Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

How much have some of you spent on the necessities post baby shower? For some reason I feel like we may not get the necessary things and need to be prepared to buy stuff after, but no clue how much this may be.

I am starting to get stressed over thinking about the what ifs...and how much we need to still save for our We are still trying to save for when I go out on maternity leave....the holidays.....necessities that we may have to buy ourselves....and regular bills.

My husbands 30th bday is also next year and I was thinking of taking him on a trip to Puerto Rico in aug but booking the airfare now since the prices are low and paying it off slowly. I am starting to think I am crazy for trying to do that and don't wanna get into a huge whole. So any advice would be great!

Re: Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

This is really hard to answer because it depends on so many things.

I was FLOORED by how much I received from my shower - I anticipated needing to buy a lot more myself. We will need to purchase our stroller (500) but we got just about every other necessity.

- are you having a shower? If so, how many people are invited?
- what do you consider a necessity?
- how expensive are your tastes?

I will say at least 50% of your registry is probably non-essential items that won't be used for quite some time. For example, I registered for the convertible car seat but won't need that until the baby is 1-2? I didn't receive it, but I'm not going to buy it until closer to the time it's needed. Same thing with sippy cups, toddler feeding items, toys, etc.

If you are really concerned, try to minimize the size of your registry to the necessities - you can check it when it's closer to your shower or due date and then add things like I mentioned above if you've already received the newborn stuff.

Also, evaluate how expensive the items you are registering for. Do I need a 500 stroller - NO. I picked a 35 dollar bouncy chair which I think will be just fine (some are as much as 70). Bedding is another area you can save you - you don't need a fancy expensive bedding set - you just need some sheets and a mattress pad. I have been shopping sales for clothes and have gotten items for as low as 2-3-even 4 dollars. Much cheaper than paying full price at the baby stores. Again, you only need size 0-3 months right away, the larger stuff you can buy as you go.

Check out baby bargains book for other ideas on items you can save money on.

Re: Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

i felt the same exact way you did before my shower... and still am a little anxious about money especially because of maternity leave however i started really thinking about my registry and took off things that were cute but not really necessities. a lot of people tend to get the cutsey things and for some reason just dont like getting the necessities (i could understand how they feel weird getting diapers rather than a swing but thats what us moms to be need). so if people followed my registry, they were forced to buy the necessities, lol... others still bought other stuff of course but it did help that i did this. also, remember you can exchange and use this to your advantage. after your shower, go through everything, if you want to really save, return some of the cute/non necessities or even things you might not need for 6 months, and buy diapers, wipes, creams, etc. or get the credit and save it for when you are maternity leave and use as cash. GOOD LUCK!!!

also, when someone actually asked what i wanted, i would say, honestly, just diapers and stuff like that. at first i felt bad even answering and would say, oh whatever you decide but then i was like screw it, im going to just tell them since they are offering.

eta: also, as the above poster mentioned, about clothes... carters always has awesome sales. i got a lot from there. also, at your shower, especially if you have a work shower or just random people will get you clothes. wont be clothes you registered for but its still a big help. so personally, i didnt concentrate on registering for more than a few outfits on my registry. also, im not washing/taking tags off of some stuff so i can return for other stuff if i dont use it because he grows out of the size too fast.

another way to save is to really do research on larger items and see what weight limit they go up to. this isnt always an initial savings but in the long run, youll get much more use out of items. for example, i got only a convertible stroller instead of an infant one plus a convertible. i got a stroller that was from newborn until like 60 lbs.

Message edited 10/31/2012 3:15:09 PM.

Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

basically, what the previous posters said...i am not having a shower so i will have to buy most of the stuff myself. however, IMO, if i was worried about how much to save and how much iw ould still need to buy, plus add in Xmas and regular expenses, not to mention, the sheer cost of living for a baby, like formula and diapers, iw ouldnot be buying any tickets for a trip you may or may not take next August. That is still a year away and you can easily buy tickets in the winter or early next year when you have a handle on how your finances are. If you are not able to go away, I'm sure your DH will understand and you can do something more within your budget at that time.

Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

Not much at all, I exchanges a few things I got duplicates or didn't need for things I did need and used a coupon. I only spent like $80 of my own money to get the car seat, the base and snap and go. All I need to get now is a changing pad and a few bed sheets. Might need a few clothes like basic white onsies but I got so much stuff. Might need a few more bottles.

I got so much stuff at my shower, I would not worry until after...

Some people put money on my "VIB" account from babies r us so that will be used for diapers. I have plenty of wipes for right now.

Lots of cute extras on my registry weren't purchased but I won't be getting those. I just dont have the money. I would love to spend a bunch money on nursery decor but we need the $$ for other things.

Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

Yea I already decided to nix the trip. And maybe push it to the holidays next year where we can plan together and the baby will be here and we will have more of an idea of the extra monthly expense the baby will bring.

We already purchased our stroller ourself since it was sold out online for a long time. If we end up getting it we can return the one we bought.

I'm not too worried about clothing because I know my mom buys stuff every time she passes a store.....but I know when it's a girl people get caught up in buying cute stuff that's not even on the registry over necessities. My shower is in less than 2 weeks and 2 things have been bought. So I'm hoping its a lot of last min shopping.

I know around 50 people were invited....don't know how's by are actually attending though.

Re: Question for BTDT moms...or those close to the end

yeah, people really do last minute shopping for showers.. so try not to worry... again, until my shower, i was anxious too about what i would/would not get...youll feel better afterwards knowing where you stand and then youll go from there