crazying spending

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I was chatting with a friend about baby stuff. She's an MD so it just naturally happened and she had her first last September.

Did you know one of the most popular strollers is the Bugaboo Camelon? Amazon.com: Bugaboo Cameleon - Dark Grey Base, Fleece - Orange: Baby

It's $979. Please tell me people don't actually spend $979 on a stroller? Okay I understand my DH and I associate with people with very high incomes, but come ON!

I can't wrap my head around these things. Her stroller was $600 for a Quinny Buzz. Our neighbors are 26 weeks and are buying definitely top of the line stuff.

Me? I was thinking used or cheap Costco stuff. I saw a safety first stroller today in costco with 2 car seat bases for $149. And a pack and play for $119. All new. And a crib for $150. I was thinking of "splurging" and getting that all new.

But am I way off base? Is it ridiculous to think these new costco baby stuff aren't as good?

[gamecock43]

no the Costco stuff is no good. You cant get the baby stuff there. The high end boutique products actually raise your kids IQ level and are directly related to increased athleticism later in life. You don't want to deny your child all of the benefits from the high end products- do you!? Shopping at Costco pfft. Thats crazy talk.

[Go.XTina]

^ Lol

[marvholly]

I am VERY much older but have grand kids of 4 years, 15 months, and twins of 3 1/2 months.

My DD's did ALL new stuff mostly from Target & Babies R Us for the "hardware." Wearables were some purchased at outlet stores/Target.....and MUCH hand me downs, esp for the first year. There is NO way they would have spent or listed for items in the $$ you are saying.

i know older DD got a dresser at Goodwill or Salvation Army & the 4 y/o is still using it. Older DD also got a hand me down crib (after checking safety issues and just replaced the matress.

Where I would go new and check consumer reports, etc is the car safety seat. Both DD got the Graco combo stroller/car seat set (my baby shower gift). I spent about $225 & 280 (about 3 years apart-prob 300-325 now but watch for sales and/or coupons).

[Tree0164]

The stuff from Costco is good! Wait until you have a shower you may get a lot of stuff that you are planning to buy new.

Babies don't need alot some clothes, a car seat, a crib, maybe a bassinet while they are really small. My sister has a newborn and she is totally overwhelmed with all the baby stuff-much of it hasn't even been used or will be used.

[zetta]

The Costco/Target/Babies R Us stuff is just as good. You may feel the occasional pang of stroller-envy when you hang out with your high-income friends and see their uber-chic strollers with cool modern design, but you'll get over it. Think of it in terms of cars -- they may choose the latest year BMW (or porche?) while you are perfectly happy with a Honda or Toyota (and know that many people get by perfectly well with something much more modest.)

I would recommend checking Consumer Reports before buying the carseat -- when I bought ours 4 years ago, the Graco seats were better rated than Safety First, and you can get them for a similar price at Target.

For the crib, I would recommend going used for a higher-end brand. For instance I would've paid about $200 for the cheapest new crib at BRU, but got a Pali (which retails for about $500-$600) used with mattress for $200 at a garage sale. The construction and materials are definitely better. Cribs don't get much wear-and-tear, maybe a few toothmarks at the worst.

Ditto on a glider. Shermag and Dutailler are both good brands, and can be had for $50-$100 on Craig's List.

If you want a jogging stroller, it's worth paying a little extra to get one of the better brands such as the Bob. Although I got by ok with a $25 cheapo from a garage sale the first time, I'm splurging on a used Phil and Teds for around $350 this time. I wasn't sure I would use it for anything other than beach walks, and ended up joining a group of moms that went trail hiking every week.

If you have friends that buy the Bugaboo, you'll likely get a lot of cool stuff at your baby shower.

[PrincessPerky]

Research the carseat, don't assume they are all the same, and find out what you really need.

for example I do not ever take the baby seat/carrier out of the car, so I have no need of special bases.

I do however have a growing kid, so I need the kind that adjusts to the baby easily, sure I could do it the old fashioned reposition buckles way, but it is a ROYAL PIA (I know I did it for 3 kids, last kid got the new fangled pull thingie)

IMO, buy a new carseat, relatively recent crib (safety standards have changed) and acquire a sling, then stop worrying..all the rest will be given or not needed (you have a blanket, towel and washcloth at home, you have no need of a special baby version)

OK you will need diapers...you might be surprised at how easy cloth ones can be...

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I am not sure if I'll get a lot from my coworkers baby shower wise and I only have a couple of friends. Most of our family will give us cash which I figured to stash instead of spending. I thought college fund instead of stuff.

Is it worth buying an infant car seat/toddler and then having to buy again?

My neighbors bought a hugely expensive car seat that goes up to full grown they were saying and a crib that converts to a full size bed.

[zetta]

To me, it was totally worth buying the infant seat that lifts out of the base and into a stroller. Sure, you only use it for 4-6 months, but it's HEAVEN to be able to move a sleeping infant around this way. It's also handy when you go grocery shopping or to Target -- the carrier will fit in the child section of most shopping carts, and most babies can't sit on their own until about 6 months.

Another piece of advice I got from a friend was to go out to as many restaurants as you can while the child is less than six months and immobile. They will often sleep through a meal if you time it right, and the carrier is very restaurant friendly since it will fit in the most common type of wooden high-chair provided by restaurants.

After the baby outgrows the carrier, I like a convertible seat that can later become a booster seat.

I thought most of the cribs that converted to full size beds looked ugly, but that's just personal taste. Besides, if you plan on a second baby, you'll move the older child into another bed so you can reuse the crib anyway.

[whitestripe]

what i dont get is: you're only going to have these things for a few years. $979 for a stroller? what, is the child going to drive it to high school??? are they going to attach tin cans to the back and use it as their wedding car?

[LivingAlmostLarge]

It might be for people looking to buy new everything? It's easy to get caught up with your first kid.

[disneysteve]

Originally Posted by whitestripe

what i dont get is: you're only going to have these things for a few years. $979 for a stroller? what, is the child going to drive it to high school??? are they going to attach tin cans to the back and use it as their wedding car?

LOL. And the funny thing is the kid couldn't care less. I was at a wedding Saturday night. The groom's sister has an infant. At one point, the baby was sound asleep on the table where the placecards and sign-in book had been. No fancy padding or fine fabric or adjustable anything. Just a blanket and he was fine. Babies don't need all the crap that parents think they have to spend thousands of dollars for.

[MelC]

Originally Posted by LivingAlmostLarge

I am not sure if I'll get a lot from my coworkers baby shower wise and I only have a couple of friends. Most of our family will give us cash which I figured to stash instead of spending. I thought college fund instead of stuff.

Is it worth buying an infant car seat/toddler and then having to buy again?

My neighbors bought a hugely expensive car seat that goes up to full grown they were saying and a crib that converts to a full size bed.

I agree with another Poster that having the carseat that is just for infants (the kind with the base that stays in the car and the carseat comes out) is a huge convenience. You will NOT want to be disrupting a sleeping baby!! My daugter was in her's her entire first year of her life. She was just on the small side. She also slept in it for naps at friends houses, when she was sick and had to sleep upright.. The can snap right into a stroller..

Then we got the forward facing carseat when she was 20pounds and one year old. That one lasted her through kindergarten. I couldve continued to use it per the law and her size but it did look babyish so that is when I got a booster seat that was cheap and sold the booster seat on Craigslist.

Booster seats another thing that people spend mad money on when you can get a perfectly good booster seat at Kmart or Big Lots for 15 bucks! I got a spare one for my mothers car for $10 at Kmart on sale.

Personally I would never buy a used carseat, even though I have sold them. You are not supposed to use these again if they have been in a car accident or even dropped because they can get tiny fractures that you can't see but disrupt the integrity of the carseat if it is involved in a later car accident.

My sister is having her first this October- TWINS! They are on a definite budget and she has found so many wonderful deals from Craigslist and sales. She also went to a twins club yard sale which was very large and she found cute twin outfits and all kinds of supplies/toys in great condition. One thing that is good about these people overspending on their kids- maybe they will pass it all on via a yard sale later!!!

That's my two cents

[zetta]

Personally I would never buy a used carseat, even though I have sold them. You are not supposed to use these again if they have been in a car accident or even dropped because they can get tiny fractures that you can't see but disrupt the integrity of the carseat if it is involved in a later car accident.

I would not buy a used carseat, but consider it ok to accept a recent hand-me-down from a friend who I know has not been in an accident.

[MonkeyMama]

We went mostly used everything. We got a cute new crib for $200. Not sure why you need much better - like zetta said - cribs don't get much wear.

Car seats are the one exception, for me. Though we went more mid line than top of the line. Also, check reviews on carseats - a lot of the most recommended/fancy ones don't fit in smaller cars. We definitely had an infant carseat - I think more about safety than anything. My kids outgrew that thing so fast - but was worth it. We bought it for safety probably, and I have to second the convenience thing. We weren't big stroller users, but used the infant seat a lot to carry the baby around. The second carseat we bought was for many more years. My son is just graduating from it at 4 - and both kids got use of it. Plus you can sell them for a high price in the end. Though we went new and more expensive with carseats, we recovered most of the cost easily in resale. I defend the more expensive booster seats - we travel a lot and the headrests are awesome. Also, more imperative when you transfer a younger kid to a booster (My son went to one when he was 2). When they are 5 or 6, all they need is a little boost for $15 - yes.

As far as everything else - used on Craigslist - turn around and sell for the same price when you are done. That is they nice thing about baby stuff. I remember I really wanted a particular baby sling for a trip to Hawaii, and I could not find it used for the life of me. I cringed when I bought it new for around $100, but when we got back from vacation I sold it for $100 on ebay. That's how it tends to go.

We didn't even buy 1/4 of what most of our friends did. Diaper genie, wipe warmers, bottle warmers, changing tables, travel systems, on and on and on. Not sure why anyone would need most of it. everyone I know most definitely had nicer strollers. Eh. If you are going to walk every day - consider getting a nice stroller. We just never used ours much - so didn't see the point in spending a ton. Plus, those strollers are HUGE. We wanted something compact and useful.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

I just bought a baby bjorn for $9 on ebay and I think it's good. I was going to borrow for free but I didn't want to return it.

One thing doesn't strollers also depend on how it fits the people? I mean taller/shorter? Same with carseats?

Anyone here drive a corolla 90s? What car seats did you use?

[geojen]

I totally agree--get the infant car seat. We got a stroller-car seat set and love it. It is nice to be able to take the baby for a walk and put the car seat right in the stoller and be able to cover him completely from the sun, wind, whatever. Totally convienent. There will be things that you will want to purchase after the baby comes home to make your life easier. It is easy to scoff at certain products now, but at 3 am a bottle warmer beside your bed may sound like heaven. Or a infant swing. Who knows what you will find that will make your life easier. Every baby is different.

One thing that we splurged on, and that I absolutely loved was a moses basket. It served as a bassinet and was totally movable to any part of the house. Our son slept in it for months.

[FrugalFish]

We had a stroller/car seat combo we bought at Target for $150 (I think it's evenflo). It was really great, but I was surprised at how little we actually ended up using the stroller. She's a tall 3.5 year old now and still fits the stroller fine- in case we want to go to a theme park or some such, so I guess it's a good option to still have around. When she got big enough though, we switched to one of those little folding strollers for trips to the mall or the park, they are so much smaller and more maneuverable.

One of the problems we ran up against was having a small old Honda and finding a good car seat that would fit reasonably well in it. I heard the same complaints from people who have larger SUVs too. Our front seat had to be all the way forward until we were able to turn her seat around- it was only for a year or so.

But not to ramble too much, yes it is nuts what people will spend when expecting a baby. We have a number of things that we used well and I still question if they were good purchases just because the time frame of use was so short.

[LivingAlmostLarge]

A new car? I've heard that a lot. Buying a new car when expecting. I'm terrified since we have older cars. I am tempted to look at a newer car, but a new car with a baby on the way is scary.

The 2 dr focus we do want to get rid of but not enough to pay for it yet.

[PrincessPerky]

I used a laundry basket instead of a moses basket..worked great for several kids (and holds lots of laundry when not holding a kid)

We had a rather smallish car with the first, we used a baby carrier car seat with no base, it fit nice and snug, with room upfront for my 6ft tall self. but I never would be able to get one of those convertible from infant to boosters to fit backwards in that car. Nor a car seat with a base (the base makes them bigger)

As to if I find the smaller ones worth it when you have to get a bigger one after a year, as a mother of 4 who never had any one kid in any seat for long before needing it for the next kid..umm yeah multiple worth it, I have one baby seat, one 'middle' seat, and three boosters. (baby one is only used for about a year, middle size next 2-3years, boosters thereafter) So I get my money out of them, but not sure a parent of less kids would? I do know that taking your tiny 7-11 lb baby home in a giant car seat that will one day fit your 40lb toddler is prolly a bit scary...

If you know anyone with car seats, spares or moving up, or the day they vacuum if the car seat is out, you could try them out on your car. and you would be surprised what you can do when you want, I had a small car with three seats crammed across the back for awhile.

Yes height matters with strollers, and in a way car seats, my babies legs are always way scrunched by the time a year is hit (they hit 20lb long before the year) some car seats fit rear facing have different leg room than others, though all within an inch or two.

Strollers are a royal PIA for a 6ft tall person, they are too low, I have heard of extenders for the handles, but I don't like them regardless (how often have you seen daddy carrying kid while mommy pushes baby less stroller? Not to mention how often you see empty stroller in your way as you squeeze around racks of junk or tables in a mall. Not to mention the number of 3 year olds who cannot see over the handles pushing them into you and whatever else is around)

Anyway, those carriers are anything but easy to carry..they do however hold sleeping infants in a variety of places...though so does a blanket, or sling....

Side note, from my own personal close observation of 6 babies (plus my own 4) the 4 that were in carriers all the time till they outgrew them walked WELL past a year, the 2 who were mostly only in car seats in cars walked at about a year. (then there are my 4 kids all walked by a year, all rarely in car seats)

This does not mean carriers are automatically cause for concern, just that the habit of leaving a kid in a car seat longer than necessary might not be for the best. Or maybe kids who are contented enough to remain are contented enough not to walk (only my last kid counts as contented)