Cheerful Frugality Nests
If there's one fabulous thing about having your 3rd child, it's that you can walk into Babies 'R Us...
...and know you DON'T need 95% of its products!
Both Simple Mom and Baby Cheapskate recently compiled lists of baby stuff you really don't need.
I smugly ticked down their lists. With this baby, I'm going lean & green: a portable crib for next to my bed, a sling instead of stroller travel system, a convertible car seat safe for infants, and nary a bottle in the cabinets. (Don't they give you a free bottle or two in the hospital?)
Yet despite my lofty plans, I found myself committing a frugal sin: lack of preparation.
We already owned a deluxe Pack 'N Play with changing table. Check! But did I bother pulling it out to make sure the bassinet insert had all the parts?
Nope.
My husband dry fitted 2 convertible seats plus a booster in the back of our Toyota. But did we make sure the oldest could actually reach the seatbelt buckle before last week?
Nope.
No problem, I muttered, willing my blood pressure down a few points. We'll just pick up that ultra-narrow Radian 80 on our way to replace the Pack 'N Play. At $200, it's not cheap--but it's cheaper than buying a mini-van.
That is, it's cheaper if your son's broad shoulders will fit within the upper wings. Whoops!
I estimate we've spent $200 devising last-minute solutions to my overconfident plans. That's money I could have saved by better organization.
Oh well, I can blame it on the hormones. At least I won't have to store a registry full of Babies 'R Us in the garage later.
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4 Responses to “Cheerful Frugality Nests”
October 13th, 2008 at 9:05 am
WAIT! Don’t replace the Pack N Play. In between my first and second child ours came up missing a part, and I was able to replace it very reasonably through their website. It’s definitely more frugal than replacing the whole thing!
October 13th, 2008 at 9:11 am
We’ve had to do some creative car seat arranging as well and still Brenna can’t get her hand in the spot to buckle her seat, so I have to do it…We’re debating now whether to use Brenna’s old toddler seat for the baby now that he’s outgrown the infant seat. It’s in great shape, but it’s five or six years old and I think I read once not to use one that old. I have some research to do. I like to be as frugal as I can, but of course this is not an area to scrimp in.
October 13th, 2008 at 10:53 am
LOL! That’s so true. WIth my 3rd child I had 1 dresser with clothes, a basinette, a car seat, and diapers. That was it. No equipment needed!
October 13th, 2008 at 8:08 pm
Ack! What do they say about best laid plans. Sounds like what would happen to me.
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