Budget for baby nursery & baby things?

[MissMagpie]

Hi Pretzel,

It really depends whether you want to buy new or second hand. Ive bought most of my things second hand and its saved me a PACKET! After speaking to others, they have said that buying brand new stuff is a waste of money. Depending where you live, there are lots of baby markets around that sell second hand items and I have recently become an ebay "queen"...lol Cots depending on the brand can be anywhere from $500 upwards. I got one with a mattress for $100 on ebay. Just needs a sand and re-stain. Prams again can cost anywhere from $250 - $500+ I was lucky enough to get 2 second hand ones, one 3 wheeler for $130 with a toddler attachment as well and a reversible handle 4 wheeler for $86 so a HUGE saving there. I did buy my baby monitor brand new as I wanted one with sensor pads which detects if the baby stops breathing so didnt want to risk buying a faulty second hand one. That cost $220. If you go on sites like baby bunting and babyzonedirect you will get a bit more of an idea of what things are worth. Just depends on the brands and style of things you like.

Hope this has helped Good luck with TTC in December.

Cheers,

Tania

[Taurean]

:yeahthat: Totally agree. Depends on whether you buy new or secondhand and if you buy new, which brands you prefer. Nursery goodies vary in price A LOT.

We have a brand new house with modern and new furnishings. We wanted the nursery to blend in too so we bought everything new and to match the rest of our house. You don't need to spend a forturne at all though, especially if you buy secondhand. Ebay, the Trading Post, markets, etc are a great way to find cheap secondhand nursery product.

Visit a few baby shops and take a pen and paper so you can jot down prices of the things you like. You will quickly get a rough idea of how much you could spend if you bought new. Keep in mind that places like Target and Ikea have nursery furniture too.

If you do opt for second hand goods, I'd steer clear of secondhand car seats as you just can't be sure that they haven't been in an accident. I would never buy a secondhand cot mattress either. It's said to be a SIDS risk but also the thought of my baby lying on someone elses old mattress just doesn't gel with me. That's just my personal opinion though.