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December 2010 Moms
Mommysaurus123
member
Are babies just a scam...
Mommysaurus123
member
...for companies to make billions?
Ever notice how all the "essentials" are so expensive? A high chair, pack n' play, and swing are all at least $100 each. Travel system? $200. Diapers are so expensive, and DH and I are looking at gates. We need at least 2, and they are $40 each. Then there's the "gate play-yard," which we will probably get to put around our Christmas tree in the future, unless we just move the tree to a different room (bye-bye, Christmas spirit!) in future years... Cribs are usually at least $300, plus the changing tables, etc. The nursery for LO has cost more than any other room in our house.
I mean, we can afford all this, it's not like we got KU and are now freaking out about the cost of everything. It just seems like a big piece of plastic shouldn't cost over $100...
Anyone else feeling like these "necessities" aren't really necessities? (Obviously, the car seat is a real necessity.)
OK, rant over. Just looking at all the stuff still on our baby registry and getting a little freaked out that we have all these big expenses left right before Christmas...
This discussion has been closed.
Re: Are babies just a scam...
~*Christine*~ TTC #1 with PCOS since September 2005. 8 rounds of clomid- 4 HSG- 3 failed IUI's HSG 11/16 showed no fill in right tube-First RE visit 4/12/07 (my 26th b-day)started injectables with IUI- 75 IU's of Follistim- increased to 100 IU's- HCG 5/4/07 - IUI on 5/6 BFN 5/21 Increased Follistim to 125 IU's tested again 6/18 BFN & AF showed up. Last IUI before starting IVF 6/30/07 ******BFP 7/14/07,7/15/07 & positive blood test 7/16/07****** Our little Bean was due Easter Sunday, 2008 (March 23rd) Kaitlyn Jean arrived 1 week late 3/30/08 7lb 10.5oz 20" perfect! Myla Grace was our little gift, BFP first month off the pill arrived on her due date 12/16/10 BFP number three August 4, 2013 Due March 27, 2014
We went the cheaper route, but made sure the ratings were still good.
Our pnp is $100, swing is $119, and our crib (3 piece set) was only $230.
There was no way in hell that I would pick out a crib that cost $300. The cheaper ones are just as good. The 3 piece set came with the crib, dresser, and changing table, all from Target.
I think it's absolutely ridiculous to spend over $200 on a pnp, swing, or TS.
I think there's definitely that element to it. The markup on some of these items must be huge. Otherwise there's no way BRU could send out those 20% coupons like they're candy.
But I also think it depends on how you approach it. Like, for the high chair, we've got a nice kitchen table with 6 chairs, so I did not see the point of getting a separate high chair. Instead we got one of those portable ones that converts from infant seat to booster seat - and we'll just use that at home. That cost $30 or $40. It also eliminates the cost of my mom or MIL having to buy one for any of their houses - we can just bring ours.
So I think there's a level of practicality an expectant mom has to bring to the table. You don't need a $50 baby bathtub, the $20 will do.... heck, you don't even really need the bathtub!
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We have a really small home, so we tried to pare down our registry list to the things we really think we truly need (based on some research and talking to other moms).
For instance we sprung for the PNP with a vibrating bassinet and decided to pass on bouncers and swings. We figure if we end up needing something like that later we can always run to BRU and buy it or--better yet--pick up a used one on CL.
Everyone's list of "must haves" will be different, but I'm trying really hard not to let BRU guilt me into buying every single gadget under the sun.
I agree! My Husband is a firm believer in less is more, and says often about baby stuff "they didn't have or need that 50 years ago"
That can be frustrating and invigorating.
We also don't have large rooms in our house as it was built in the '50's so we are buying only a few items that we know we will use and then will add what we need at a later date. I figure I am going to want to hold my little guy a lot when he is born anyway.
Plus of course all the stuff I like being a designer and a design snob is the super cool looking stuff that is even more expensive.
I do think it's largely a scam. What a baby actually needs is a lot less than what the marketing people would lead us to believe. Today at the doctor's office I was looking at Pregnancy & Newborn Magazine and they had a picture of what I can only describe as a diaper wipes cozy. It's a fabric construction cover for the diaper wipes box. Why on this earth would I need to spend $30 on such a thing? It's just ridiculous.
What we've done to combat all the baby marketing BS is to choose which items we are willing to spend money on to get the best safety/quality and then either skip, delay or get less expensive versions of other things. It feels like such a racket some days.
Agreed upon.
I have my crib and dresser/changing table which were decently priced at IKEA. And I have my shower next weekend, so I'm going to see what I get there, before buying anything (which I'm sure we probably won't get any big ticket items).
Then we're going to buy little by little the things we absolutely need.
-Travel System
-Baby monitor
-Baby Essentials (soap, wipes, diapers, etc)
And we'll go from there (as we need it we'll make concessions to get the stuff we need).
I completly agree!
The minute the word baby is mentioned with an item the price doubles. Same goes for weddings!
Exactly. This whole thread reminds me of the wedding industry. A meal is $10 a person, you say the word "wedding" and it becomes $25 a person.
The cost of making a lot of the baby products, especially the plastic ones, is probably so low. These companies are probably making a fortune!
We've lucked out and gotten a lot of things second-hand from friends.
But I agree -- I think it's a big money grab!