready to use it, to the time he was ready to sit up anyway was so short it's not really worth the expense. I borrowed mine so I didn't really worry too much, but I wouldn't really buy one new.

I've found most other things pretty useful, but then I never bought a top and tail bowl or a baby bath I think if you borrow as much as you can from friends and family you don't usually have any regrets. Our bottle steriliser is on it's 6th baby now, and the moses basket has done a similar number as it's handed around my friends' babies.

HeadFairy - I was told on here that with the loola you can get longer straps if you phone them up - I mentioned it next time in mothercare and she said "oh we've got some out the back"

I wonder why the woman that nearly sold me that puschair the week before didn't know that - I only went back and bought it after I discovered about the longer straps!

Definitely agree with the bumbo, thankfully we borrowed one but by the time DS's back was strong enough (around 4 months) his little thighs were too fat to fit in those gaps and he hated it!

Typical chairman... wish I'd known. No one told me either! And I bought mine at Peter Jones, you'd think John Lewis would be on the ball!

We ended up with a P&T sport which considering dc2 is five months away isn't so bad, but it was expensive buying two pushchairs (ok, so I didn't buy the first one, my mum gave it to us as a present!)

Sorry, chairmum

Ok, products I must defend

Dualist Toaster (matches with my Dualit kettle....)

Napper wrapper (still use it and DS is 18 months)

Bumbo- DS realy liked it, didn't buy the silly tray though

Kitchenaid, mixer, food processor and blender (can you ever have enough Kitchenaid...NO!)

Sleepsuits (DS still in them at 18 months, have to say I did buy all the patterned ones but I like them

Bathmat with seat- Again DS still using at 18 months and have found really useful

Sandwich Toaster- In a childish moment bought a Simpons one and love it! Can't beat a cheese toastie

Beaba Babycook- Amazing for making all those baby purees

Widgey Breastfeeding pillow- Before I got this I thought my arm would drop off supporting the DS when feeding, then I used it to help him sit up. Excellent

Angelcare and Tomy Digital Monitor- Angelcare gave me such peace of mind when DS was little and now I use the Tomy digital so I can talk back to him when he's in his room

Right, well they are all the things I want to support but there are 2 things which I would never waste my money on

Sky Lifestyle and Culture package- None of those channels are worth watching- EVER!

Anything custom for a buggy. I just don't see the point in forking out for a strangely patterned hood or a bumper bar cover just go noone else will have it I just don't get it! Plus I think they can look a bit cheap.. but then I don't even see the point in buying different colour fabrics for my Cameleon, such a watse of money so you can have a change now and then.

Bumbo
Top and tail bowl
Cotbed divider
Popcorn maker
Next clothes, especially the underwear, wash it once and no elasticity left
Expensive supermarkt brands as IMO Sainsbury's economy range is FAB

Rampant rabbit, eats batteries,makes far to much noise, unless kids not at home.and makes my underwear draw smell like a kids pencil case

ELC police man helmet with flashing light on top.

All the bloody electronics make it so top-heavy that it keeps falling off kiddo's head.
(What a follow up to rumer's post)

Hooded towels for a baby - have 3 of them, two were gifts - barely covered our 9lb 1oz DS. Just ended up using our "best" towels which had sat in the cupboard for a couple of years without being used as didn't consider any of my house guests worthy!

Just bought a Bumbo on ebay an hour ago - £11.50......not really sure why but DH suggested it and as I pretty much choose everything for DS, didn't want to shoot him down - think he thought it would be useful for our DS to sit in when we visit our families next month and don't want to drag rocking chair/baby gym/swing etc with us.

Good thread. Things I found slightly useless were:

the Bumbo -my DD's thighs were also too fat by the time I remembered I owned one of these.

Walker - apparently can be dangerous and our house is full of different levels so I took ours to the dump.

winter coats for tiny babies who are wrapped up in their pram cosies with a blanket and several cardigans anyway. And hell on earth to get their arms in. Those Marks and Spencers ones are absolutely terrible. Very cute but my DD wore the THREE she was given as presents about once each. However, the brown furry bear suit I bought in Mothercare was amazing when she was in the sling as it guaranteed lots of cooing.

socks for babies under six months. Even the GAP ones didn't stay on. I used tights instead, even under trousers. Same goes for shoes.

nipple shields - why on earth did I buy those?

And the biggest joke of all, the vast numbers of re-usable nappies I bought, only to decide within one nappy change that it was going to be Pampers all the way. Shame on me.

sleeping bags for babies that want to stand up in their cots. I just use warm PJs and a blanket now.

dinky little travel cot that you can carry on public transport. hardly ever used it and have now realised that she can't stand up in it (it does up at the top) so she will be livid when she next goes in it. would have been much more sensible to buy a proper big one.

nursing pillow - I know lots of mothers swear by them, but I didn't really see the point of it.

BUT, great buys were:

the ridiculously over-priced Boots nappy bin. Worth every penny.

play pen - she adores it as it is her own little space.

maclaren buggy - LOVE it and will never use her ginormous transporter system again...at least not with her.

ALL her clothes - you can't have too many little dresses. a joy choosing what she is going to wear every morning.

little pushy truck with bricks in it.

little bath seat - means you can turn your back for a micro-second while you reach for the towel you have inevitably forgotten, and know she won't come to any harm.