If you are going to be a new parent or have already had a couple children in your life, you know just how expensive buying for an infant and toddler can be. Ranging from brand name clothes to brand name cribs, there are many places that you can go to find the perfect crib that will charge a mere $500 just for a changing table or a small dresser. What I am here to tell you is that brand names when it comes to buying baby stuff is absolutely not necessary. The ways to get free baby stuff are just around the corner and there are many places that you can go to get in on the great deals besides that store that carries strictly brand name baby stuff.
The absolute first place to check out is garage sales in your local neighborhood or in the surrounding areas. This is the perfect place to find newborn and infant clothing, among other things. You may not want to buy a baby carrier, stroller, or any of the major furniture that you’ll need, but finding infant clothes and baby toys is plenty easy to do. Before you visit garage sales, however, be sure to check out your newspaper first for garage sale advertisements. The garage sales with the best cheap baby stuff are the ones that actually advertise that they have baby stuff in the newspaper. You’ll also want to get started very early in the morning when you do decide to go garage-saling for baby stuff. This past weekend my wife and I actually visited garage sales for our much needed baby clothes and toys. We figured it out and when everything was all said and done, we spent about $60 on baby stuff, like clothes and toys, which would have cost probably well over $300. There was actually a box at one garage sale that had “Free” marked on it and there were actually several pieces of infant clothing for taking.
Freecycle
What better thing to do with all of your baby stuff than to freecycle what you don’t need anymore? The organization, Freecycle (www.freecycle.org) has many groups all over the United States (and the world!) where people give away what they don’t want or need anymore. Oftentimes you will be able to find great and free baby stuff (sometimes unused) that people will be getting rid of. I, myself, have posted on Freecycle in my area to get rid of a baby bassinet that was given to me that I just didn’t need. There are plenty of women and couples out there who are getting ready to have a baby that are in need of free baby stuff, and Freecycle is a great way to help them out!
Hand-me-Downs
Even though the thought of receiving hand-me-downs might turn you off, don’t let it! Getting some of the baby clothes and toys from relatives or even your parents is a great way to save the money that you’ll need later on for your baby’s doctor visits and formula expenses! Furthermore, you can even mention at your workplace that you are having a baby and there will more than likely be people coming to your rescue to ask you if you need anything. Accepting free baby stuff the hand-me-down way is a good way to use some of the resources that you have around you!
When looking for free baby stuff, there are plenty of resources and people surrounding you that you’ll have to get all of those necessary baby things that you need. Whether you wait ’til the last minute or are prepared early, garage sales, Freecycle, and hand-me-downs are terrific ways to find the baby stuff that you need for your infant!
