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Having a baby is expensive y’all. Pretty sure we’re still getting bills from the hospital. Many first time parents feel like they have to get the expensive car seat that some influencer posted a picture of on instagram otherwise they’re not doing right by their child. I’m here to tell you that’s not true at all! You can provide amazing things for your little one on a budget. And trust me your baby is not going to care that they weren’t driven around in an Uppababy when they grow up. So here are the Top 5 Items that I’ve discovered as a first time Mom that are amazingly affordable and incredibly good.
1. Evenflo Pivot Travel System ($268.00, Amazon) – I looked at the Nuna Carseat. I pinned the Uppababy Stroller. I researched and researched until Google told me to get a life. At the end of the day, I couldn’t justify spending so much money on something my son would only be in for a few months to a year. Not to mention we didn’t have it in the budget. This travel system had excellent reviews on Amazon, was at an affordable price point, and by a company that has been making things for babies since I was an infant. Moreover, it not only included a car seat but a convertible bassinet to toddler seat attachment. The equivalent system from Uppababy costs $1200! I say save the money for your kid’s college fund and get this system instead. I think we made the perfect decision for our family. Rigel likes the Evenflo SafeMax car seat that comes with the system and Mama loves that it comes with a drink holder attachment for when we’re out running errands.
2. Infantino Cuddle Up Hoodie Fox Carrier ( $37.87, Walmart) – So this purchase was an accident. We were taking a day trip to Savannah, GA and both my husband and I forgot to pack our wonderful stroller pictured above. Not only did we forget to pack our stroller we also forgot to pack the much more expensive baby carrier that we had bought. So desperate, we went to the closest Walmart and found this carrier. It had good reviews but I was not expecting it to perform as well as our more expensive carrier did. It turns out that Rigel loved it. And my husband who did the carrying on that trip said he found it to be just as comfortable as our more expensive carrier. Plus it’s insanely cute with the little Fox hoodie. If you’re on a budget don’t pass this one up. It’s amazing!
3. Bright Starts Zig Zag Zebra Portable Swing ($49.99, Amazon) – We have a more expensive swing that we got and guess what: it was great when he was a newborn and still enjoyed being swaddled but now that he’s figured out he has limbs and wants to play it’s getting used less and less. Plus I can’t move it from room to room in a pinch. This swing on other hand folds up so I can move it from one room to the next or even take it with us on a trip! It runs on batteries and even though we’ve used it every day since we got it a month ago I still haven’t had to change them. And bonus the seat reclines so if Rigel falls asleep in it, I can just recline him back to make him more comfortable while he snoozes. Keep your Mamaroos this swing is where it’s at for busy Moms on a budget with active tykes.
4. Rock It Portable Baby Rocker ($49.99, Amazon) – Let’s say you can’t afford to hire a baby nurse and you can’t afford a Snoo but you think Dr. Karp is a genius with his 5S’s. While the company doesn’t endorse this usage we figured out that we could use the Rock-It Portable Baby Rocker to rock our Fisher-Price Soothing Motions Bassinet just enough to get Rigel to fall asleep once he hit a month old and was having some trouble settling down. It’s also a life-saver if you use it for it’s intended purpose which is to rock your stroller when you’re stopped out about town. The Rock-It will Rock baby for a good 30 minutes before shutting off. That’s plenty of time for your baby to fall asleep. So save that Snoo rental fee and rig up your bassinet because you still have to figure out how you’re going to pay for preschool.
5. Hello Bello Diapers ($23.94/Jumbo Box, Walmart) – If you’re worried about what touches your baby’s bottom but you’re pretty sure you’re spending your retirement savings on Honest Co. then you must check out these diapers. Free of chlorine and all the other additives you don’t want near your baby’s little bits this line of baby care products was founded by Kristen Bell and Dax Shepard. With oh-so-cute designs and great price point, I found that these diapers have kept in all of Rigel’s messes the best. And I should tell you that my son can have some epic poos. I mean you have to clothe the baby too so give these diapers a whirl and save that money for those cute onesies your baby will outgrow in two weeks.
So from one frugal Mama to another, let me know in the comments if there are any budget finds that you just can’t live without.
Now, Mom Duty calls! Until next time…
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