Disclosure: This is a collaborative post.
Having a baby is an expensive business, but it does not have to be as expensive as you might have imagined because there are a lot of commonly purchased baby items that you really do not need. Let’s take a look at some of them right now:
Baby shoes
Baby shoes look very cute indeed, but your baby is not going to be walking, so does he or she really need them? Probably not. Baby socks are much cheaper and will keep your little one’s feet warm in a much more comfortable way than the average pair of baby shoes, so save your money for something more practical that you will need like diapers, diapers, and more diapers!
Crib bumpers
Crib bumpers are those plush pillow-like wall pieces that you place around the inner edges of the crib. They are designed to prevent your baby from banging their head on the walls of the crib or getting limbs tangled inside them. The thing is, crib bumper safety is under a lot of debate. There is some evidence to suggest that they may not actually be that safe because the risk of them suffocating or choking a baby is probably far greater than your baby being injured by the bars or slats of any modern crib. So, that is another unnecessary baby item that you can almost certainly remove from your list.
Baby towels
Baby towels are very cute, but again, they are not really necessary. There is absolutely no reason why your baby can not be dried using the same towels you use, and actually, adult towels are often far more absorbent, which means it may actually be easier for you to use them for baby bath time.
Baby hairbrushes
Unless your child is born with a thick head of hair, which some babies occasionally are (and it’s totally adorable) chances are they will not have enough hair for tangles and the like to become a problem, which means you can probably do without the tiny baby brushes too.
Wipe warmers
Wipe warmers seem like a good idea because a warm wipe has to be more comfortable than a cold one, but actually, as soon as you remove the wipe from the warmer, it gets cool again, and actually, cold wipes are not all that cold. Your baby really won’t mind if you don’t warm their wipes before changing time, so doing without is a really good way of saving money when you’re about to bring a new life into the world and you need every cent you can save to care for their needs.
Baby Cologne
It’s staggering to me that baby cologne is even a thing. Babies are one of the best smelling things there is and most parents would agree that their baby smells better than just about anything else including roses and fine French perfume. So, it is safe to say that you really don’t need to waste your money on that.
Baby bathtubs
Baby bathtubs are another item that is really cute, but which you don’t really need for your baby if you already have a bathtub. After all, your baby is not going to be bathing alone, so it’s not like they need the smaller scale tub to keep them safe.
It really is just as easy to wash your baby in your own tub – just make sure you only fill it to a shallow level, and it will save you buying a storing a dedicated bay tub too, Some parents even wash their babies in the sink because it is smaller and at waist level, which makes bathing the bay even easier!
Diaper Genies
If you have a decent trash can with a tight lid, then buying a Diaper Genie is pretty unnecessary because you can simply put diapers in the trash can and empty it when it is full as you normally would. There is literally nothing better about a diaper genie for the vast majority of people, which is why you see so many of them being sold at garage sales. Save yourself the time and money and use your existing trash can instead.
Lots of blankets
Okay, babies absolutely need blankets, but they don’t need as many as you might think, and if you are having a baby shower, you will end up with a load of them from friends and family members anyway so hold off on buying any until your shower and save yourself the expense.
Lots of baby toys
Again babies do need to have some toys to stimulate, them, but don’t go out and buy up the whole toy store because you will find that most babies are as happy playing with a wooden spoon or your TV remote or whatever you already have to hand as they are with a specially bought baby toy. Babies are brand new, and as such, everything is fascinating to them so you really don’t need lots of specialist toys to keep them happy.
Fancy baby clothes
They may look adorable in them, but fancy baby clothes are a needless expense when your baby is going to be peeing and pooping and spitting up around the clock. Not only that, but if they don’t have poppers then it will take you more time than necessary to change them which is not ideal when you’re a tired new parent. Simple rompers are always a better choice.
Lots of bottles
Those huge bottle sets you can buy always never get used, with the same handful of bottles being used for feeds all the time, so buy a smaller set and save a little cash instead of wasting it on more stuff than you will ever really need.
As you can see, there are lots of “essential” baby items that are not at all essential. So, sure buy them if they are things you would like to have, but if you’re looking to save a little money, you can almost certainly do without.
