CLOTHING:
Some of the easiest ways to save money is to buy used things, and re-use things from previous children. I have a ton of girl clothes from Makenna (who's almost 2), so that is making it a little easier on our pocket. I still am buying a few new things for Kynsley Riann (our girl twin) because I want her to have new things too. Since my main focus is little boy clothing, because I have no previous little boys, I have been shopping around for used clothing. I have nothing against used clothing, as long as it's still in good condition. Things can be washed, and it's good as new. Babies grow out of clothes so quickly, that the constant replacement of clothing, can hurt the wallet. Today I got a snow suit for Reese Wyatt (had a hand me down for Kynsley from her sister still in perfect condition) for $10. I've looked online for nice, good quality ones and even on the economy, and they want $30+ for one. I was very pleased with my $10 purchase, it's a little big, so it'll fit him longer, but it looked brand new. The other day I went to a yard sale, and managed to get Reese some sleepers, outfits, socks, and bibs. I spent $25 and got about 60 different things which included enough socks to last him till he's one. When yard sales are a bust, which happens a lot, sales are going to be another great option. I have bought Reese and Kynsley new things from various websites, Kohls, Walmart, and Children's place, but didn't pay full price for anything! I am a big fan of waiting for sales, shopping ahead of time (buying some of the next size because it's on sale), and using coupons. One website, that is hit or miss, most of the time a hit though, is called www.retailmenot.com. It has coupon codes for anything, whether it be a percentage off an order, or even free shipping. I LOVE it. The reason I have not listed consignment stores is because I do not have the availability of them here in Germany, but they are definitely something I suggest going to. Many of them, like Once Upon a Child, will even give you money and store credit for what your little one has outgrown, helping make buying the next size bigger, easier.
CRIBS:
After doing lots of searching and researching, finding a crib (2 in my case), that is affordable, good quality, and functional is a challenge. With my daughter, Makenna, we paid over $500 for her convertible crib, mattress, changing table, and a small 3 drawer dresser. That seems like a lot, but both my husband and I were working, so we could afford it. Going into this pregnancy, I am not working any longer, and we will be moving in February, leaving the comfort of our military paycheck, so we can't afford to pay that again. But that doesn't mean the twins will go without having nice furniture. Some people will buy a used crib, and I would if I knew the previous owner, but other than that, I won't. So, onto crib searching. IKEA is a wonderful store, here in Germany and in the USA. We managed to find cribs and mattresses for $49 a piece. What a steal!! They are European style, so they are smaller, lower to the ground, but I like that they are less bulky. The mattress can adjust to a 2 different levels. I put a picture above (crib sitting at it's highest level). We got them both the same crib, and bought different bedding sets.
There are other ways to save money, and I'll elaborate more later on other baby items too.
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