$5000!? How much did you spend?

[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!!

[SunnyRain]

Change Table - $40 (bunnings)

What's this? This is the cheapest change table ever! Do you mean you made one yourself, or do Bunnings sell a cheap change table?

$5000 sounds crazy! Here are some ways to save money and still buy new stuff (you can save a lot more buying on eBay etc):

Change Table from Ikea: $60
High chair / baby insert / tray from Ikea: $59
Ikea Cot plus mattress: $195
Wardrobe hangers 5 shelves from Ikea: $9
Nappy buckets from Toys R Us: $15 each
Rent-a-capsule (e.g. from QLD Ambulence): ?$60 for 6 months
Microfleece Peanut Shell Sling Carrier from babes in arms: $60

You can easily buy a decent stroller priced between $300 - $400.

Check out Toys R Us for specials, because they have surprisingly cheap items.