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HOW MUCH ARE YOU SPENDING ON YOUR NEWBORN?

Not sure where to write this post really so hope you don't mind it in here.

I am just curious as to how much people are planning on spending on their newborns including furniture, bedding,pram,clothing and feeding bits etc. I am not due until July but have been on the mamas and papas website and already racked up about ??1,300/??1,500 on new furniture (it has to match!) bedding, accessories and clothing and thats without the pram and car seat which i reckon will be about ??700ish (haven't worked out the exact price yet!) I must point out that i haven't actually bought anything, it was just to see how much it would all come to! I think i may be getting a bit carried away and wanting things for the sake of it rather than buying purely essentials.

I'm a person who's out for a bargain and wouldn't hesitate buying something from Ebay if it's cheaper and either new or in as new condition. However i am very wary of buying anything 2nd hand for baby incase of germs/contamination etc. Am i just being a snob?!

I'd be interested to hear what the rest of you lovely ladies are planning on doing and whether my spending is completey unneccesary!

xx

x

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Replies

  • Don't waste loads of money on clothes, people will buy you gifts and they grow so quick it's pointless buying loads, get key bits and a spec going home outfit and your be ok,

    If you want everything to match and can afford it get it xxx

    But all your baby really needs is love xxx
  • If you can afford it why not!! I am 28 weeks (with my first baby) and have so far not actually bought anything (aagh!) although have been given a few bits and bobs by people. I am planning on buying most things second hand except a car seat which i think is really important you buy new so you know its not been in an accident before. I have a couple of really good second hand shops for baby stuff around me and im sure most towns would have something. 2nd hand buggies seem to be on average about ??80 whereas a decent new one is about ??200 so it does make a big difference... Everything is washable so im not worried about contamination or anything like that (or where would you be after your baby has puked and poo'd over everything once ..) and also, in 2nd hand shops it all looks new anyway! Watch out for travel systems if you're on a budget because i think bits like the car seat seem only to be for new borns so it will only last about 6 months if you're lucky and you'd have to buy a new one anyway so to me a travel system is a bit of a rip-off. Good luck and happy shopping!!
  • ooh - and as per msfraggle, defo buy mattress new!
  • Hi Nikkinoos

    (Love the Roo pic by the way - we call our baby 'Baby Roo'!!) image

    I think it's completely up to you as to how much you spend and whether you want to buy everything new or get some second hand stuff. Obviously, as others have said there are certain things that you really must get new such as mattresses and car seats.

    Personally we've been saving for our baby for a long time (had 3 mc's before this pregnancy) and have chosen to buy everything new. That might not be possible for everyone and some people just prefer not to and see it as 'wasting' money. But we've loved every minute of making loads of lists of everything we need (and a LOT of what is not essential but we just wanted!) and buying everything. Many people would probably be gobsmaked to learn that we've spent about ??4000 not including clothes. But like I said we saved for a long time and are really enjoying being able to do this after the awful year we had. But I am like you too and have to have everything matching!! :lol:

    Do whatever YOU feel comfortable with and can afford and most of all, enjoy it image

    Love NN 33+4 xxx

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  • i really wanted an icandy cherry but after so many people told me that they have had more than one pram and they ended up with much cheaper strollers after a year we decided to get a cheaper pram and got a mamas ana papas pliko second hand for ??100.

    RE: mamas and papas . we went to the factory shop in huddesrfield where they have discounted funriture and prams etc and cheaper mat clothes.

    i am getting proper sized funriture so it last longer. a friend of mine tells me everytime i see her that baby wardrobes are a waste of money. but if i had the money i would
  • I couldn't really put a figure on it and had no budget, we have just written a list of things we need and have bought accordingly. I have been picking up bits as I go for the last few months to try and spread the cost a little.

    We rent a fully furnished flat and already have a spare room full of furniture so are not really doing a nursery, just sticking the cot in the spare room, that has saved us a fortune buying furniture.

    If you are interested in Mamas and Papas but don't like the price tags they have outlets at the East Midlands and York designer outlet places (used to be called McArthur Glen) and they have a factory shop in Huddersfield where you can pick up bargains. It's best not to have specific stuff in mind though if you are going to buy from them, there is no guarantee they will have something or a full set in at any one time.

    The only real extravagence we have had so far is our pushchair, we have ordered the iCandy Peach which is astronomically expensive (for us anyway!) other than that I have bargain hunted and accepted hand me downs from friends and family. Second hand furniture etc is fine but you should ideally buy a new mattress for cots, moses baskets etc and have a new car seat unless you know it's full history and know it has been well looked after and not been in an accident.
  • its well worth shopping around, if you like the mamas and papas stuff you can get it cheaper from places like baby wharehouses and catalouges.

    if you can afford it then go for whatever you want, if not there is always a way to get what you want discounted!! image

    most of our stuff has been on offer in some way or another, wether that be sale or vouchers! our travel system was ??160 so ??700 must be some system! if you are thinking of getting something this pricey it might be worth a trip to the baby show as they have offers on although make sure you have a good play around to get the right one!

    we have got some things off ebay as most stuff sold is not worn as babies get bought sooooo much stuff!! but each to their own.

    becca
    34+2
  • Wow ladies, so much info and so very useful. NN, i'm so sorry to hear about your previous mc's. No wonder you want to treat your little one to new things.

    I did mention the baby show to hubby but as the next ones in London it's a bit of a treck for us. May have to seriously think about it though.

    I have been given some inheritance and we were going to use part of it to buy baby stuff so not technically 'our savings' we're using but our money all the same so i don't have the worry of saving it which is nice and i'm very grateful to my grandparents. At the same point though i don't just want to waste it when it can go towards a house move etc when we want to make our next move.

    I think i will have a good look around and also be a bit more open to buying things 2nd hand. After all everything will get washed before giving it to baby and if i get what i want but a lot cheaper then it really does make sense. I can't wait to get shopping now. Thinking of waiting til the 12 week scan before buying anything at all and then maybe buying something each week to spread the cost out so we can buy as much as we can ourselves before dipping into the inheritance for the bigger items.

    Thanks again for all your help ladies, it really has been an insight and brought me back down to earth with a clear head to look around and not just jump at the first expensive things i see, lol!! x
  • My baby bits have come to about ??800 some ive bought and some other people have bought.

    alice xx 38+1
  • Personally I would go mamas and papas all the way if I could afford it! The only thing I think they are not so good for is baby clothing - the quality is not much better than say, next and tends to be a bit expensive.

    However, I bought my cot and nursery accessories, snow suit and bedding from Mamas and Papas and dont think I paid full price for any of it, and the quality far out weighed anything else.They have different offers on each month, and their oulet store is good. Plus as you are not due until July you will be able to take advantage of the christmas sales! image

    Like others have said if you can afford it, do it.
    Now that you know what you want you can also put a bit by each month ready for a big spend closer to your due date. I had to do this with my pushchair.

    Happy planning, and congratulations

    Joanna
    34+2
  • I haven't read all the replies - but have you looked at Ikea? they do several nursery ranges, you could still have everything to match, but for a lot less than you'd spend in Mamas and Papas. Although lovely, mamas and papas is expensive - and tbh some of the nursery wardrobes I've seen don;t seem too practical, lots of space for baskets but not much room to hang clothes once your baby is a toddler.

    It might be worth looking at second hand, although you should definitely get a new mattress, but if you want new you can probably do it cheaper than ??1500 - our nursery doesn't all match, we bought a white cot from John Lewis (??100), a white Pax wardrobe from Ikea, and use a pine chest of drawers I already had - seemed daft to get rid of them (for space) just to replace them with more drawers. Bedding was from Mothercare, but I think Ikea do that too.

    It's so exciting to plan what to buy when you're in the early stages of pregnancy, and no-one wants to put a dampener on anything, but for a most of us I think it becomes about prioritising what it's most important to spend your money on (and that's a personal decision).

    Like I think someone else has said, don't buy too many clothes as you'll have loads of gifts, and if you don't find out the sex and buy neutral you won't want them once the baby is here! If you do have generous friends and relatives, you might as well ask for things you need rather than buying everything yourself and then having 'extras' or duplicates from them when the baby arrives. And don't buy loads of cot sized blankets, I've never used mine (ds is 16 months), we've used sleeping bags since he went into a cot - if you think you'll use them later, you might as well buy them later!

    Enjoy the planning - but don't think you need to spend more than you can afford for baby to have everything it needs x
  • I have not bought anything new for this bean. I found that if you look around you can get some real bargains second hand. I got....

    The cot from an old school friend for ??55 which included lots of bedding and cot toys, a cot light, a mobile and a bath seat for when lil one is older.

    A moses basket for ??20 off ebay which included some bedding and a rocking stand.

    I got a swinging crib for ??26 again off ebay again with bedding.

    I got a baby bath, top and tail bowl and some baby blankets free from freecycle.

    I bought a pram that is only a few months old and only been used twice (silvercross sleepover) ??150 still over ??500 on the silver cross website.

    I also got a bargain Pilko 3d silvercross again off ebay. I only bought this as it turns into a buggy for when he is older and is a lot smaller when folded compared to the sleepover. Again brand new never used as her little was 3 when she bought it and refused to go in it. ??50!!!

    I have bought all the clothes etc from ebay from as little as 50p an item.

    A changing unit free from freecycle.

    Don't feel as though you need everything new as you dont especially if you cant afford it.

    Maz x
    18+2
  • we got matching warbdrobe and drawers from ikea and then a pink cot because we loved it! I have brought white sleepsuits and vests from car boot sale and washed them all up and they look fine. I have brought new clothes but mostly from primark as I know she wont be in them very long. We have got some nice day-time sleepsuits from mothercare but at ??15 for 3, i dont have that kind of money to shop there all the time. we have been lent a swinging crib and all the sheets for it. also had moses basket for ??5 of my sisters friend. we got matress (sprung) from ikea at less than ??40!!
    we have gone all out on the pushchair and got a stokke xplory but my DD never had a brand new pushchair and as we had the money (coz we saved on other bits) we decided to go for it!
    The only thing we have left to get is a car seat which we will be getting this week and as we dont need it to go on the pushchair now (we were going to get the buzz and get the car seat to go on it but changed our minds) we have more choice of car seat and personally we like the one in mothercare for ??40/??50. x
  • Hi NN,

    Great topic! I'm due in June, and like you have been looking around trying to actually price up items so we can budget our savings accordingly.

    I agree its very easy to get carried away with nursery furniture/prams etc etc so I'm trying to be realistic and search for a range of prices. There are so many nursery stores online to search through, and we will look on ebay nearer the time. DH can bring me down to earth with a bump when it comes to actually buying everything and priorisiting our spending :lol:

    Enjoy the planning x

    [Modified by: - Nessie - on November 29, 2009 08:28 PM]

  • Hi there

    I was the same as you when I first got pregnant! i was so excited and wanted to buy lots of lovely new matching things, and would daydream about the perfect nursery. However, it was not feasible to spend that sort of money as I have a credit card to pay off and the money could be more sensibly spent. I guess that in total I have spent about 800-900. I got a baby hammock in a half price sale, my quinny buzz 3 travel system was 20 percent off, and everything else has been in a sale! A cotbed has been given to us, which is good quality. we just need to buy a mattress. just bought a tommy tippee manual breastpump reduced to 11 instead of 25, and a pram footmuff for 10 instead of 50 in the mams and papas sale. I started buying stuff at about 18 weeks I think, and have only bought stuff on offer. We dont know the sex of our baby, so have bought lots of nuetral clothes, some new, and some used but good quality. When baby comes we will splash out on some colour specific clothes and blankets. Sometimes i still think it would be nice to have a big lovely nursery, but im actually pleased at all of the stuff we have got at good prices.

    I think that if you have the money and want to spend it then go for it. Ideally I would have bought the Stokke Xplory pram, but that would have worked out about ??300 more expensive, and OH didnt want to spend that much.

    Everybody wants to give their baby the best that they can, but in reality, baby will not differentiate between a mamas and papas matching bedroom suite, or something from Ikea!

    enjoy your shopping, and good luck for your scan image

    Lisa xx
  • Hey hon, Its definately worth shopping around for stuff we are getting a brand new buggy ??80 cheeper than in the shop by buyinh online with free delivery.

    Also this is my second and i have been given a cot by my sis justy buying a new mattress, Clothes are going to be given buy the dozen or more as everyone wants to buy you something.

    my total amount for spend is 1,500 but it will probably go down as alot of things will be bought for us or given to us, plus hubby is really good at finding stuff cheaper online.

    Good luck its so much fun shopping for baby stuyff!!
  • I'd say i've preobably spent about ??1500, thats for the nursery furniture, pushchair, isoxfix base, all clothes, bedding infact everything.
    We went to the M&P outlet store in Stoke for the furniture and nursery matching bits as it was far far cheaper than instore.

    How much you spend really is an individual thing.

  • When my mum has bought my icandy peach stroller and my dad has bought the nursery furniture - so that has saved me about ??1300 altogether. It's their first grandchild so I'm very lucky.

    I've probably spent about ??400 on stuff including a steriliser and bottles, baby sling, couple of cute toys, some new clothes and some clothes from a NCT sale. Oh and my reusable nappies - that's the bulk of the cost.

    I think I'll probably spend about another ??500 on other stuff like car seat and iso fix, bedding, clothes, muslins etc - oh and paints for the nusery.

    I am looking for bargains and sales where possible but it's all within budget so far which is good.
  • I'm pretty much sorted now and i've probably spent about ??200. No i'm not a miracle worker lol i've already got two yong chlildren so i've given the baby all the nursery furniture and bought both of them new.
    When i had my first child, i hardly spent anything either simply because people bought us alot of things, but when my dd came along i went all out and she had to have the most expensive things i could find (stupid i know) but i think its was because ii wasn't given an option with my first.
  • I was very lucky as our wee one was the first baby on both sides of the family in 13 years so we were bought the big things by family. My parents bought us our buzz travel system inc cr seat, mil bought the cot bed and changng unit, aunt bought moses basket, my grandparents bought the baby montior and my uncle bought the mattress.
    All of the above I sourced the best prices and everything I bought was on offer or in the sale. I got all the bedding, baby bath etc when it was 20% off in mothercare and I found a discount code and bought vests and basics in the next and M&S sales. Personally I thought Mamas and Papas were very expensive but the maternity wear was excellent.
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