How would you spend $275?

TiffanyTheMom · January 2011

I received (among other things, WOW I'm so blessed) $275 at my baby shower today total. $190 of it is cash and checks, the rest is gift cards to Walmart and Target.

We already bought a diaper bag and don't need one (and weren't given another one at the baby shower) and we have a good small supply of breast pads and diapers, and wipes. We received a LOT of clothing today so no needs there. We'll use the gift cards for additional diapers and pacifiers and a few bottles.

I'm thinking to put a certain amount to nursing tops, that way I can get some good ones that will last me the whole time I'm nursing. We will need cloth diapers, but we want to make sure we're willing to put forth the effort they need before spending the money on them. (They're cheaper in the long run though, and CD babies don't suffer the med-resistant rashes disposable diaper babies get.) Not to mention we're waiting til we're out of hte NB stage of diapers to test out CD'ing.

Besides a few cloth diapers and nursing tops, what would you spend $190 on? I'd rather use it for things we need, and have already set aside $40 of the cash as an emergency diaper fund for 'just in case'. We already HAVE almost everything we need though! Any suggestions are welcome.

Jenniferk08 · January 2011

I put aside money for after LO is born. Since we're team green we have very little clothes other than gowns/pj's/onsies. The GC I put towards things I didn't receive like my breast pump, boppy, etc

MiniMadness · January 2011

Hmmmm...anything you need for the house?

TempeWick · January 2011

I would save it for after LO comes. Even though I feel like we have everything we could possible need, I figure there have to be some items we'll realize we need after he's born and it will be nice to have cash/GCs set aside for those things. You're an experienced mom though, so you probably know what you'll need.

TiffanyTheMom · January 2011

We could use another boppy, that's a good idea. We only have 1, but it'd be nice to have one upstairs and one downstairs. We already bought a Medela PISA so don't need that, but it would be a GREAT use of the money!

amberp0927 · January 2011

How about something for the whole family to do together? Maybe take a weekend trip somewhere as a family when LO is a couple months old, somewhere family oriented where your older kiddies can have some fun. Or go get some pictures taken as a family.

babylizz · January 2011

I'd save it for diapers, either disposables while you're using them or cloth if/when you go that route. You can NEVER have enough diapers!

misskassielynn · January 2011

Pictures, OR...

I seem to remember, this one really lovely mom, who has two great kids, and worked so hard her whole pregnancy to take care of them, that totally deserves a personal treat, that once upon a time, lusted after a Petunia Picklebotton Diaper bag or two, and was not *totally* pleased when her DH suggested that the $20 one she owned would be just fine... just sayin! (I am such a bad influence) Devil Big Smile

dee1369 · January 2011

Well, I'd use it on my breast pump, since I didn't receive it yet.

But I like the idea of nursing tops. The nice ones are kind of pricey!

david_n_cole · January 2011

If you're planning on cding, then I would save the cash for your cd stash. That could go a long way towards building your stash if your savvy and look for bargains (I love kawaiis for the price and durability). I set up Riley's cds stash for under $200 (24 nb prefolds,6 nb covers, 12 infant pockets). (I already had two MS fitteds and one BG3.0 from DS2 that don't fit him anymore.) Of course there are other things you might need like a diaper pail/liner, cloth wipes, cd safe diaper cream and detergent and all the little stuff adds up quick. If you end up not spending it on cds (which I assume you'll decide by the time LO is 6 weeks old) then you could still invest in nursing attire and have it last a good while for the nursing stage. IMHO (This is just one military mom to another (or anyone on a restricted budget) on knowing how hard it is to get a little stash of cash saved up.)

MallratsMom · January 2011

As a mom who cloth diapers and kind of got into it I say hang onto the cash for the diapers just in case you find you want to try different ones. I have a stash of diapers that include prefolds, PUL covers, wool covers, fitted diapers and pockets. I can't tell you how much I've spent Embarrassed

Although I do buy used and sell off what I don't like. But some of my diapers I spend *gasp* $35 on (goodmamas)

njmoh · January 2011

we're opening a bank account for little one with all the cash we got at my shower. The gift cards we are saving for after LO is here to get clothes. Team green so we didn't get much in the clothes dept.

Etta07 · January 2011

Toys, I don't know how young your other LOs are so I don't know if you still have toys from them or not but I know that toys are something I have not focused on yet because there were necessities that I knew I would need right away so I have been getting that stuff. However I am now at a point that pretty much toys and bath stuff is all I really need, except I do need a few more packs of cloth diapers but those really aren't that expensive.

monica96 · January 2011

You could always save it for when LO gets alittle older and you need to buy bigger things or new toys. Or if you wanted to use it now I like the idea of doing something with the family. Your younger ones could use alittle spoiling before LO gets here. And what I was thinking of doing is buying my boys a little congrats on your little brother gift to give to them with LO comes.

wilma007 · January 2011

Tiffany IMO this is just a suggestion for you to think about but, I would consider this all that cash, checks which you received - I would open a special account (Baby?s Needs) at the Military Branch of your Credit Union. Then if the GC you received do not have a fee or expiration date on them use them in place of cash which I would also add to that special account you open at the credit union for baby miscellaneous items as you need them. If the GC do have a fee or expiration date associated with them use them as quickly as possible on baby needs, or what ever is needed for the older children, home, just whatever you can so you do not end up with them either being eaten up by maintenance fees or expiring on you. Then you?ll still have those funds available in the credit union drawing interest on while you?re waiting to see what is needed later.

TiffanyTheMom · January 2011

TRUST, the PPB bag totes came up in my thought process! But it felt selfish. And I highly doubt DH would go for that! If I had sole control of the money I'd go for it, but not since he's got a say in it as well.

The pictures idea is a good one... didn't even cross my mind. I knew I could count on you ladies to inspire me. We have enough gift cards from friends and family to last us with disposies for a month or more, and we have a small stash we started up on during the pregnancy and received some today as gifts. We're not set for life, but we only plan on having 'sposies for for church or long trips when convenience will trump my green needs.

Using it on CD's when we're ready to invest in some is a good idea too, I had thought of that but if we decided not to for some reason not to CD I'd want it to go to something useful.

Jennabug25 · January 2011

I used my GC's and cash on diapers and a couple nursing tops. I also bought pads, boobie pads and baby Tylenol, all things I figured I would need when I get home from the hospital. I didn't get many diapers at my shower and the ones I did were in size 2. I would say I spent all my money on diapers so I don't have to worry about leaving the house right away when LO arrives.

Pictures is a great idea too!

lawsonmomma82 · January 2011

Maybe buy yourself pads, night gown or pj's,slippers,socks and other things you will need after LO is born. I know once LO is born none of us are wanting or willing to go to the store for the girly things we need plus I would die before asking DH to get me any of those girly things.

meheron80 · January 2011

After taking back duplicate items and adding up all our gift cards we had well over 500$. I purchased items that we still needed (baby monitor, gate to keep cats out of the back rooms and Madison in once she is crawling/walking, breastfeeding supplies, etc...) The rest and all our gift cards for food places (almost 100$) that we received at x-mas for ourselves are in a bank in Madison's room.

We have everything we need plus some but there will always be that.... O we need this item.... so that is what the cards are for. The food cards are there so once we are ready we can have a nice dinner for an hour or so when grandma comes to babysit and we don't have to worry about using our own money while we are both on FMLA (I am taking 12 weeks, he is taking 6 weeks (yes he will drive me crazy!!!!))

sarag0116 · January 2011

Personally I would save it. But I know that's boring... that's just me. I'm not a spender at all.

aug05dc · January 2011

I like the nursing tops and cloth diaper idea. At least you can get something pretty for yourself, and while you're at it get some lotion or something else to pamper yourself. Smile

Re cloth diapers--if you do cloth diapers right, you can actually SAVE money--I calculated the cost of a starter kit vs. Pampers Swaddlers and definitely came out ahead with the starter kit. A lot of people talk about the jilliansdrawers.com trial for CDs--you basically get them for 21 days for $10.

I do like saving the rest for a toy or swing that your LO loves--e.g. if all of a sudden she's soothed by a certain model of jumper, rocker, swing that you don't already have you can get one on craigslist at the time you need it.

Lucky_Dragonfly · January 2011

I would get a few of the nursing tops and if I was all set on everything else then i would probably just save it for future clothes that the baby needed or any last minute thing that you realized that you wnated/ needed after the baby was born.

hawkilady · January 2011

We are using the $300 in cash we received to open her 529 account for a college fund. We got about $400 in additional gift cards/store credit when I took stuff back (we got so many clothes that I returned) so I used those for diapers, remaining necessities (baby monitor, breast pads, crib sheets, etc.) and still have about $150 left to Target for diapers and other stuff that we figure out we need as she gets bigger. I figured I would use all the BRU cards first since I could use the Target ones for anything.

TiffanyTheMom · January 2011

We're definitely saving the gift cards for diapers and wipes. I tried checking out Target and Walmart.com (since those are the only places I got GCs for) and they didn't carry nursing shirts. I'd rather use those on future diapers anyway since both of those stores are literally 2-7 minutes away from me. I have $85 in GCs total, not including the ones from family. That's a lot of diapers right there.

I bought $75 worth of nursing tops this morning, they were having a good sale on certain ones and I snapped those up. I think I have like 6 shirts coming to me, which is a steal. The rest we'll set aside for buying cloth diapers. I already have about 16 inserts and 2 Fuzzibunz and the inserts, I REALLY like those. They seem so soft and absorbent, and they're pretty adorable too.

newsgal · January 2011

Set some aside for a babysitter and dinner out for mom and dad alone in a few weeks/months!

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