I watch 16 & Pregnant. I’ll admit it… I’m not proud, but I just can’t stop! We all have guilty pleasures when it comes to television and mine just happens to be a doozy. I usually laugh, then cry, then get a little bit horrified for a few minutes… then cry again. In the end, all I really want is to find out that there are back to back episodes on that night! I know what you’re thinking… you secretly watch it too.
It did however get the wheels turning while watching a 16 year old soon-to-be-mama trying to put together a budget for all the supplies she would need for baby. It’s not just teen parents who can have a tough time when it comes to affording the necessities for a little one. There are so many awesome products on the market today but the reality is that many of them come with a price tag that isn’t so awesome. In fact, they can be down-right terrifying.
So… I set out to create a list of products to fulfill all the basic registry needs within a reasonable budget without sacrificing quality, style & design. The next question however was what in the world is a “reasonable” budget? Well, if you can set aside $25 a week for the duration of your pregnancy (assuming it’s 40 weeks) you would end up with $1000 to spend. Let’s go with that, $1000 to spend preparing for baby. Let the challenge begin!
Babies need a lot of stuff. Even for the most minimalist mama you end up with more stuff than you ever intended. I knew that quality, functionality, and design/style were going to be just as important to choosing the products on this list as the price of the item. Just becuase something is a good deal doesn’t make it the right product for everyone even if you’re on a tight budget.
I learned a long time ago that an important part of deciding to purchase something (especially if it was more pricey than you would normally choose) is cost per use, not simply price tag. Do you buy the $40 shoes you only wear twice because they KILL your feet or the $100 shoes you keep for 3 years and wear dozens of times? Cost per use, baby! It’s genius. Shoes, another guilty pleasure. Weird!
Stay tuned as we explore how to put together a fabulous collection of items sure to please both mama and baby on a budget. Do you have some favorite items you recommend to new moms? Please share them with us!
