Hello to anyone that has found this blog. Since my last post, we have welcomed Baby #2 into the mix, and I have quite a few money-saving tips I've been meaning to share for some time now. Some may be relevant to you, and others might completely miss the mark! Take what you can from this, and apply it to your situation accordingly.
The first tip I want to share is baby item storage between kids and what I did wrong. We have moved three times between our children's births and to some very different climates! We knew there would be a bit of an age gap given our circumstances. So, we kept anything that was small enough to fit into two totes plus the high chair. This included my breast pump, bottles, pacifiers, teething rings, cart cover, bottle warmer, crib sheets, mattress protector, bulb syringe, shoes and clothes.
What shouldn't I have saved of this, you ask?
For one, the pacifiers. Ours held up, but I was terrified the plastic would decompose, and he'd choke on a piece that fell off. To be fair, they were in the desert for almost three years, and our house didn't cool down very well. No matter the climate, though, I would have been terrified. Second, the teething rings! ALL THE WATER EVAPORATED OUT. Do not waste your time saving these things. Third, the bulb syringe. I saw a picture of the moldy inside of one going around on Facebook. They give you a new one in the hospital anyway. Just throw it out! Also, if you do decide to save items like cribs, swings, pack 'n plays, please check for product recalls. In addition, remember to take out the batteries of any items that will be stored long-term! I promise, you don't want to be scraping battery acid out of anything when you're pregnant and have other things to do.
My second tip is to still make a registry (or three)! I love samples. This is a must for the samples and coupons you get. I did the Amazon and Target registries. For Amazon, items had to be purchased off the registry to get the baby box in the mail, but it was worth it! I added items I would be buying anyway, and we used almost everything I got from Amazon. Because we had to buy some big stuff, it was great to be able to watch the prices fluctuate and buy when it was low. I checked the prices almost every day. We ended up scoring a Graco swing (orig. $120) for $46 on Black Friday. Our car seat and bassinet were also quite discounted that day. For Target, the bag was significantly less, yet still quite useful. The sample size baby washes, lotion and laundry detergents are perfect for packing up when visiting relatives. Side tip: Usually the coupons aren't too good. I didn't use a single one. We stuck with Target's Up & Up diapers and wipes, and those types of coupons are the most useful out of these bags. For someone that prefers the name brand diapers, the coupons would be more impressive. There were good coupons for Aquaphor and Mustela, but I only buy these kinds of items when necessary, and I never needed them.
Third, be prepared. Not every experience is the same. Assume everything that was easy with your first baby will be harder with your second. Keep your doctor's, lactation counselor's and pediatrician's information close by. My second baby was a dream compared to the first, but there were massive differences, and knowing that it wouldn't be the same was massively helpful. Also, if you can, store items that you didn't use with your first. There's a few things that I preferred to have years down the road, like swaddling blankets and burp rags.
My last tip would be to reflect on your first baby. What's important to you? Is there anything that you wish you would have bought the first time around to help you? Is there anything you really don't need? Circumstances change. With our first, we had a baby monitor, and it was used frequently. However, our current home is very small, and the baby is never more than 20 feet away. Our first monitor broke, and we did not need to replace it. Also, I realized we didn't need more than two crib sheets. There's no use in extra crib sheets when you're doing laundry every day. It's quite amazing how much laundry there is when you're a family of four instead of three. One thing that I didn't get with my first that I wish I had was newborn baby pictures. I did some in the hospital, and we also went through a studio for more when he was a month old. Overall, it cost about $150, but it is my one regret from #1 that I was too cheap to have nice pictures taken. Don't be too cheap.
I hope this was helpful for you, and good luck with baby number 2!
Sincerely,
Kristin
