Were any of you scared when you had your first baby? Layla said that she was nervous as all get out about the cost of a child and wants to do the 'simple' and 'cheap' way in raising her. I bet if Kalista understood what that meant, she would be making the face on this little baby in the picture... What can you opt for to be cheap when raising a baby, is it possible, is it safe, is it practical?
The first thing most people think of when they think of baby expenses is the diapers. They eat, they poop, they sleep, they pee, they cry, they toot. For every 1 thing they do, they give you a #2 to go along with it :). So maybe the cheap way to raise a baby is to use cloth diapers instead of the disposable ones. Sounds great right, saving some money, but then you have to take into consideration the washing of the poopy diapers, the expense of the plastic pants to put over the cloth diapers, the extra cleaning supplies to wipe off furniture that got the spoils of the diaper put on wrong. Does this add up to being cheaper than disposable dipeys? Plus, what's the cost of the stinky work of you having to scrub some poop out of a piece of cloth? I would say priceless, but I am a much more practical person to say such things...its about $0.23. :) Long run, yes, the cloth diapers are cheaper, but you need to be good with your safety pins, have plastic wrap on all your furniture, and restock your wardrobe with the latest in polyester/fake leather gear.
Ok, so the other major expenses that you probably don't need are the toys for newborns (they don't open their eyes much), the countless outfits that they will grow out of in 3 months, and all the decorations for a bed that she/he will try to escape from as soon as the biceps are built up. You can probably do with about 2 toys for the first year and keep them occupied with the normal things in the house or outside on walks. The outfits ... I would say 7 sets which are washed for every 6 months works too, otherwise wrap them in a blanket and call it a day. The decorations.. go for long term and opt for the convertible crib/day/twin creation and the decor can be minimal with the exception of maybe some cute colored paint on the wall. She won't remember what color or decoration choice you made when she is 5, so don't worry so much about it.
So, its possible. Is it safe? I would say so because the less toys and crud around the kids the less chance they have of hurting themselves on the stuff! Have the necessities there and keep the rest clean. This way you can enjoy baby in his/her pure form, work on the 1-on-1 bond, and when she knows how to say in words "buy that", then you can consider expansion.
Is it practical? Yes, as long as you can withstand the comments from other Mamma's like "You don't have a Gucci diaper bag! You are denying your baby's needs!" or "You know its absolutely a necessity to have 3 types of walkers, a swing, 2 play pens and bassinet to occupy your little darling". When you hear these ridiculous comments try responding with, "I could do that, but I prefer to save for their college education." No one can argue with you after that one as we all know the prices of tuition are sky rocketing...
So, go cheap, go simple, and they won't remember a thing before the age of 5. Good tip: For every 1 toy in, take 1 toy out. Holidays can be a time of giving your belongings to charity as the new ones inevitably come in the door. Some people aren't as blessed as you are, so spread the love!
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