If you missed it the other week, Alyssa from KingdomFirstMom.com and I did a Blog Talk Radio show about raising a baby on a budget. We had a special guest, Angie from BabyCheapskate.com and I’ve been thinking about some of the things she said. Of course, one question several people wanted to know is, what is necessary when preparing for a baby and what is just not useful at all. Angie’s answer was very simple: that it varies for everyone.
One example that I brought up during the show was that many people had told me not to waste my money on a highchair, but to instead by one of those booster-type highchairs that straps to a regular dining chair. Not only would it be more economical but it is also space saving. However, this tip doesn’t work for me because of the type of chairs I have. They are cloth Parsons chairs and they have arms so the booster highchair seat won’t strap to it comfortably and I don’t want the cloth ruined by a messy eater! So, what works for one may not work for another.
Another example that was given was that some moms say they couldn’t live without their baby’s swing and another mom says their baby never liked it. Angie urged our listeners not to worry about purchasing every little thing and to let their baby’s personality determine what was necessary. One way to do this is to borrow an expensive item before purchasing one of your own to determine if you’ll really use it or not.
One item that my husband and I have decided not to purchase is a bassinet. Some of our close friends, however, have loved theirs. We intend on starting our baby in his crib. We think it will work for us and one reason being is that I am lucky enough to have a long maternity leave. I have worked in the same school district for six years and during that time I haven’t used hardly any sick leave. So, all that banked time is really going to pay off! I will get to spend nearly five months at home with my new bundle of joy. While I know that having my baby sleep in his own crib will mean that I have to pry myself out of the bed at ungodly hours and nurse him while I’m still half asleep I also have the luxury of not having to get up and get ready to go to work the next morning. Of course, like any new mom, I have a plan b. I am not even going to pretend like I know all the answers or all the right ways to do something. What we think will work and what will actually work may be quite different. We received a pack and play for a shower gift. This is an item we registered for because my dad will be watching our baby boy part time when I return to work on a part time basis. We plan to leave this item at my mom and dad’s house so that he’ll have a place to contain him for play and for naps. This pack and play also has a bassinet feature. So, if “plan A” doesn’t work out then we can always use the pack and play as our bassinet instead of purchasing another item.
As a frugal mama, I am always on the look out for things that can be reused or repurposed. This is another great way to get more bang for your buck!