Did you know that the average family will spend approximately $10,000 for their baby before it even reaches two years old?
We are covering some tips to reduce that $10,000 cost of a child. If you missed the first article in the series, click here: Your $10,000 Baby.
Do without the plethora of “necessary items.” Among the things you can do without: a changing table (use a bed, the floor or mount a pad on a dresser), a diaper stacker (just keep the diapers in a closed drawer or shelf away from view or in a basket), a wipe warmer (can burn baby’s bottom) and a diaper champ or diaper genie (they are more work than they are worth, and they smell horribly, despite the claims). Just use plastic bags to dispose of diapers. Dollar Tree even sells scented bags for this purpose, and you can get 100 of them for $1. Another item you may be able to pass by is a baby dresser. Hang clothing in the closet and on closet shelves and repurpose a drawer or two of your own for your baby. Later, invest in a full-size dresser that can grow with your child. Save approximately $2,000 by eliminating these items.
Any furniture or equipment you do need can be purchased second hand at a consignment store, auction site, thrift store. I would be careful about cribs and car seats, but dressers, chairs and the like are great used. If you can’t find anything that matches, simply paint the furniture in coordinating colors for the nursery. White is always good, but have some fun too, with multicolored dresser drawers and fun draw pulls.
Want a custom designer look for your nursery? Instead of hiring a muralist, rent or borrow an overhead projector. Project an image on the wall, trace it in pencil and then paint it. Hundreds to thousands of dollars can be saved here.
Mary Ann Romans writes about everything related to saving money in the Frugal Blog, technology in the Computing Blog, and creating a home in the Home Blog. You can read more of her articles by clicking here.
Related Articles:
The Frugal Baby: Cloth Diapers