Your Debt-Free Nursery Checklist

Decisions decisions decisions… when it comes to having a baby and raising a tiny human, the decisions… are endless. Here’s one thing to remember – don’t go crazy and spend before your bundle of joy gets here. Babies come with a very large price tag, and you certainly don’t want to go into debt before they arrive.

Ok, I will be honest — I am starting to go a little crazy and overboard before my bundle of joy gets here in a few weeks. I’ve set up the baby’s nursery, but I keep buying something new and unnecessary every day. If you’re setting up your new baby’s nursery here are 5 ways you can save money and avoid going overboard.

Baby Gear Needs

Less is more when it comes to babies. If you’re on a tight budget and you’re worrying yourself silly about buying all the latest gadgets from milk preparing machines and nappy bins then just take a second to remember what’s really important here: you’re bringing a new life into your family!

So what do you need? A great breast pump (if you go that route), a changing table, a few onesies, stroller, car seat, pacifiers, bottles, a crib/bassinet,  thermometer and nail clippers. That’s it. All of those you can even order to be at your door when you get home from the hospital.

The crib: The crib should be your investment piece in the room. You may be thinking this is a temporary item and not worth the expense, but many kids sleep in their cribs for three or more years. Some cribs convert to toddler beds and even full-size beds.

The changing table: There’s no way around it… With babies come dirty diapers. And, really, the only way to make this experience as pleasant as possible is to be sure you have all the essentials close at hand, which is where your changing table comes in handy.

First and foremost, you’ll need somewhere to actually change your baby. You have two options here, a freestanding changing table or a changing pad that can be added on top of a dresser. Either will work, it’s really all about space.

The nursery chair: This may well be a splurge — ask yourself, is there another a comfortable place to sit. You’ll sit here to rock your baby to sleep, feed her, read to her, laugh with her, cuddle with her, maybe even share a good cry at 4 am with her. In short, it’ll be a place of a lot of parent-baby bonding and you can do this in any room on any chair.

Baby Gear Skips

I have a feeling my baby (and yours) won’t remember whether his milk was warmed up the old-fashioned way or with a device. What is important is he grows up feeling safe, secure and loved by a Mum and Dad who thought about their long-term well being.

Skip the wipe warmer, bottle warmer, baby shoes, and don’t buy too many newborn clothes. Expect your baby to triple their birth weight by the time they are one. So don’t spend money on cute onesies they will quickly outgrow.

Pro Tip: Don’t buy too many blankets because you will get these as gifts whether you ask for it or not.

Make the Most of Your Registry

If you are fortunate enough to have someone throw you a baby shower, then a registry is a must. But make sure you get the most out of your baby shower gifts by registering for priority items.

Some sites will allow you to prioritize your items for guests to see. I also recommend registering for cash gifts. You can label them with fun goals and themes so guests know what they are contributing to.

Keep Your Receipts

Inevitably, the temptation will always be there to splurge and overspend on a new baby and this is 1000% understandable… but believe me, don’t take tags off and save all your receipts. There is so much you do not need but you’ll never really know until you buy it and don’t use it.

Smart Money Tip: Consider borrowing or buy second hand. Just research product recalls before you accept any items to make sure your baby is safe.

So, there you have it, you’re now ready to set up your own debt-free nursery. What waste-of-money baby products did I miss? What would you add to – or take off – this list? Leave a comment below!