Photo credit: irastar.com
Your baby being born is just around the corner – and it’s time to start thinking about the nursery. There are so many things to consider when it comes to creating a space for your baby to grow in to and let's be honest so many things you want to get, but do you really need it. But somethings to remember is saving as much money as you can. When I was a first time mom, I wanted to best of everything for my little girl. I bought the most beautiful crib, sheets the whole nine yards, but in reality she slept in bed with most of the time and the crib literally just collected dust. So sometimes, sure you want the best for your baby, but the best doesn't mean you need to break the bank. Here are some tips and hints to keep your spending to a minimum while still providing your baby everything they need to be happy and healthy.
1. Set a budget
The first step for anybody trying to keep their spending in control is to set a reasonable budget for themselves. Make sure you consider what you need compared to what you don’t, which we’ll touch on next. Write down a list of things you must have (needs) such as large furniture, bedding, baby gear versus what you love (extras) but don't necessarily need. The best bet is to have a chat with your partner and really discuss and do research of the item you want and if it something you can't live without or if its just fluff.
A little example of things that you would need would be a crib, mattress, crib bedding and waterproof mattress protector. Whereas extras, such as a rocking chair do you really need it or would it just look nice in the nursery, a change table (which you could do without a use a changing pad topper on top a dresser that doubles as a storage for your little babe), humidifier and hamper. All extras and some of the items on the list may be important for you, by no means do you have to follow this list, it's just a little example of things that may or may not be necessary.
Now, these are just a few of the many pieces of furniture you could purchase for your little one’s nursery, but if you’re looking to cut some things out – these extras would be a good place to start.
2. Start shopping early
In most cases, you’ll have a good eight months to be able to prepare the nursery, so start looking for deals and sales as early as possible. I bought my crib and stroller when I as around 6 months along which was a great idea because my little girl ended up coming 6 weeks early, so keep in mind you never know when little babe will show up so getting things early is always the way to go. And not only that if you buy something earlier on and a few weeks later the item goes on sale, you can go back to the store and get a price adjustment and get some money back, so double win. And other things like humidifier or rocking chair you can buy after baby comes to see if you will actually use the rocking chair, for example I ended up sitting on the comfy couch when I breastfeed or stayed in bed, we never used the rocking chair so it was a total waste. This will also help you stretch out the spending so it’s not a huge expense in a short period of time.
Love this nursery room above found on pinterest
3. Have a strong idea of what your looking for
When you into the baby store it's gets really easily to get sidetracked and buy everything so go in with a list of the items you want (even a good idea to research ahead of time and write down the exact brand you want). So not only will this save you time but it'll save you money instead of being swayed by the sales agent telling you how great this new top of the line stroller is stick to what you already research which will also help with keeping you in the budget.
4. Don’t get too held up by how it looks
First priority should always be function, not fashion. So that white crib looks so beautiful but think will it fit my household, will it be hard to keep white and clean or should I go with a more natural colour that'll keep better. Same goes for baby gear such as that beautiful crazy expansive baby carrier, do I really love it for the function or do I love it because of the label and that all the hot moms have it. Not only this, but the temporary furniture you use to decorate the nursery do not have to match each other or be the most beautiful furniture you’ve ever laid eyes on – it will be gone in what feels like a second.
Another great nursery inspo found here
5. DIY a few things (my fave of all on this list)
If you are a DIYer at heart, then you will be thrilled to take inexpensive items and turn them into the inspiration you had in mind. A great tip is to go thrift shopping at garage sales, your local goodwill or value village, most of the time you'd be surprised of finding pretty decent baby furniture that just need a little face lift. I also did my own DIY chalk wall board (which you can make your own chalkboard paint... I have a diy chalkkboard paint post if you scroll back a few post of how to make your chalkboard paint) and pinterest is a great place to look into or just plain old google, just go in the search engine and type in exactly the DIY you want and you'll get tonnes of different sites of how to do your special project. Going to places like Michaels and your local dollar store, you can find some great inepensive items like pictures frames or block letters and do a little diy on those items. I could go on and on about DIY's. Some colorful pieces can make any nursery stand out while still saving a dollar here and there. Simply adding some painted wall art or changing the knobs on an old dresser can change the whole look of the dresser will help more than you might imagine.
The nursery is a fun project to work on while you are pregnant, and spending time to make it the space you imagine doesn’t have to include spending too much money. Try to start early and shop the deals – and don’t forget to set a budget for yourself – and you’ll soon be decorating like a pro (and at a reasonable price, too).
Some great examples above of DIY's that are so easy to do, like the chalkboard wall, changing table and gallery wall. LOVE all three of these ideas. Oh and fun fact, I actually wanted to be an interior designer earlier in the my post secondary exploration and actually did a couple of courses but switched to being a teacher instead. Now I can live those interior desinging dreams with decorating my kiddos rooms and house woohoo.
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