I remember sitting next to my sister-in-law when she was expecting her first child. She spent an hour looking at different furniture sets online and once she found one she liked, she had no problem paying $2,500 for it. Of course, the set was very nice, but the functionality only lasted about two to three years before she sold it for much less.
Baby furniture is normally a huge cost that comes when having a baby. Most of the time, baby furniture is not even essential, but it can be easy to get swept away with the excitement of a new little one on the way.
So while you want your baby’s nursery to look adorable, you don’t have to spend a lot of money to furnish it. Here are my best tips for saving money on baby furniture.
Redecorate Vintage Pieces
It’s actually becoming quite popular to purchase vintage pieces at thrift stores for the purpose of repainting them in a modern color or design. It is very easy to find bookshelves, wooden rocking chairs, and even dressers and cabinets for less than $100 per piece.
With a new coat of paint and hardware, the right piece can cost very little and still look expensive. Just be careful with the kind of paint you use, since teething babies will chew on just about anything.
Seek Out Used Furniture Online
I can guarantee that there are several moms listing their baby furniture sets on Craigslist for a steal. They probably overpaid for their set, like my sister did, and then listed it on Craigslist.
After months of waiting for someone else to buy their used furniture set, they try listing it lower and lower, until they are just desperate to get rid of it. If you see a set you love on Craigslist, but it’s priced too high. Just wait a few weeks, and the seller will probably lower the cost.
When I was expecting my first child, I found a lady on Craigslist that was selling all of her baby stuff. Her baby was only seven months old, but they were moving, and she didn’t want to pay to move anything. I asked for a discount for buying multiple items, and she was happy to give it to me. I bought a lot of great baby stuff for 75 percent less than retail value. She also gave me a lot of free stuff too, which was sweet.
I’m telling you, people will give you a bigger discount if they see your pregnant belly. I do love to buy things used, but always be cautious of recalls. Do your research before buying used cribs, car seats, and baby carriers.
Buy Versatile Items
Whether you buy new or used baby furniture, don’t settle on furniture that will only be beneficial for two to three years. I love the crib that we bought for my daughter for less than $300 at Costco. It came with the conversion kit for a toddler bed and a full sized bed too.
Usually stores will charge an additional fee for these conversion kits, but it will be worth it. We’re now enjoying it as a toddler bed, and will probably use it for a full-sized bed or daybed in the future for my daughter.
Her changing table is simply a dresser that we had put a changing pad on. I ended up not even changing her on there most days. The two main pieces of furniture for my daughter’s room have easily gone from the baby stage to the toddler stage. They can easily grow with her too, since they don’t look like baby furniture.
How do you save money on baby furniture? Do you have another frugal tip?
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We’re going to have our first baby and we want to make sure we’re prepared. Trying to find the right furniture can be a bit of a hassle. I like your tip of getting stuff that’s versatile. It seems like that will save us a lot of time and money further down the road. Thanks for sharing.