Layette as you go

There are A LOT of lists online and at almost every baby store. All of them have common things in the list, they usually vary in terms of the quantities.

For my first born, the hubby and I had limited budget since I had to quit for health reasons but we had very supportive grand parents from both sides who pitched in.

But usual mistakes of first time parents (in my case) would be to splurge on:

1. Excess quantities of items the baby most likely grow out of easily - things that sometimes, they don't get to use at all

2. Unnecessary items that either the parent or the baby can't use much or can't use at all - usually these things are the "newest in the market" or "the one I saw this celebrity or other parent using" or "the sales lady said it's their best seller", etc. etc. etc.

3. It's really cute or it looks cool - period

4. I "MIGHT" need It or the baby "MIGHT" need it

5. It's a steal! Super discounted!

Hard lessons I've learned:

1. Babies to grow really fast and up to 7 years old (mine is at 3 years old now and I'm still catching my breath)

2. Not all of the cool stuff are the good stuff - certain baby items nowadays are marketed in a way that makes basic consumers just grab it and go without looking at the fine print. Let's face it, in this fast paced world, who wouldn't want do have everything done with a press of a button. Consumers are also more brand conscious just because PRICE = QUALITY. Better think again. Not everything so highly priced is as efficient. effective or SAFE as it seems. But there are of course exceptions to the rule which are items considered as INVESTMENTS.

3. Saving items for later is a craft that every parent should learn - you'll never know how much you need it until you can't find that item anymore or how much you could have saved if the things your first baby had was properly stored and kept for the next one. These range from basic infant clothing used with care, toys that can be cleaned and sterilized, furniture you should have kept and restored, etc.

4. Buying items as if you were in a marathon - it's exciting to buy baby stuff, they are obviously cute! who can't resist? But most parents tend to buy in one or two trips and with stuff that the baby (inside the tummy) will use until he/she is like 3 or 4 years old! Obviously, everyone is unique and you will start to see that from DAY 1 of each person's existence. One baby likes those wide neck bottles while the other only wants the regular thin bottles. Some babies like to sleep on the bed while other babies like to sleep in their cribs. There are now several options on how to allot things for babies, that you can buy them one step at a time or at least buy items that are dual purpose see: http://mommygoestomarket.blogspot.com/2010/02/crib-hunt.html

It's a matter of getting to know your baby for the first few weeks before you go on overspending on items you may not use later on or just yet.

My next posts will be mostly about my second baby's layette items. This time, I'm TRYING to be a smarter shopper. I'm buying things a few pieces at a time. It's making sure that I'm getting what I'll be needing at least for 1-3 months and focus on the more important stuff to budget on.

I've found really nice and cool stuff which for me, are quite affordable based on serious window shopping during my first trimester and from my previous experiences as well as prices I've found online.