You are expecting your first baby. Your income won’t be the same for much longer, but you want the very best for this new little person you are bringing into the world. Do you save money and buy everything you need second hand or do you go on a baby-shopping spree?

This will depend entirely on you and on the quality of the second hand baby gear you can get hold of. The good thing about second hand baby gear is that it is not as worn out as adult clothes because they have never been worn or used for too long.

My sister saved a lot of money buying second hand baby clothes and some large items, but there were also a few things that they felt they wanted to buy brand new. This was their view.

Baby clothes

You will want to buy some new baby clothes yourself, I defy you to not buy a thing. But the fact is that you will probably receive so many baby clothes as gifts that you won’t need to buy much at all, especially not for the first couple of months. As baby gets bigger, which happens quite quickly! Having a look at what you can buy second hand is worth it. My sister has bought hundreds of cute second hand baby outfits online for a fraction of the price they would have been in a baby shop.

Pram, cot, high chair, car seat

The pram, car seat and cot are the main things that my sister decided to buy brand new. They spent ages researching them and to be fair, they are the items that will be used for the longest, so it makes sense to spend a bit more on them. The pram will turn into a push chair, which means it will be in use for a couple of years. The cot is where your baby will sleep and the car seat will keep them safe, so I can understand why you would buy these new. However, it is worth having a look at what you can pick up second hand too.

Toys and books

It depends on the type of toy really. Personally, I don’t think I would buy secondhand soft toys because they can just get covered in germs. Babies dribble and wipe their noses on things and while you can put them through the washing machine, it’s not quite the same! Other things like wooden toys and larger toys are normally fine second hand, but it is always worth checking that all the bits are there! Books can be picked up very cheaply second hand, but again watch out for ripped pages, which could spoil the story half way through!

In summary, it really depends on your personal feelings about buying second hand and your budget. There is absolutely nothing wrong with buying second hand, it can save you a lot of money and you don’t have to compromise on quality, babies grow out of things, which means there is never a shortage of second hand baby clothes, toys, equipment or books.

Having said that, as proud new parents, you might feel that it is essential to buy some brand new shiny items! If so, I would take a leaf out of my sister’s book and think about buying the bigger items that will last longer. That way you can get the colour, type and style that you want. Join online parent groups to keep your eye out for some bargains – there will come a time when you will need the space too!