Bragging Rights! Sharing my savings!

As some of you may already know I pride myself on being frugal and sensible. With that said I can hardly breathe when I walk into stores like Babies-R-Us and see the mark-ups on the baby items they sell. These items are only used for such a short period of time, and in my opinion, they should be priced accordingly. Instead, companies like to take advantage of this overzealous, excited, gift-giving market and charge an arm and a leg for their products, just because they know we will fall for it. Well I for one will not stand for it!!! And I ask that those of you thinking about gifting items our way also consider what is reasonable, and honestly... I would prefer you purchase a nice used item, then to over spend for my sake.

I have, indeed, registered at Babies-R-Us, only for the sake of creating an easy-to-access list for everyone so they know what we still need; otherwise, I am not expecting anyone to break the bank over me. I have carefully researched items based on their function/durability/price because if I didn’t I would likely pick all the expensive items thinking that that equals quality... which I have found it most certainly doesn't. I have also networked with moms to find out what items are most useful, and selected the items I felt had duel purposes, rather than two buy to separate items. I am also aware that many items won't even get used since "baby" will have its own preferences (swing vs. vibration).

I have been lucky enough to be going through this pregnancy at a time where internet socializing is extreme, meaning I have been able to network with a large group of moms all due in June, and have several mom-to-mom buy and swap sites at my fingertips, and the well-known kijiji. It has only been Seven years since my nephew came around, and my sister didn’t have nearly the resources that I do. Even when it comes to gaining knowledge around pregnancy it seems like I have so much more awareness then my sisters did, simply because of internet social connections. 

Anyway... my point is... I just wanted to show off some of my great finds (and savings) because I really think it’s worth bragging about!
 

Scored this used Bumbo Chair with the tray for $30 {retail value approx. $90, savings = $60}, also we got the seal of approval from our Chihuahua



Bought this travelling stroller for $41 at the Zellers clearout sale {retail value $69.99, total savings =  $28.99}

 

This Arms Reach Co-sleeper Bassinet can no longer be purchased in or shipped to Canada, I managed to find it barely used for $80 {Retail Value $300 = Total Savings $220}

Got This Gem on kijiji from a  sweet family, they also threw in an expensive Organic Mattress that was hardly used and both in immaculate condition $100 {Retail Value Crib $600, Mattress $400, Total Savings = $900}

I have also been blessed with a few hand me downs from friends and scored a number of other items from buy-and-sell sites saving to the tune of nearly $2500 so far. If your reading this and considering buying your baby items the same way, here are some rules of thumb to follow;

1. Refuse to pay more then half the original cost of any used item! {Some people will attempt to sell for more then that and I don't think it is right, because often times stores have sales and sell these items for close to 50% off brand new}

2. Make hygiene your priority {There are many warnings about buying and selling used breast pumps due to the degree of difficulty to maintain a clean system, as a rule of thumb I will only buy new bottles, and cloth diapers and other various items for the same reason}

3. Maintain your childs safety {I will not buy a used car seat because I want to ensure it has not been in an accident or expired, as well as ensuring all items have properly functioning harness systems, and being aware of the dangers/ recalls of some items}

4. Use your judgement {I scrutinize the photo of the item so I don't waste my time driving to pick up an item that isn't as advertised. In the background I can usually see if the home is well-kept, and the quality of the photo tells me whether they have possession of quality items, and take good care of them. If the photo is taken from the web, I request an actual photo of the item. Also because I know I have a lot of items I am looking for I often ask if they have other baby items they are selling that might be worth me picking up when I get there}

5. Make Exceptions if it is warrented {I was dead set on purchasing a new mattress for Hygiene/comfort reasons, however, after touring the couples home, and seeing first hand the quality and condition of the item, not to mention the fact that it was better then anything I would have purchased new, I decided to keep it}

6. Network using facebook {In my area there are four groups that I have joined that are specific to buying-and-selling childrens items. If you search "Buy and Sell" and the name of your town you should be able to connect with them. Kijiji tends to be my last resort, because I end up having to drive a farther distance for those items}

7. Research the Product {When I see something I like, I check it out online to see the original price, so I know if I am getting a deal or not. The beauty of these sites is that if I find something of a better value I can still purchase it and resell the more expensive version and get my money back}

8. Document your savings {If your like me you will want to write down the cost of the item and the amount you would have paid new, then you can look back and know what you were able to budget, and it just feels good!}

Lastly, Have fun!! It's easy to purchase items like this and not end up with the buyers remorse you feel when you know you overspent. Even though I had a lot of items to buy all at once, I know the savings far exceeds the value of it all, and in the end my child with have its needs met and my wallet will still be full.