Babies have a way of just using up money left and right. As soon a parents announce the impending arrival of a little one, they should be given a money tree to plant in the backyard. There are so many things that we seem to have to buy. But if you have a frugal eye, or at least tips from this frugal Living blog, you can stem the tide of the money flow and keep the baby under budget.
Take the changing table, for example. it is a piece of furniture that many experts, parents, friends, etc., will tell you that you need to have for baby. But, why spend tons of money on a changing table? Here are some ways to save in this area, from the very frugal to the slightly more expensive, yet still budget conscious solution.
The most obvious way is to skip the changing table all together. It is not as hard to do as you might think. Invest instead in an inexpensive flat changing pad, or use a towel. Then you can change the baby anywhere, such as the bed or the floor. When you change the baby on the floor, you won’t have to worry about the baby tumbling down off of the changing table when you aren’t looking. And face it; new parents need an excuse to sit down, anyway.
The middle-of-the-road way, and the one that I used most of the time for my kids, involved the purchase of a slightly more expensive changing pad. This is the sort of changing pad that is molded and can be placed on top of your existing dresser. It comes with straps and hardware that will allow you to attach it to your dresser for safety. You can also buy terry cloth pad covers, but I never did because they were just extra things to purchase, change and clean.
Finally, if you really want a changing table, you can purchase a used one or even ask friends if they have one for free that they no longer need. Check craigslist.org, freecycle.org, tag sales and thrift stores.
Mary Ann Romans also writes for the Computing Blog here at Families.com where she shares everything from the latest news on technology to cool downloads and fun websites.
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