Tips to Save Money When Setting Up Your Baby’s Nursery
There’s no way around it – having a baby is an expensive endeavor. As you await the birth of your baby, you’ll have lots of time for your mind to wander. Eventually your thoughts will turn to money. It’s scary to know you’re going to be responsible for another human being for at least the next 18 years. From food tomedical insurance, clothing and college, the dollar amounts will add up in your head. Just shopping for nursery furniture can cause a minor panic attack. Before going out to shop, read over these helpful tips to help you save when setting up your baby’s nursery.
The most important thing to remember when furnishing and decorating your baby’s nursery is that you’ll only be using these things temporarily, a few years at best. As hard as it is to believe now, your baby will grow up fast and grow right out of the baby furniture. It might be tempting to buy a beautiful set of matched baby furniture, but in a few years you’ll end up having to buy your child another set of furniture to accommodate his or hergrowing size. Tiny little baby clothes will fit into a regular dresser or chest of drawers. These can be purchased from discount furniture stores and are a lot less expensive than purchasing furniture from a specialty baby furniture store. You can also save money by purchasing unfinished and unassembled furniture.
The crib is the centerpiece of the nursery. This is the one piece of furniture in the nursery that can cost you the most, from $100-$200 for a basic model to over $1,000 for a top of the line model. Whether you purchase an inexpensive crib or spend a small fortune on it, every crib is required by law to meet certain safety requirements. It might seem appealing to purchase a second-hand or used crib off the internet or out of the newspaper to save some money, but this is one area where you should never skimp. Your baby’s safety should be your number one concern and older cribs may have been recalled or have some type of structural issue that would make it unsafe for your baby. It’s much better to purchase a new, safe, lower-end crib than a higher-end used crib.
You’ll need linens and bedding for your baby’s crib. You need several sets of fitted crib sheets and other assorted bedding items. Purchasing these items together in a set, like the My Baby Sam Paisley set usually saves some money rather than purchasing each item individually.
You may want to paint and decorate the nursery in very specific baby theme. However, design trends are changing and many parents-to-be are choosing colors schemes that will extend beyond the infant years. This eliminates the need to repaint in a year or two. Some popular color schemes right now are chocolate brown and teal and pink and orange. The shabby chic style is also very popular, where colors don’t reallymatch and items have a vintage look. If you’re feeling creative and want to make your own color palette, visit COLOURLovers, an online color resource where you can create your own.
Remember, safety is always the most important thing when purchasing anything for your baby. Start shopping for the items you need as soon as possible. It will allow you to take your time, do your research and find the best possible deals before your new baby joins your family.