[...] Here’s a cool list: Personal Finance Blogger Net Worth. Congrats on your new edition. [...]

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It’s true, hand-me-downs are softer and healthier
you will tons of parents only too willing to pass on toys, swings, baby baths etc that have taken over their houses.

A baby swing is a wonderful thing. The first time I put my first born in one was the first moment I had a chance to relax.

Nursing is a wonderful bonding thing for mom, wards off postpartum blues, and saves a bundle.. so it’s really worth trying.

And the best advice I was ever given was “it gets easier.”

They are so worth it.. and just think for the first few years a clean cardboard box is the most exciting toy, and the dollar store is a huge adventure. My little one calls it the “dinosaur store”. It’s a love like no other… take it easy. And don’t forget to be there with lots of foot rubs and lower back rubs. And if she wants a ten dollar tub of ice cream in the third trimester it is no time to frugal!!!

All the best, Blessings for you all.

That being said theres many ways to economise on what you really need and what you dont…

I can just picture you reading the WSJ to him in his crib. HAHA. I’d think it was funny if you wrote a childs book (with lots of big pictures) to teach how easy it is to invest money. Might be a neat area for the 6 to 10 year old crowd in schoold. It’s not hard if you truly boil it down to the the simplest form – and it could be educational, LOL.

Best advice – let Kijiji be your friend!

When it comes to baby items, there are often items that will only be used for a few months and others only a year or two. Used items are often used for such a short period that they are as good as new.

We are at the point now with two toddlers that we usually just recycle thru Kijiji (sell items we no longer need and then use the proceeds to buy what we need used). It keeps costs minimal and if you end up not liking something you can always swap it on Kijiji without losing anything (or even making a profit to put into another item).

My wife and I are expecting our first this January.

My advice on purchases = one word TARGET®

practical financial tip: save on diaper pails refills by buying this wonderful invention: Baby Trend Diaper Champ: no special bags to buy ; odorless without filters (pretty cool piston like mechanism that always keeps the inside air locked in).

Congrats! My advise to you is this: forget about the money and just love the kid and enjoy them for who they are and not what you want them to be. If you can do that you will be way richer than an million dollar net worth.

Tim

Everyone will give you their opinion, which I think is a good thing but it might get annoying. Be patient.

But since you asked for comments, here are a few (I got a 4 month old).

First and most importantly, treat your wife like a queen because she’ll need it. And don’t take anything she tells you personally. Only down side might be this kind of treatment will be expected all the time afterwards. But shouldn’t spouses always treat each other that way?

Coming down to the specifics of your question, I’ll only suggest you get a real good stroller/jogger (chariot type) as they are great in winter. Talking walks will be essential even when it’s very cold. (We all are familiar with our winters). Another model which we have is the BOB from Mountain Equipment Coop. As I said, not cheap but well worth it.

If you can establish a network of family and friends with young kids, you might be able to share things. I don’t thing we bought any of those things you mentioned apart from the stroller/jogger and a crib (from a garage sell).

Will all the financial bloggers expecting babies soon (T’is the season?), maybe we could all create a baby stuff sharing network lol.

Anyways, good luck and enjoy the process. And as much as you read and research the topic, you’ll find that when the little bundle of joy arrives, nothing could have prepared you for it.

CR

PS: Name idea, Penny

Anyway, HUGE congrats to you and the misses! :)

Freecycle will become your best friend, both for getting items the first few years and for getting rid of them after the first few years.

I recommend getting one of those bumbo chairs or whatever they are called. They support the baby so that they can sit up and look around at a few months old, which every baby I’ve seen that used one has loved.

I’ve got plans to write some more on the topic of babies since we’ve got one on the way. We’re expecting ours in the next few weeks. We should compare notes! Two tips I’ve learned so far: 1) Don’t buy everything at once. 2) Don’t turn up your nose at used items.

As far as the “we’re pregnant” phrase goes, I avoid it too. I say “my wife is pregnant” and if I’m with friends I sometimes add “and we’re confident I’m the father!” I also use “we’re expecting a baby in x months.” Or something like that. I had never considered it until I had to start saying it.

Congratulations again and good luck!

Peter

Regarding baby gear, there are only a handful of things that I felt were worth spending extra money on. A good breast pump, if your wife is going to breastfeed, would definitely fall in that category. Another thing would be the stroller. And finally, I would say the crib – you don’t need to spend a ton, but we have one crib that cost a little more than $500 and another that was less than $300 and I loathe the cheaper one. It is so loud when the rail is moved that I am always shocked my baby doesn’t wake up every time. And it’s difficult to get the rail down even with two hands, whereas with the more expensive crib, I could do it one-handed without a problem every time.

I don’t know if this book would be as helpful to a Canadian as it was to me, but the Baby Bargains book was extremely helpful to me since I found Babies R Us extremely overwhelming. It helped to narrow down the choices and not overspend. Hope that helps and again, congratulations!

Teaching your kid to be financially savvy already? Man, you really are on top of things :)