$5000!? How much did you spend?

[Devon]

Hi everyone

I've just been using MelA's very helpful thread to start putting together a list of all the things we need to buy and approximate prices.

I was shocked to discover that the total so far is just over $5000 (not including maternity-related stuff), although I'm sure we will get some things as gifts and may be lent some things as well. But I'm also sure there are items I have left off the list, or have underestimated the price for.

I'm wondering how much other people have spent on buying the necessary equipment for a first baby. Do you know how much you spent? Has anyone drawn up a budget? If you'd be happy to share, I'd love to get an idea of how much other people think they've spent.

If only the baby bonus was still paid as a lump sum!!

Thanks!

Devon
xxxx

[Liz]

hmm... Some of these we were given, so didn't come out of our pocket.. but I guess these round figures will give me an idea:

Cot & mattress: $400
Drawers: $500 (gift)
Change Table: $150 (hand-me-down)
Nappy buckets: $30
Cloth Nappies: $500
Clothes: $150 (wild guess at what a few jumpsuits & outfits might add up to LOL)
Cot sheets & blanket: $100 (were given a few)
Pram: $500 (gift)
Car Seat: $500

Can't think of anything else?

For bub #2, all I did was get a different bassinet thing that attaches to our bed.. but then she will move into the existing cot.

OK.. so total for first bub: $2830

what are you planning to buy? have I missed anything? I thought mine was gonna be big coz I included the initial expense of the cloth nappies!

ETA: baby monitor: $120
Hugabub: $120

Total now $3070

Bought no toiletries or anything. Got free hairbrush & nailclippers etc with the baby monitor LOL.

[~breeze~]

I'm sure I didnt spend $5000. My most expensive item would have to have been my pram, an Emmaljunga which was $1200 on special. Car seat was safe n sound meridian, about $600? Capsule about $200? We used DH's old cot that has gone down through his family (almost 50 years now) so I didnt have to worry about buying that. Everything else was small purchases as far as I can remember LOL
So maybe all up we spent about $2500-$3000??

If only the baby bonus was still paid as a lump sum!!

Isn't it paid as a lump sum anymore? I never knew this!

[~clover~]

Isn't it paid as a lump sum anymore? Or are you under 18? I think it is unless you are under 18.

Even if it is a lump sum it doesn't come til bubs is a few weeks old. You need stuff well before then.
What have you got on your list? I'm sure you won't need everything. The only way I can see it adding up to that much is if you have the most expensive things.

I just got a cotbed for $400. It was down from $599, but still not too much. You can get cots alot cheaper.
Car seat was $220. 0-4.
Pram was $250. Big W
They are the basic big things. You don't need a cradle/bassinette.
You don't really need a porta cot. Not straight away anyway.
Instead of a steriliser you can boil things, or use milton tablets.
Don't buy too many clothes. They grow out of them fast.
You don't really need a baby bath. If you do, get one on a stand with a hose.
Sling/carriers are a good idea.
You could get drawers, cupboards etc second hand & repaint them.
My rocker cost $50 down from $100.
I've never had a change table.
Sheets & blankets are good prices at Big W too.
So are their mat bra's & clothes.

You still have heaps of time. Wait for sales. Shop around. If you still think you need to spend that much, concentrate on one thing at a time so you can spread the money out.
HTH you reduce it a bit.

[sushee]

Yeah I'd say I spent about $5k. That was a Bertini pram, First Wheels stroller, solid wood chest of drawers (with a change table top), cot, cradle, car seat, capsule, glider chair for late night BFs, high chair, sling, baby clothes, sleeping bags and manchester. Maternity-related stuff is not included.

[Liz]

Aah yes, rocking chair, high chair..

I guess it does add up! I'm up to about $3500 now. LOL.

[The[cookie]Doctor]

It's no longer called the baby bonus, it is maternity payment, it will be paid in installment for everybody as of Jan 2009 and if you and your partner have a combined income of 75,000 in the six months after bub is born you will not be eligible to recieve it. Have a look in the finances sections there was quite a bit of debate about it around the time the new budget was handed down in government.

Cot & Mattress $200
Pram (the first one) $100
Pram (the second one) $100
Rocker $40
Playmat $30
Bouncer Toy $100
Carseat $150
Highchair $120
Jolly Jumper $40
Clothes $150
Cloth Nappies $700

Everything else we got second hand.
Personally I think it is such a large waste of resources and money to buy everything new. Of course it is essential to get some of it, otherwise it take some of the fun out of what can other wise be a dull pregnancy (mine was!). I was given so much stuff and am so thankful I didn't buy toys or clothes or blankets or sheets, because I STILL have too much now.
As for prams and carseats, well I know you cant put a price on safety but at the time we didnt have a car so we got a suitable one that could go in other peoples cars when necessary. As for the pram, I really cannot justify spending that kind of money. I have a $100 pram which will be a suitable stroller until at least 2 years of age. When DS was a newborn I used it with a Kapoochi bag, which was perfect. It's light and easy to use.

[Isadora]

I would say all up you could easily spend $5000. My advice to you is dont bother with the baby bath, just use the kitchen sink. Our baby bath has hardly been used.

[sushee]

I had no one to hand anything down to me, unfortunately, and my DH will not buy second hand from someone he doesn't know (don't ask!). My sister had had a baby, but she was only 11 months old when Charlie was born. I got some clothes from her, but they were virtually all pink.

I did on-sell a lot of stuff after we stopped using them, and as they were in great condition, got good prices for them. In fact I sold my capsule at auction for only about $20 less than I paid for it new.

[TheBear]

Big ticket items:-
Hammock and bedding - $350 - Amby
Stroller - $400 - Mclaren
Baby Capsule - $230 (ebay) Sns Unity
Change Table - $40 (bunnings)
Baby Bouncer - $40

Lots of smaller things, but still less than $1500

[JordieC]

I have no idea to be honest so I'm going to try and remember and have a guess!!

Pram: $400 - lucky us mum and dad paid for this!
Cot: $500 ish with mattress
Bath: (mum bought this too) - $60
Change Table: $350 (on special at Baby Bunting) it's a set of drawers with table on top and I LOVE IT!!!!!!!
Nappy Bin: $100 - we LOVE this
Car Seat: $300
Other stuff - GOD KNOWS!! Maybe $500 worth of clothes, blankets and just stuff!!!

We put $1000 in DD's bank account from baby bonus and rest went to above and maternity costs.

[MissWingBat]

Devon,
It is certainly amazing when you write down how much you spent on 'things' for the baby. From the other end of the scale, we did a $600 layby at Kmart for Cot, Car Seat and HighChair. Everything else, we were given, and whatever else we needed, we got from garage sales.
Baby rockers, porta cots all were under $20. We got our last baby-walker from the markets for $8. Our pram cost $8 from the Salvos, it is a nice (new) umbrella stroller.
I know that some parents have the ability to spend alot of money getting the things they really really desire, but we had our first bub before these payments came in. And when I think back now, at how much of the 'brand' new stuff went un-used for months, even never used, and if I could do it again, here is what I would do:
- Not buy a high-chair until they are 6 months or even older
- Not buy a vibrating rocker capsule thing - my bub grew out of it in 2 weeks
- Ask everyone to buy 'bigger' clothes - size 1 or 0. The amount of brand new 000's and 0000's we are still left with after 5 years...
- Never buy a jolly jumper if this ISN'T YOUR FIRST CHILD. The other children will try to use it as a bungee (with the baby inside!!)
- If people are getting you gifts, ask for things like nappies, and baby-wipes, instead of 'soft toys', toys, and weird vibrating rocker caspsule things. The nappies and stuff is going to be the stuff you'll need every week.
- If had been given a lump sum, I would set aside AT LEAST $60 a week in my shopping budget - because you stand at the start of the baby aisle, and that's how much it's gonna cost...

The best best best thing I have ever received in ALL my pregnancies, and that I will always remember were:
- My mum went halves with us in a brand new, huge, washing machine. It really is more worthwhile than 10x frilly dresses. It really helped with the added washing loads when bub came.
- My Sister In Law bought me about 6 months supply of wipes, nappies, baby bath, talc. It was so handy, and everytime I used any of it, it really made me smile. And it really saved us SOOO much money.

[amberj]

All up we spent about $850. I am total budget queen! We got just about everything second hand, a lot of it off ebay. A lot of people aren't comfortable with the idea of getting things for their baby second hand and that's fine, but if you are at all happy with it, I strongly recommend it- all the stuff we got is in really good condition and is safe and clean and nice. It was a LOT of running around picking stuff up, but way worth it. And I had fun!!

[~Trish~]

OK, we are a bit "tight" and managed to spend only a few hundred dollars with DS1 and maybe an extra hundred or so on DS2!

We bought most of our things second hand (at baby markets, garage sales, second hand stores, etc). We were fussy about what we bought and it had to be in great condition, but we saved an absolute fortune. I ended up starting a pre-loved baby goods business out of my passion to find ways to save money and also help the environment by recycling perfectly good baby items (this is not advertising for my business BTW LOL).

Look on eBay too, if you keep your eyes peeled long enough you can pick up some great bargains!

[MrsB26]

Good Lord! i hope it doesnt come to $5000

Havent bought our nursery stuff yet but we do plan to spend more on a new pram, car seat and cot as this is our first child and we would like the things we will use more to be new iykwim?
I also have started to buy cloth nappies but have estimated the cost of these to be around $700. Most other items like bassinet, bath, rocking chair, change table, capsule, bouncer, clothes etc will be handed down through to me from the family and things like linen and smaller items i will more than likely get at my baby shower or be given to me as gifts from family and friends.

[satya]

There is absolutely no need to spend anywhere near that kind of money unless you are concerned about buying everything new & everything with a flashy brand.

We've done it for around $1000.

Buy at stores like Target, Kmart & Big W & you will save heaps. Aldi also has baby things from time to time so watch out for their catalogues, they are by far the cheapest for nappies. Don't buy anything unless it's on sale. The chain stores have heaps of big baby sales with huge discounts.

Accept everything you get offered that's second hand & free. If you decide you don't want it you can pass it on to one of the grandparents to use. That's what we did. I was anti second hand clothes at first but then realised that most of them either hadn't been used or had been used once or twice and were like new - babies just grow so quick.

Cot - $189 - 50% off at Target.
Cot & cradle sheets & blankets $50.
Mattress - haven't bought yet but will be under $100.
Cradle - gift but was on sale at Target for $99 - one of those nice frilly ones 50% off again.
Change table/drawers/bath - second hand gift.
Clothes for bub $100 - body suits and singlets only as we got heaps of gifts.
Maternity clothes:
Big W mat jeans - $30
Kmart mat jeans $39
Big W mat tops 2 x $16 & 1 x $20
K Mart stetchy non mat tops 2 x $15 & one mat top $25
Mat bras from Big W $60 (3) & one from KMart $20.
The rest of my wardrobe fit through most of my pregnancy.
Pram - $80 at Kmart - Mothers choice shopping stroller - 50% off sale. Made by IGC who are experts in prams & car seats.
High chair - 2nd hand free.
Capsule - $100 from Big W when on sale - Zuzu - made by IGC who make most of the capsules available in Australia - perfectly safe but without all the bells and whistles. It was the only 100% Australian made capsule on the market when we bought it. These are available at Big W right now for around $120 - I saw them yesterday. We only had to add a thing to cushion bubs head when he was a newborn & it cost $20.
Sleeping bags - 1 x $10 1 x $3 (second hand like new).
Bottles & dummies etc under $100.
Fisher price rainforest bouncer thing $50 second hand (around $180 new).
Nappy bag $30 from Kmart.
Bottle bag $10 from Kmart.

Remember that you will get heaps of clothing, wraps, toys, bibs & blankets as gifts so you only need to have enough for hospital. My mother & MIL were constantly giving us gifts throughout the pregnancy so to be honest we wouldn't have even needed to buy any baby clothing.

[kristy J]

gosh we had twins got just over $8k and its all gone

all our baby stuff was just over the $4k and the rest was CC payments.
our basics were:

cradle $300
matress $60
pram $1400 (its a tripple with DS1 it cost $400)
room decos $200
clothing $200
car seat $499
rocking chair $300
change table $150
high chair got a crappy one for $200 but then got an awsome one for $30 one from ikea.
bottles, bibs, blankets, dummies, sheets, cloth and sposie nappies, etc etc.....$$$$$....it never stops.


I agree with satya. you don't need brand new we got heaps of second hand stuff the only thing i would recomend is to buy a new baby matress and car seat (unless you 100% know the car seat has not been in an accident it can be dangerous even with a hairline fracture in them. better safe than sorry.


you can hire stuff too

I got most maternity were from Kmart.



santa will be bringing a cot each this year.

[Lisa]

Having Harrison was like having #1 all over again... with a 9 year age gap between him and my DD, I no longer had any left over baby things.

We tried to keep the costs down as much as possible. These are all just very close estimates;

Basinette - $200
Change table/baby bath - $200
Cot & Mattress- $700
Bedding - $200
Room decorations - $50
Breast pump, bottles, sterliser etc - $500
Clothes - $600 (plus we got loads of hand-me-down's from my sister's 3 boys)
Nappies - $100
Pram - $300
Drawers - $100
Wardrobe - $200
Carseats - $700
Bouncers - $120
Highchair - $200
Baby carriers - $120
Bumbo Seat - $60
Toys etc - $300

Wow... putting it like that makes it look like we spent waaaaaaaaay too much!!! lol.