DH and I don’t see eye to eye on cost of baby items

[Anonymous]

Take him to the store and have him test the strollers. Push them around, try to fold them, etc. If you plan to use your stroller often, it’s absolutely worth getting one that pushes smoothly, can navigate well, folds easily, has tray/cup holders, storage basket, sunshade, etc. See if you can compromise by buying a nice stroller second hand or buying other items that aren’t as important more cheaply (set a budget for all baby stuff and see if you can work it out where you get a nice, $$ stroller but then go cheap on other stuff...like get the $20 ikea high chair for instance as it’s great anyway).

Another thing to consider is waiting til the baby is here to buy things like a stroller once you’ve found out what you actually want/need. But on things you can’t wait to buy like car seat, you need to have a serious discussion and come up w a budget and plan that you both agree on.

[Anonymous]

I spent 10k on mine. I don’t think that’s too much.

[Anonymous]

My recommendation is to pick three things that are important to you (one being the car seat) and get what you really want. The rest can be purchased as either lower d d items or gently used. This is a special time and you deserve to bask in it in some ways, keeping In mind term financials. Also, some items you’ll want to be used for a second kid.

We got our stroller system (an bugaboo) used, we’ve gotten good use out of it for two kids, hoping it stays in shape for a third kid that is on its way. we are careful about car seats. Crib was bought almost new and I purchased a few clothes that I really loved, but most are hand me downs or target/gap/consignment. Child care is pricey. Don’t lose sight of the big picture.

[Anonymous]

Set a budget. Figure out what you can buy used. Figure out what you can wait to buy until the baby is here and you have a better sense of what you actually need.

Instead of fighting over every little thing, figure out a budget for gear and clothing, and then stick to it.

[Anonymous]

I agree with everyone who says to buy used. That way you can get the nicer items you want in the budget your husband wants to spend. There are so many baby items that I only used a handful of times, and outfits that they never wore once.

[Anonymous]

I am not against buying new, especially for things like car seats and strollers. The one thing I am against is buying a stroller before the baby is born. Honestly, I think you should buy the car seat that you want and a stroller frame. Then, once the baby is if you months old go try out strollers because you don’t know what’s going to fit your needs yet. I ended up with a stroller and car seat set for my first child that I absolutely hated. We spent well over $400 at the time and I was sorry that I did it. We ended up with three more strollers to fit our needs. I had a higher end umbrella stroller that we ended up using for every day use once a baby could sit up. I also had a double stroller when I had my second child, stroller frame second hand and then I had a very very cheap umbrella stroller. The first stroller I bought ended up in storage I never used it for my second child. Total waste of money, but I didn’t know and had no one to guide me.

Np here.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:He is right, you are wrong.
You won't use 90% of the crap you buy.

Agreed. We bought a couple nice outfits but DS grew out of everything so quickly or stained it, we just kept with more inexpensive stuff. You don't need to buy poor quality everything, but it's silly to buy only expensive stuff.

I disagree with this take about clothes not mattering. For me it was fun and joyful to dress my young infant in cothes I found appealing. So much of those first months is sleepless drudgery. Having cute clothes was a bit of fun. That said I got some really cute stuff at Carters and hand-me-downs from friends. I just disagree that it doesnt matter. I also think that you need 1-2 very cute outfits in each size.


Also $500 for stroller system IS cheap.

[Anonymous]

I'd pick and choose what is the most important for you to spend money on.

So I'd be open to spending a lot of a nicer car seat, but I'd go easy on clothes the baby could only wear for a matter of days or weeks. Both mine were in 12 month size by the end of my maternity leave. We had a a month at 3m size, and about 6 weeks at 6-9m size. I was really glad I mostly just had onesies and pants for those early days!

Toys and "extras" can be bought second hand for pennies.

Be choosy about what you buy that's expensive. Furniture would be the other thing, but I'd get a cheaper crib and a nicer dresser. 3 years in the crib and the dresser could last forever.

[Anonymous]

Think ahead with the stroller. If you plan to have more children relatively quickly I’d get something that can be used as a double stroller.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I consider him cheap in many areas but it’s so frustrating with baby items! I’m due late June. He complains about every item I pick out (picked a $500 stroller/car seat set and he complained that he could get one for $100 from Walmart). He complains about the clothes I pick, saying we could just go to Walmart. Says the car seat bases are too expensive. Everything is “too expensive” to him. Anyone else BTDT? It’s not a big deal because I’m just grateful to be having a baby and am praying for a healthy delivery and baby, but geez, this man has something to say about every little item!

Be aware price is most definitely not an indicator of better safety or quality with baby gear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:He is right, you are wrong.
You won't use 90% of the crap you buy.

x1000

Maybe Target is more appealing to you, but yeah, save your money. You will not use 90% of the crap. It really is crap.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I consider him cheap in many areas but it’s so frustrating with baby items! I’m due late June. He complains about every item I pick out (picked a $500 stroller/car seat set and he complained that he could get one for $100 from Walmart). He complains about the clothes I pick, saying we could just go to Walmart. Says the car seat bases are too expensive. Everything is “too expensive” to him. Anyone else BTDT? It’s not a big deal because I’m just grateful to be having a baby and am praying for a healthy delivery and baby, but geez, this man has something to say about every little item!

Be aware price is most definitely not an indicator of better safety or quality with baby gear.

Why must a stroller cost so much money? It’s just marked up to capitalize on parents wanting what they think is premium for their kid.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I consider him cheap in many areas but it’s so frustrating with baby items! I’m due late June. He complains about every item I pick out (picked a $500 stroller/car seat set and he complained that he could get one for $100 from Walmart). He complains about the clothes I pick, saying we could just go to Walmart. Says the car seat bases are too expensive. Everything is “too expensive” to him. Anyone else BTDT? It’s not a big deal because I’m just grateful to be having a baby and am praying for a healthy delivery and baby, but geez, this man has something to say about every little item!

Be aware price is most definitely not an indicator of better safety or quality with baby gear.

Why must a stroller cost so much money? It’s just marked up to capitalize on parents wanting what they think is premium for their kid.

NP. It depends on lifestyle. I don't want something that is going to break and can handle ~15mi trails/day so I'm getting a nicer, more expensive stroller with specific wheels. It also isn't a crime to not want an eye sore like a lot of the cheaper strollers. Cheap and poorly made, not just less expensive.

Why is someone at 300K HHI whining about a $500 travel system? For one child, take the cost of the stroller and divide it out. If he is seriously this upset over a $500 system that includes a car seat then he shouldn't be having a child. He'll be having kittens constantly over how much they cost.