Nursery Budget

lellymine · January 2014

I was talking to my MIL today and showing her the items I'm looking at for the nursery and she really laid into me about how much I was spending. Our budget is about 800-1000.00 to get everything (including curtains and any decor) since we're FTP. She said I can do it all for 300 and I'm just being wasteful. I know it shouldn't bug me that she said it but it is.

Is that a crazy budget for a nursery? What kind of budget do you guys have for your nursery?

elsa1688 · January 2014

I plan on spending 1000-1500. We are FTM and plan on having many kids. I want to invest in quality pieces that will last 4-5 kids. We are buying all the big pieces ourselves also.

nunzchucks · January 2014

With DD, we spent $1500 including what was gifted. In hindsight much of it was wasteful. We did not need brand new dressers. She did not need a custom crib skirt and curtains. We did not need the PBK glider (but it's amazing - will go in our room soon).

With this one, we've spent $350 for crib, mattress, two dressers, and rocking recliner. I am using plain white crib sheets and painted the room myself. Most everything is second hand.

MrsP419 · January 2014

It depends on how much furniture you want/need, and if you are buying new. My first nursery probably cost around 800 because we spent 600 on a large (used, but extremely well-made) furniture set (crib, dresser with bookshelf attached, end table, glider, changing table). Then we had little bits of art work, paint, and random things. I do not regret spending that much because a lot of the furniture was able to grow with my kids, I re-sold the glider, and a lot of the art/decor is still in the toddler/big kid room.

For my son's nursery, the only thing we bought new was the crib (old one was dropside and hard to put together), some clearance ikea curtains, and random shelf/frames from ikea. Everything else was from the previous nursery, used, thrifted, or just creatively assembled from stuff we had lying around. That was probably more your MIL's budget.

This time, I don't even have room for a third nursery (DS's old nursery is a playroom, and my DD and DS share) so I will probably not really put together a formal nursery since the babies will spend the first six months with DH and I anyway. Once they are ready for a nursery, I will probably just stick two used cribs in the playroom and call it a day. That will probably cost us next to nothing.

I say if you have the money and you invest in good stuff, go for it. Buy things that can be re-used for multiple kids, or can grow with the baby. If it would be helpful for you to save the cash, know that you can easily do nursery for much less, but it takes more work with scouring craigslist/thrift stores/etc. Don't let someone else judge your decisions if it is what you and DH planned for. It is your money.

ETA- I probably sounded awful talking about these babies' lack of nursery. I normally LOVE an opportunity to decorate a room, and if we had an extra room I would definitely do it (providing I was not on bed rest or something). I hope to find SOME way to give these babies their own unique space in the future!! But since my older two have shared for quite a while, and DS hardly used his nursery at all, I don't have my heart set on it for these two.

katekat8721 · January 2014

Here's what we're thinking:

- 2 Cribs/mattresses (just bought woohoo!): $384
- Dresser (Craigslist or thrift store): $50
- Paint and decor: $150
- Bedding: Haven't started looking but would like $100 or less
- Extra: $100-200
- Rocker, armoire, nightstand, book cases, changing table we were gifted
Total: $884 or less

Without the gifted items it would be more. But we're frugal so it would be Craigslist or thrift stores for us. I'm one of those weirdos who get a rush out of a great steal!

Mule198513 · January 2014

So I'm going to jump in here.... If you ladies are buying new how in the world are you spending so little? We haven't set a budget yet but I've been searching and these are the rough estimates I have so far
Crib -300-500
Dressed 300-400
Changing table -150-200
Crib mattress 150-200
And it doesn't include any organization, decor, curtains, rug, lighting, or bedding.

I think 1000 bucks seems reasonable.

lellymine · January 2014

The majority of our budget will be the crib, glider (which is costly but mostly because I want it to last through all kids and still be able to keep it in our family room after) and the curtains, another big cost because the nursery has a high arch window so the curtains need to be extended.

almendarez · January 2014

I'm thinking:

New crib and mattress: ~$300 (haven't shopped for one yet so not sure on prices yet)

Dresser (double as a changing table): $100 max on craigslist

Glider and Ottoman: $100 max on craigslist (seen a bunch for $80)

Rug: probably $100 max (just bought a large one for the living room for $79 on Hautelook.com so its doable)

Curtains: cost of fabric & rod - going to make my own (there are no-sew patterns online if you want to make your own and don't sew)

EmbracingChange · January 2014

lellymine said:

I know it shouldn't bug me that she said it but it is. Is that a crazy budget for a nursery? What kind of budget do you guys have for your nursery?

That depends on how much money you make per year.

kidding!

I'm not doing a nursery. I have always used things people gave me. It never seemed sensible to outfit a room I will spend very little time in. I'm more of a passed out in the recliner with baby on my chest than rocking in a bedroom type mom. I like looking at other people's nurseries though, I have zero decorating skill.

Pepper6 · January 2014

We'll do a mix of new and second hand, but I can still see it getting close to $1k based on some preliminary pricing. I think your MIL might be thinking about what things cost when her kids were babies....

purtz · January 2014

amoot890 said:
It's none of her business. It's your money, not hers.

I assure you I'll be spending much more than you outlined and no one will make me feel guilty about it. We can afford it and that's our prerogative.

Agreed! We did what we wanted for baby #1. It was fun and I love how DD's room turned out!! Luckily all of the big pieces are reusable for #2. The furniture and glider are in great shape and we'll just be buying bedding and decor for DS. Clothes are a whole other story!

LadyMacaron · January 2014

First of all, it's none of her business. Second, as a first time parent, I think your budget is pretty normal/standard after all is said and done. Even when you DIY a lot of things, good furniture is expensive. Our budget is to stay under 2K. This may be my only child, and I am an interior designer, so I am wanting to get everything the way I want it. I am certainly not buying luxury goods, but it still costs a lot to get the entire place looking the way I want. For me this is important, but I am sure some find it silly and can spend $300 for a crib, dresser, and some decals. We all have to come up with a budget that works for us, and not compare with each other. Heck, my bosse's nursery was $5,000, and I think that's nuts!

That said, our one splurge is the glider/recliner chair, and that alone is $500. We bought a used dresser (real wood, beautiful) for $150, but it cost me $60 for me to refinish it myself.

So, the budget breakdown for us:

Crib- $250 Jenny Lind crib + cost of refinishing it. We are going to paint it.

Dresser - $210

Glider - $500

Bedding - $150

Crib Mattress- $100-130

Curtains/shades - $200, because we want room darkening high-end ones

Art/paint/side table/table lamp - $100

Rug - $100

Ikea book ledges - $60

That's already $1,700. And I'm not including all the organizing solutions, storage stuff for the closet, books and random other decor stuff I may want. I would like to get a chandelier but that's not a priority at the moment.

MrsRahl · January 2014

Our big purchase is a glider from heaven lol for $400 new and a crib from Walmart for 150 and I'm using a dresser I already own. We also have a cool dresser built into the wall of our house (it's old) and the room is small so that's it. I plan on changing baby on the floor. I hate changing tables and changing from the side personally. I worked in an infant room for a year and just never liked it.

elittler · January 2014

Mule198513 said:
So I'm going to jump in here.... If you ladies are buying new how in the world are you spending so little? We haven't set a budget yet but I've been searching and these are the rough estimates I have so far
Crib -300-500
Dressed 300-400
Changing table -150-200
Crib mattress 150-200
And it doesn't include any organization, decor, curtains, rug, lighting, or bedding.

I think 1000 bucks seems reasonable.

It really just depends on what you're looking for, where you're looking and when you're buying.

For example: we kept our eyes out for a nice dresser for DD (using a hand me down one temporarily) and with the BRU sale a few weeks ago bought her a $500 dresser for $40. Same thing with other furniture.

And now is a great time to buy because most stores are trying to empty out inventory to bring in new stuff for 2014.

Kristalyn85 · January 2014

Just my crib and dresser alone are $1200. So I don't think it is...

That being said, these have both already been given to us as gifts, so what we will actually pay, I don't know.

SaraT717 · January 2014

I really am only wanting a glider this time around I could care less if I have a crib right away or not I just want a glider or maybe a layzboy.

DD slept in the pak n play till she was almost 6 months old and that's prob what will happen with #2.

diagonalley · January 2014

lellymine said:
I was talking to my MIL today and showing her the items I'm looking at for the nursery and she really laid into me about how much I was spending. Our budget is about 800-1000.00 to get everything (including curtains and any decor) since we're FTP. She said I can do it all for 300 and I'm just being wasteful. I know it shouldn't bug me that she said it but it is.

Is that a crazy budget for a nursery? What kind of budget do you guys have for your nursery?

I agree that it really isn't her business. I am a FTM, too and figure we'll spend about that much, too because we don't have anything and I don't know that I will be buying used.

kibean · January 2014

Since you seem like a levelheaded person in even asking this question, I assume that you guys already sat down ahead of time and determined what you were comfortable spending. Given that, and your knowledge of your own money situation (which is none of anyone's business), I say spend what you want/can afford. I mean, if I was rich I wouldn't consider 1000 wasteful at all, but if I was having trouble making ends meet, I might think there were other priorities.

Also, most of us have hobbies and things we enjoy doing that cost money. I am someone who truly enjoys designing, crafts, and decorating, so I will get a lot of mileage, relaxation, and enjoyment out of putting together our nursery-which is priceless. I feel like as long as I am not sacrificing baby essentials for the sake of buying name brand baby boots or something equally as nonessential (seriously I know someone who did this), then I am probably ok!

babygabe614 · January 2014

We are FTP's (I have a stepson but he is almost 9, so we're starting from scratch) and our total budget including furniture, paint, decor, etc. will be around $300.

So far, I have purchased a brand new crib, mattress and changing table off craigslist for $100. I am keeping an eye out for a glider and many I have seen so far on CL are around $100 as well. Add paint (it's a small room so that won't be much and we are painting ourselves) and a little storage organization for the closet, and we will basically be done and spending about $300 total. I will be putting bedding on my registry so that will probably be gifted, but if not we'll purchase that as well and bring the total to around $400.

I wouldn't feel bad about the budget you have set if it's something you and your SO agree on and can afford. For us, it makes more sense to buy furniture second hand and score deals where we can because we are also doing several home renovations simultaneously.

wtfisup · January 2014

Uh, not much. Maybe $80 for a mattress, if we don't get it at the shower. We could spend money on a nursery, but I'm not. And another $70 on organizational stuff for the closet, under the crib, bins, etc. But I bought all of that with gift cards.

This kid won't really "need" its own room for a couple of years. She won't be hanging out in there playing alone for a long time. By that point, we'll move.
This kid really only needs a bed. We're putting the crib in our room until that doesn't work, then moving it to the guest room.
We have already been given a dresser with a low top perfect for a changing pad, a crib, an a rocking chair.
Our money spending plans for the baby are primary geared toward college savings and FSA.

I know other people really enjoy nursery stuff, but I don't. Babies need quiet, ambient places to sleep, but don't notice curtain patterns or giant letters on the wall spelling out their names. The creation of nurseries as a norm is a relatively recent thing created by commercialism and industries. Parents do it to make themselves feel good; it doesn't do much for a baby to decorate and furnish and so on. That said, doing it to make yourself feel good is a totally fine, normal reason. That's what most money is used for anyway, right? It's just now how I'm using mine, because it offers me no joy. (My point is that I wouldn't judge anyone for a super duper nursery setup.) Instead, I'd rather take a trip when the kiddo is six months old or just save it for the bedroom makeover she'll want when she's six. I think it will be a lot of fun to design her room with her later in life. My mom did that and I thought I was a baller.

This is probably social too, for me. None of my friends who have had babies do elaborate nurseries. We're all pretty utilitarian. The kids get a clean, quiet space to sleep that organizes all of their stuff.

Edit: I should say that we'll probably spend about $400 on a recliner/glider chair BUT I didn't classify it as "nursery" b/c it will go in the living room. Knowing we'll spend a lot of time with our kid downstairs, I wanted the have a really comfortable, soothing, not-ugly chair down there. (Our current furniture is all low-profile sectional, etc., so nothing that works well for getting up with a baby or rocking one.)

mrs_drc_rn · January 2014

Ugh, we're probably going to be spending a lot more than I'd like. First baby, so we need to get everything! On top of that, the people who lived here before us really screwed up the room that will be the nursery. It was a young boys room and the baseboards were painted dark blue, red, and green. We've had to replace those, patch holes, paint, get new closet doors, and a new ceiling fan. Hopefully we can find good deals on furniture!

AllyTales · January 2014

I think it's none of her business

Everyone has a different budget, I do't believe spending over $300 is wasteful as long as you have the $$ to spend. Your budget is no ones business.

I'm probably spending upwards of $1,000 also. The crib we ended up picking is $300 alone! And we chose a really nice dresser (also priced about the same) that we will stick a changing pad on and use. And then as she grows, she'll use it for MANY years as a dresser. And I want to pass the crib down to future kids we have. So I wanted things in the nursery that will last through childhood and/or get passed to other babies we have.

Also, I want a glider.. and hope that lasts many years and pregnancies, too.

Then I have the crib bedding. And the paint/decorations for room.

Not wasteful, IMO. Not when I plan to use it all in the future and for years. I want high quality items so I can do so.

Luna C · January 2014

We'll probably spend closer to $500, but as long as you can afford it, $1000 certainly isn't outrageous.

Frankly, even if you can't afford it, it's not her business unless you're asking her for financial help to do it.

dragossoul84 · January 2014

We are reusing ds 1 crib I spent 300 on a dresser and New changer. Got a mattress half off on amazon so it was only 85. Our glider was gifted to us and I spent 120 in bedding. I will probably spend 150-200 decorating and adding little touches. So if you are buying all new by yourself I don't think you're out of line

Rosebud2587 · January 2014

With DD we spent around $400. The only things we bought new were the crib and mattress ($350). We bought a changing table + pad at a garage sale for $5, sanded and restrained DH's childhood dresser, made the crib skirt and sheets, and made the artwork.

With this LO we'll be reusing pretty much everything except I'll be making new bedding and artwork that's gender neutral since we're team green this time. I would also like to invest in a glider since we didn't have one in DD's room and there were many times I wish we would have had one.

hjl050308 · January 2014

For our first, I went crazy about his nursery. Between the crib, furniture, glider, curtains, bedding set, paint, and wall decals, it was definitely over $2000 but I also shopped at a high end boutique and bought ridiculous stuff. With our 2nd, he had a cheaper crib and used one of the dressers that my first didn't use. Not sure what I'm going with this baby as were house hunting and don't know what sleeping arrangements will be yet.

jshrop · January 2014

I'm hoping that our registry will help with a lot of the essentials. We will prob spend around $600 (hopefully!) total. I've been keeping a close eye on craigslist for items we want. The only items I insist on brand new is the crib and the car seat. The rest we will figure out.

MSUMands · January 2014

Why do MILs constantly have to butt in? Mine is the opposite of yours, she'd rather I spend money and go into debt to keep up appearances with a $1500 crib she had her eye on.

We did our first nursery shortly after we bought our house so money was tight. I had my (pregnant) mind stuck on the fact that our son should have cherry wood furniture and we probably could have saved a lot more if it wasn't for this fact.

Crib & new Sealy Mattress - $100 on Craigslist
Pottery Barn Glider - $40 on CL
Unpainted ladder shelf - $5! (Plus about $9 to stain it cherry ourselves)
Changing table/cabinet set - $75 on CL (retailed $1200 at a Dallas boutique, it's a gorgeous piece)
Nursery Rug - $5 at a garage sale

We painted everything ourselves, I made 5 small pieces of artwork to go near the crib. I made the crib skirt, curtains, mobile, and re-did the lampshade to match the theme from a $5 Target floor lamp. I also bought the cheapest ceiling fan I could and painted the blades to match the nursery

Lots of DIY (it's my thing) and still spent $275ish total. We didn't get any nursery gifts and paid for everything ourselves, but I LOVE the way it turned out!

1A · January 2014

I did all hand me downs for both kids, we were very lucky. So we had to buy a changing pad, cover and bedding. For the second one we needed a dresser which we bought off CL, and I bought him his own sheets and a new changing pad cover.

My parents gifted us with a new glider which was about $300 so that would have been a big chunk of your budget right there. Oh and my sister bought us our crib mattress.

I spent too much on the first baby's bedding 160, i got a full matching set with quilt and bumpers. I skipped that for ds2. And this baby I will buy them their own sheets and will probably need a new dresser as well.

I plan on buying better/nicer furniture when they are a bit older. I know the CL dresser won't hold up for ever but it is fine for now

amackattack · January 2014

Who cares what she thinks?? Spend what you want! We were lucky to get the nursery furniture used from my sister for free, and will not be getting a glider or rocking chair. There is a loveseat in that room we plan on leaving. However, things really do add up! The things we have bought so far are:

Chalkboard paint, magnetic paint for under the chalkboard paint, trim to go around the chalkboard paint section, gray paint for the nursery, fabric for the loveseat I reupholstered, staples for the reupholstering.

We also plan on refinishing all the furniture which will need sandpaper, paint, primer, and stain. We will still need curtains, decorations, loveseat throw pillows, a mobile or a nightlight, a bed set, and storage organization for the closet. We also want to paint a mural on the wall which will be even MORE paint! All said and done I wouldn't be surprised if all the little things added up to $600, even though we aren't buying a glider and got the furniture for free!

Edit: The other thing to point out, is everything in this nursery will stay the same for the next baby, with the exception of the following depending on boy or girl: loveseat pillows, curtains, purple or blue decor depending on the sex. Even in the mural we paint, the birds will be purple or blue depending on the baby and they are small.

Luna C · January 2014

Mule198513 said:

So I'm going to jump in here.... If you ladies are buying new how in the world are you spending so little? We haven't set a budget yet but I've been searching and these are the rough estimates I have so far Crib -300-500 Dressed 300-400 Changing table -150-200 Crib mattress 150-200 And it doesn't include any organization, decor, curtains, rug, lighting, or bedding. I think 1000 bucks seems reasonable.

***
For us, because we're repurposing a lot of our current furniture.

My office is becoming the nursery. It's peach, so if we have a girl, we can keep the same paint. The rug will work regardless, We have a dresser we can use for the baby, and a comfy chair I plan to use in lieu of a glider. So all we have to buy is a crib/mattress/sheets, some new curtains, maybe some paint.

We'll need a changing pad, a mobile and some other minor decor items, but knowing our families, I think a lot of that will likely be bought off the registry.

I'm actually hoping we can get away with just the cost of the crib, curtains and paint -- if so, we should be able to come in under $500.

jaybee11 · January 2014

Wow, you ladies are putting me to shame. I would be ecstatic if I thought I could get everything for a nursery for $1000, let alone some of the numbers you're throwing out there. Granted, I will not be doing a lot of second-hand shopping. I think it's amazing if you can find deals that way, but I personally don't have the patience for it.

My dad is building the two cribs and a low dresser that will do double-duty as a changing table, so my main furniture concerns are crib mattresses and a glider. Since he's saving me a LOT of money, I'm willing to spend a bit more on the glider--currently looking at something in the $700 price range. $:\$ "> Haven't decided on bedding yet; I'm torn between blowing the budget with a custom set and just springing for a few white (bleachable) sheets and calling it a day. Bottom line, even after keeping the current paint and decor in that bedroom as well as being gifted the main furniture pieces, I'm expecting something in the $1000-2000 price range.

I think as long as you're comfortable with the budget, it's no one else's business how much you spend. Thriftiness is a great quality, but we all choose different things to splurge on. If the nursery is it for you, go for it and enjoy yourself!

lest12 · January 2014

Don't feel bad. I love my MIL dearly but she told me that nurseries were a waste of time and $ in general. I'm not sure what she expected the alternative to be. Isn't a nursery just a fancy name for a baby bedroom? Anyway - I'm not sure but I feel like we'll be spending a lot. At least $1K. We're FTP's and have nada. By the time we are done with sheets, curtains, furniture, accessories... I'm comfortable with it. Spin-off question, though - have you guys (especially FTM's I guess) bought your baby furniture yet? I was waiting until after the holidays and now I'm itching to do so. DH doesn't get why I'm in such a rush. Because there is so much to do!

RaeJ004 · January 2014

We spent about $1,500 on DD's nursery. We were team green so everything is neutral and will last through all of our kids.... Or that is how I sold it to DH

Pepper6 · January 2014

Random question, but does anyone know of good places to buy mix and match solid/print crib bedding. I don't want to go the custom route necessarily because they are so pricey, but I think we want to just pick two colors and make our own crib set.

gmc222 · January 2014

With DD my in-laws bought her furniture which was about $2500 including a convertible crib, dresser, nightstand and tall bookshelf. She will be using this furniture until she goes to college and it's really beautiful and well made. I also got a glider at BRU for about $500 which I still use everyday (and a must IMO for nursing moms), curtains at Target for about $20, and bedding from PBK which was gifted to us at our shower.

When my in-laws bought the set for DD, which was off-white, they also bought the same convertible crib in a dark wood for their house, which went unused. We were really lucky that they gave it to us when they recently moved out of state, and it magically matches our guest room furniture perfectly, so we don't have to buy any matching pieces to turn our guest room into a nursery. Not sure what we're going to do for bedding or curtains yet, but I'm sure it will be less than $100. The glider will move from DD's room to this LO's room.

Everyone has a different budget and you can create a great nursery for a lot or little, so my advice is to do what you're comfortable with.

gmc222 · January 2014

Pepper6 said:

Random question, but does anyone know of good places to buy mix and match solid/print crib bedding. I don't want to go the custom route necessarily because they are so pricey, but I think we want to just pick two colors and make our own crib set.

I got all DD's bedding at PBK, but chose matching pieces from different collections. Most of their stuff can be mix and match, so you can get one fun printed piece, like a quilt or pillow, and then have a few sets of sheets and changing table covers in solid colors to match.

sarah_beth2005 · January 2014

We've budgeted $2,500 for our nursery (we're having twins, so have to buy double cribs and dressers - if we were having just one baby, it'd be around $1,200 for furniture). We already have a glider (got on clearance at a local furniture store a few years ago for less than $100). We'll put up curtains, and buy crib/bed skirts and crib sheets, but I don't see a need for the crib bedding sets (since babies can't sleep with blankets!) - so about $100-200 for bedding and curtains. We already have some cute jungle prints we've gotten over the years and framed, so decorations are covered. I guess we'll also need a lamp, too, but that's pretty inexpensive ($30). Don't let someone else dictate what you spend - buy what you're comfortable with, at a level you can afford and that suits your needs. We're spending more on furniture to buy new, convertible cribs that are mostly solid wood, and matching dressers, so that we won't have to buy kid furniture again (hopefully ever! we'll see how it holds up...).

kittenslove · January 2014

lest12 We want to order but we are waiting for our a/s scan. We were originally planning to go gender neutral, and went out over the holiday break. There is this wonderful boutique shop with real wood and navy blue crib/dresser/armor set, with all convertible pieces, on clearance for $400. It it too masculine for my taste if we have a baby girl, but if we have a boy, I love it and it is quality which should actually last. Now we are waiting.

FutureMrsW9 · January 2014

I don't think you're being outlandish at all, if anything I think $1k for the whole nursery is low! We're planning to use whatever we buy for all of our future kiddos, as well, so I want to invest in high quality items. Obviously some of the decor items may change if we have different sexes, but those are the cheaper things. All-in-all our overall budget is around $2,500, and that's for middle of the road items...crib, mattress, dresser, glider, rug (we have hardwood floors), a couple lamps, blackout shade, curtains, etc. Granted most of the furniture will be gifted from both my and DH's parents, but the total cost will probably still be around $2,500.

And frankly, as PP said, it's none of her d*mn business unless she's paying for it! I hate when MILs stick their noses where they shouldn't be. Mine has already started touching my non-existent bump...I almost smacked her hand away and told her it's just fat and bloat lady! NO TOUCHING! Anyway, I digress hahaha.

LadyMacaron · January 2014

Pepper6 said:

Random question, but does anyone know of good places to buy mix and match solid/print crib bedding. I don't want to go the custom route necessarily because they are so pricey, but I think we want to just pick two colors and make our own crib set.

www.babybedding.com is great for mix and match bedding/window treatments. Really great quality too! And they have a tool where you can design the bedding and see it in 3D.

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