Essential items and money wasters...

[Lucy]

The swing thing..........I borrowed one from a gf when lexie came along........it was an utter godsend....they are quite exy new, but well worth it (IMO) if you can borrow one......with 3 under 3 it kept me sane, and Lexie loved it......

[kungfubecca]

Couldn't live without

Hug a Bub around the $100 mark, a crafty person could make one great for putting a fussy bub to sleep.
Bonds wonder suits, they are fantastic and have built in mittens
if using disposables aldi sell really good nappies and are heaps cheaper than huggies.
Big wraps, but they cost so I would suggest (for cool weather) buy a couple of metres of flannel and hem them yourself.
Good Pram, I'd be lost without mine
you need enough sheets for one set on the cot, one in the wash and a spare in case of another change needed.

Not needed
Crazy bath lotions etc
crazy clothes (although i am guilty to a degree)
I didn't buy our bath, but we are hardly using it 'cause it's too heavy for me and DH just has a shower with him.
any clothing that buttons up at the back - whats with that?? whoever designed it clearly has never dressed a newborn


There are heaps of baby shops with second hand bits and pieces you can pick up. There are of course some items, car seats in particular that are better bought new. It's fairly cost effective to hire a capsule from the council for the first few months.
As others said you may have people wanting to buy you gifts and let them buy the silly things, save your money for the things you really want.

Good Luck

[Erin_25]

Not needed

any clothing that buttons up at the back - whats with that?? whoever designed it clearly has never dressed a newborn

Good Luck

Now there's a great point. Ditto to that!! I got given a heap of suits like that & just sold them at a garage sale. They were a nightmare!

[Smoke Jaguar]

MUST:
soft cloth sling (now have an Ergo, but prefer soft cloth for newborn)
lambskin

NOT:
baby bath (was borrowed, but we didn't use it for long before realising the sink or shower was easier and better for our child)
Steriliser - I knew I would BF, but I fell for the hype about expressing equipment only to realise later that hot soapy water is good for breastfeeding equipment!

Never bothered with a cot because we decided on co-sleeping.
Still don't have many toys because outside is more fun and so are the dogs.
No cuddle toys or blankets because he has booby and never developed an attachment to any items.

Really, you can keep it simple, despite what the magazine advertisers would have you believe I also shopped a lot at kids recyclers and bought a few muslin wraps for $1 each (huge ones!), wondersuits, singlets, to counter all the fancier things that we got as gifts.

[Starfish]

I must be really lucky because I can't think of anything that we bought for bub that hasn't turned out to be useful, but here are the top lifesavers:

1) Towels - all varying sizes - Large towels for drying bub after a bath, wrapping bub in (instead of a wrap - so much easier to wipe any dribble or vomit), putting down on the floor to give bub tummy time. Medium towels (or cloth nappies) to lay in bassinette or underneath wherever you're putting bub down (once again, to catch any dribble, vomit, wee, etc and not have to change the sheets). Small towels (I bought a bunch of facecloths) to keep in your nappy bag or handbag and in handy places around the house for any accidents.
2) Sling to carry newborn bub around.
3) Baby Bjorn to carry older bub around.
4) Nappy sacks - so cheap and they really do neutralise the smell of nappies.

Things that are not so useful (fortunately we didn't actually pay for any of these, he he):
1) Nappy bag - we got given a cool looking designer one, and I do use it, but if no one had given it to me, I would have just put all the nappy stuff in one of those cloth green bags - so much easier to access everything you need and a much better size.
2) Change table - our one sits in the oorner of the room. We use the shelves for storage, but change bub on a changing mat on the floor.

[August]

Thinks I've found handy:

Bunny rugs and wraps, you can't have to many. We mostly use a portable change mat with raised sides instead of the change table. Buying second hand where possible (I got a baby bath for $3)and accepting things from friends. We were given sooooo much stuff and it saved us a fortune. Buying things like wipes in bulk. Also for my baby shower I asked for gifts like powder, breastpads, wipes, creams, nappy bucket etc. I was able to be fully stocked up and wont have to buy any of these things for ages.

Things that were wasted:
Only 0000 bonds wondersuits so far. Get 000 as they grow out of 0000 very quickly! Even my 4 week premmie DS grew out of these by 5 weeks old.

[Cricket]

Think about what your baby needs to do: eat, sleep, and be clothed and warm. You can do that quite simply, really.
Keep the outfits simple, as the PP have said. (I loved ones that snapped between the legs all the way down. Very easy for changing.)
Breastfeed, if at all possible.
And don't go crazy on bedding for the crib. Blankets and bumper pads aren't really recommended anyways. A nice set of sheets (I'd recommend not going too cheap here, 'cause otherwise the sides come untucked all the time from crummy elastics!) and a "sleeping bag" are fine. (The sleeping bag things, like grobag, can be made yourself pretty easily. There are patterns available at fabric stores and online.) A couple of stretchy blankets are nice, for bundling a newborn, if you have a cooler weather baby.
Many women love their carriers, but shop around online and second hand. You don't have to buy one new! I just got one myself, and while I was looking at the hug a bub,($110) but I found a very similar one (Moby wrap - $50) for about half the price. You can also make one.
Cloth nappies are money savers (although you might want to have both, since disposables can be easier if you are out.)
For toys - don't worry. You're bound to get lots as gifts, plus babies and young toddlers like to play with "non-toys" just as well. A frozen washcloth is a great teething toy. Pots, pans, and a spoon are great for banging. A jar with some beads (tightly closed!) is a fine rattle. Sing and read to your baby (the library is free!). He'll be just as happy as the baby next door with the designer rattle, and perhaps more so, because your baby has your attention.
Above all else: SHOP SECOND HAND!!! Here in Canada we have some great children's second hand stores, but there are always garage sales, etc. The Parents of Multiples Association here has a big sale twice a year where they get rid of the extra stuff they needed for their twins, triplets, etc, and it's a great place for bargains. Perhaps there is something similar near you.
All the best!