I’ve got a fantastic guest post for you this week from Angie at Baby Cheapskate. The woman is super busy and wears at least 10 hats, so I was thrilled she said yes when I reached out to request a post on how to save on baby gear. Read on and let me know what you think!
The day I found out I was pregnant was the first day of a 40-day baby product-buying orgy. I think I felt that if I was prepared enough, I could sidestep some of the chaos that arrives in every home along with a new baby.
More than three years later, I can tell you that preemptive shopping won’t save you from sleepless nights. It won’t save you any money, either. However, here are some tips that will:
Tip One: Hold Your Horses. Don’t try to anticipate your baby’s every need and want. You can’t. I once asked a few thousand parents on Baby Cheapskate via poll whether their babies preferred a bouncer, or a swing or both. The results? About half the babies preferred bouncers, the other half preferred swings. Very few liked both.
Since you won’t know what your baby will like until well after you meet her, there’s a pretty good probability that you’ll waste up to $200 by buying both a bouncer and a swing in an effort to cover all your bases. A saner way to shop is to wait until you know you need it.
Don’t buy an exersaucer before your baby can hold his head up. Let him try one at a friend’s house when he’s old enough. If it makes him giggle, then think about whether it would add to your lives.
Tip Two: Do Your Homework. Perusing the baby aisles is a fun way to pass 40 weeks, but leave the credit cards at home. Instead, do research. Learning what’s out there and how competing brands of strollers or car seats differ is smart.
Learning how much the stuff really costs is smarter still. If you know what that cute stroller sells for and how often it goes on sale (and for how much) you’ll have no doubts about whether you’re getting a deal when the time to buy does arrive.
Shortcut: Find several baby product and baby product blogs that you like. Like Cliffs Notes in high school, they’ll deliver the info you need while saving you time and brain power.
Tips Three, Four and Five: Try to Get Your Baby Gear for Free. If you can’t get it free, get it used. If you can’t get it used, then wait for a really, really good sale. Adopt cast-off baby gear for free from friends, or hunt for it locally at Freepeats, Freecycle, or Craig’s List.
To save big on used baby gear, explore local kiddie consignment shops, hit the spring and fall consignment sales (visit The Bargain Watcher for listings), check out nearby garage sales, and regularly scour the baby listings on Craig’s List.
If that doesn’t turn up what you’re after, watch Internet and local retailers like a hawk for great sales on new gear. You’ll recognize a good price when you see it because you’ve done your homework.
Angie helps you save big bucks everyday on everything for baby at Baby Cheapskate. You can also check out her baby gear swap site at Freepeats and her blogging tips site at BlogCoach. Angie can be found on Twitter at @BabyCheapskate.
