Author Topic: How much did you spend on your newborn  (Read 3221 times)

MrsTuxedocat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 312
  • Location: Canada
How much did you spend on your newborn
« on: July 31, 2018, 07:00:30 PM »
I am genuinely shocked on how much I have spent on setting up the nursery for my twin girls. I had a baby shower, but lots of people just bought what they wanted and was given a few things from some friends with babies. Most of my peer group doesn't have children.

I have bought like 90% of the things used and have still spent $1900. This is including two cribs, change table, cloth diapers, cloth wipes, some clothes, diaper pail and reusable liners, car seats, swings, baby tub, a snap n go stroller, breast feeding pillow, breast pump, and decor.

I was gifted lots of clothing, a double stroller, toys, swaddle blankets, books, towels, and cash.

How much did you spend?

nessness

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1026
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #1 on: July 31, 2018, 08:50:21 PM »
I spent about $1k on furniture, gear, and everything else I bought prior to my first kid's birth.

After she was born, I spent about $120/month on supplies. And like $1k/month for 3 days/week of childcare. 😕

charis

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 3162
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #2 on: July 31, 2018, 09:02:25 PM »
Not much, but for one baby. Purchased used crib and dresser/changing table for about $300. Spent a little to paint the nursery. Received some cloth diapers, diaper pail, car seat, tub, stroller, bottle system, etc at shower. Bought big lot of more cloth diapers on craigslist. Pump was covered by insurance.

jpdx

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 760
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #3 on: August 01, 2018, 12:10:35 AM »
Not sure what we spent, however we purchased/acquired nearly everything via:

Craigslist
Consignment stores
SuperKids Resale event
Buy Nothing group on Facebook

Baby showers rub me the wrong way. Didn't have one.

Breast pump covered by insurance (Thanks Obama!)

Kyle Schuant

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1314
  • Location: Melbourne, Australia
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #4 on: August 01, 2018, 12:16:46 AM »
Not much, a few hundred bucks for a few bodysuits, a secondhand cot and some bottles and the microwavable steriliser for them. Then there's nappies and (for some) formula ongoing. When it's your first child, people will give you approximately 374 times as much stuff as you need. When it's your second, they use the stuff the first one used. And as they grow you get to know other families, and there's always someone with a fast-growing 3yo who will give you stuff for your 2yo, and so on. There's a whole secret network of parents regifting all sorts of junk.

chemistk

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1739
  • Location: Mid-Atlantic
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #5 on: August 01, 2018, 05:43:04 AM »
Never really tallied it up, ballpark $1k.

Most of that, as you said, was stuff that people didn't get us for our shower.

We have since learned (as many parents eventually do) how much of that was really worth it. Baby bullet? Nope. Bottle warmer? Nope. Door jamb jumper? Nope. Diaper pail? Nope. 90% of the teething toys? Nope. Push walker? Nope.

Of course, YMMV. What we learned is that parents at baby showers appreciate the least glamorous gifts the most. So, we give cloth diapers (can be used as burp cloths if using pampers), shite unisez onesies, a box of size 1 diapers (if they will be using disposable), and perhaps a stroller fan if it's a summer baby.

Sibley

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 7428
  • Location: Northwest Indiana
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #6 on: August 01, 2018, 07:57:14 AM »
First, if you're getting stuff you don't need or want, can you return it to stores? Get store credit if nothing else and get something you need. If you can't return it, trade/sell and use the money for needed items.

Second, you're having twins. 2 cribs is double the cost of 1. So your initial expenses are going to be much higher as a result. Your ongoing expenses will be higher than 1 baby, but I would assume there will be cost savings at some point so not actually double. (IE, you would buy 10 bottles for 1 baby, but 15 for 2 type situations.)

Third, there's a difference between needs and wants. The extra fancy crib, decorations on the walls, etc are wants. There are several items on your list that are not basic needs, so keep that in mind. (I'm not arguing that they're not good ideas, but they're not on the list of what is absolutely necessary to keep baby alive.)

acroy

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1697
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Dallas TX
    • SWAMI
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #7 on: August 01, 2018, 08:08:35 AM »
I am genuinely shocked on how much I have spent on setting up the nursery for my twin girls.

How much did you spend?
Congrats on twins! we have twin girls as well
We spent under $500 setting up for kid #1. only thing we got new was a crib for around $175 iirc. friends and family were quite generous. additions for the twins ended up being quite minor, they were most comfortable sleeping together so that's what they did until they moved into real beds. DW purchased a pump at that time as well.
good luck!

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6745
  • Location: London, UK
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #8 on: August 01, 2018, 08:11:49 AM »
£800. New cot and mattress and bedding. New cot-top changer (waste of money) and mat. Some other odd new small things (like a snot sucker, some muslins). Used everything else.

SimpleCycle

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1259
  • Location: Chicago
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #9 on: August 01, 2018, 04:11:01 PM »
I bought a lot secondhand and we repurposed some furniture from our pre-baby days, but it added up, especially buying cloth diapers.

$75 - Used crib
$70 - crib bedding (this was the only real splurge bought in a nesting craze where they HAD to be a certain color)
$15 - used baby bathtub
$20 - used Moby wrap
$50 - used Ergo (they are cheaper on the resale market now)
Changing pad and covers were a gift
$80 - Rock n Play, bought new in a moment of newborn panic
$100 - used stroller
Infant car seat was also a gift
$140 - convertible car seat

So what I can remember is $550, plus we bought her some new outfits when she was a baby and we bought some books too.

However, my spreadsheet tells me that I spent $434 on cloth diapers, and I was only diapering one baby.

All we bought for #2 was a second crib, which he has yet to sleep in at 16 months.  DD's crib converted to a toddler bed, but she prefers to sleep on the floor.  So we have two unused kid beds.

Prairie Stash

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1795
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #10 on: August 08, 2018, 09:06:00 AM »
Keep track of what you bought, in two years you will be reselling it (unless you keep it for more kids). If you plan for the future the reselling is much less of a hassle. 

Car seats expire, there isn't much of a used market because of the expirations (if you resell an expired one you may be liable if an injury results). Cribs are better, still have to be careful with age. Cloth diapers are easy to resell, theres a great market for those (yay Kijiji). We sold most of our big items at a local multi family (50+) event, in that case it was easier then Kijij or a garage sale.

Baby clothes are hard due to quantity. For best prices, keep them sorted by size and post in lots for $10 or more, don't bother selling individual items. Selling clothes individually requires a lot more work and you end up with less money overall as there are items that just don't sell by themselves but sell in groupings.

SO you might have a $1900 upfront cost, but your final cost should be under $1000, does that sound nicer?

Captain FIRE

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1176
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #11 on: August 08, 2018, 12:08:04 PM »
Holy crap, I just totaled it all up.  We are mustachian lite, but I've tended to be looser w/regards to my kid due to convenience factors.  I didn't quite realize how loose I'd gotten...

First, we were hugely blessed by our friends and family.  As the last in our circles to have kids, our friends couldn't get rid of their baby stuff fast enough by jamming it in our car when we were over their houses for dinner.  We took almost everything, and decided later if we should keep or pass it on.  I've only listed items we kept for a while.  They have only asked that we pass this on (friend or charity) rather than resell.  All the things we didn't buy:
  • Given used: Crib, mattress, 5 baby carriers, tons of toys (cars to play kitchen), clothes, infant car seat & stroller, stroller, breast feeding pillows & covers, breast pump supplies, baby tub, bassinet, changing table, mattresses & covers, travel high chair, play mat, baby playpen gates, dishwasher baskets, sound machine
  • Gifted new: diaper pail, rock and play, pack and play (used as the crib for a year after bassinet), changing table cover, plastic bibs, cabinet locks, boon mat, many books, jumper, floor mat, diapers, monitor, diaper bag, baby gates, high chair, bottles, hamper, a million baby towels, stuffed animals, loveys, sophie, wipe dispensers, reusauble pouch kits, swim gear, dishwasher basket, night light, humidifier, gift cards, amazon prime year
  • Handmade (by me or gifts): Blankets, bibs, burp cloths, nursing cover, baby towel

Note: Some duplicates as we were gifted item after we already had an item (e.g. gifted a travel high chair well after we were given a new high chair for home, so we couldn't just use the travel one at home as the regular chair; or I handmade a personalized baby towel before we were given a bunch).

That said, I'm still horrified to tally up costs for 1.5 years as:

Breastfeeding supplies   $89
Formula   $984
Eating (bottles, snack catcher, lunch bag, teethers)   $121
Binkies   $30
Diapers   $590
Wipes   $111
Diaper cream   $166
Dekor Refills   $60
Sheets   $30
Clothes   $111
Babyproofing house (many indoor gates, outdoor gate, stove knob covers, toilet seat latches, edge bumpers, outlet covers, tv strap etc.)   $315
Travel gear (travel car seat, home car seat, stroller etc)   $509
Water gear (shoes, reusable water diapers, life jackets, swimsuit)   $71
Sunscreen   $67
Books   $73
Toys   $208
Medicine   $51
Other   $107

Total: $3,693
Subtracting out the consumable items (formula, diapers, wipes, diaper cream) it's: $1,842, or $1228 annually

And WOW how much we've spent on diaper cream (yet my kid still gets diaper rash every other week).

If I don't have a friend to pass items onto, I'll resell the new items we were given new or bought to recoup some costs.  As requested, we'll give the used gifted items to friends or charity.

Tips:
- Accept everything you are given.  People want to help you/want stuff out of the house.  If they know you're an easy accept they'll think of you more often than if you are picky.
- Look to buy used when possible.  I could have saved more if I opted to buy more used things (e.g. book category is a lot because we prioritize reading & I wanted specific books on biting, sharing, tactile ones, etc. and didn't want to hunt through yard sales).  It takes time, however, so after the baby is here it's harder to do this. 
- Research NOW.  As mentioned above, you pay more for convenience/speed post-baby.
- Resell what you can to recoup costs
- Avoid unnecessary things.  We wouldn't have bought a dishwasher container for bottle parts on our own.  Skip cutesy baby décor that doesn't fit long, etc.
- Read babybargains (available online though the book is admittedly easier to navigate) to figure out where  you want to splurge/what you can avoid buying at all.
- Return items that aren't so useful if you can (e.g. your friend/family won't ask you where it is, store will accept it...)
- If you are given a new item you can't return, consider regifting.  That's what we did with the many baby towels.
- Make what you can


If you have questions about specific items, as to the value for them, ask and we'll share our experiences and if there is a way to hack around it.  E.g. my friends with twins in a small apartment still found it so useful to have a swing they had 2 to use them same time...but some kids don't like them much.
« Last Edit: August 08, 2018, 12:17:02 PM by Captain FIRE »

shelivesthedream

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 6745
  • Location: London, UK
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #12 on: August 08, 2018, 12:09:29 PM »
I found it very difficult to sell used clothing. A few nice items I sold as individual outfits. None of my big bargain lots had any interest. Used baby clothing has almost no value.

MrsTuxedocat

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 312
  • Location: Canada
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #13 on: August 12, 2018, 11:00:00 PM »
Thank you for all the thoughtful responses.

kdinosaur

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 9
  • Location: Colorado
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #14 on: August 20, 2018, 04:14:33 PM »
Just under $1,000 (ha, well, that does not include daycare). Our big savers were we were gifted a pack n' play, which we use as her crib, I built a changing table top for an old dresser (so didn't need to buy nursery furniture), and got a large number of things from neighbors, friends, Goodwill. (Clothing, toys, changing pad, boppy). We also got our carseat for free from a neighbor, which might cause some grimaces. (It expires next year). Breast pump was free, thanks to insurance. I spent $40 on a Craigslist stroller, and...$530 on diapers, $130 on wipes (WTF?!). (Next one, I swear I will try to have the energy to do washable ones). I painted a mural on the nursery wall, ($30 in paint and supplies). I sewed crib sheets for the pack n' play, and some of her clothes, though this was more for personal satisfaction, and had dubious cost savings. If you include daycare though, that tacks an extra $14,000 onto the year. (This is why I was so motivated to save elsewhere).

CindyBS

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 461
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #15 on: August 20, 2018, 04:22:27 PM »
My guys are older (teens) so things may be a little different now but for us - the following items we bought used  - 

crib/changing table/mattress were sold for what we bought them for.   
High chair and exersaucer sold for more than what we bought it for. 
Double stroller sold for what we bought it for.   

There is a good second hand market for well maintained baby stuff.    Expect to recoup a good portion of the costs.   

Also, remember you are doing for 2 babies.  Most people provide for one kid and then do hand me downs, so even with shared items, your costs will be higher.

cats

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1232
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #16 on: August 20, 2018, 04:37:14 PM »
We were definitely under $500 (baby born in 2016).  We got a lot of stuff free or deeply discounted through hand-me-downs, craigslist, kid oriented swaps and consignment sales, and local street finds (the last may be unique to our area...people leave perfectly good stuff out on the street with a note and if you like/need it, take it!).  If we had been having twins I think we might have had a harder time as I imagine we would have wanted a double stroller (have yet to see one of those for free), and would have needed two cribs/bassinets (we got ours for free but again, might not have seen two free ones in the right time frame).  Got a bunch of pumping/breastfeeding supplies through a local mother's listserv.

We were fortunate that a few other friends had babies shortly before us so we got a lot of stuff that way, and I think our area has a pretty strong culture of handing stuff down/passing stuff on so used stuff comes up frequently.  We were also not too picky about the appearance of various items as long as they got the job done.  Most of these things you are not going to have for that long and kids are not gentle so it's not really worth trying too hard to get a specific "look" (IMO).

TabbyCat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 181
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #17 on: August 22, 2018, 02:17:23 PM »
This varies so much depending on what resources you have around you, the demographics of your community and what people feel like gifting at the baby shower. We are fortunate to live in a community with a thriving Buy Nothing community and a lot of young families, which means we scored most of our clothes from 0-12m free, the crib was free, stroller was free (little beat up but works great), etc. This spills over onto craigslist and offerup too - so much baby and kid stuff that it drives the prices down on used items.

We were also super lucky that people felt like buying off the registry with our first (I suspect because we didn't find out gender and gender-neutrual clothes are less fun to shop for), which means we basically have everything we need for our second still. This time I bought a few new swaddles since I didn't know about zipper ones last time and the velcro would wake the baby up, and some disosable diapers to get started (will use our old cloth ones after the newborn stage).

It feels good to go so cheap on the baby stuff, but it isn't a special super power I have, it's luck and I'm grateful for it.

TabbyCat

  • Stubble
  • **
  • Posts: 181
Re: How much did you spend on your newborn
« Reply #18 on: August 22, 2018, 02:26:06 PM »
Adding - we have spent a good chunk of change on baby-proofing (I count about $380), but that's more of a toddler expense. We did most of our baby-proofing as needed, so we didn't buy a product unless it became a problem for things like cabinet locks and door locks. We started out with outlet covers, furniture mounting kits and a gate for the stairs, and kept anything harmful out of the reachable cabinets. Many of our friends were able to leave it at that, but we have a little trouble maker and did end up having to lock all the cabinets and get door handle covers to prevent total destruction of everything.