How to Afford a Baby: Baby's Room

One of the best parts about finding out you're pregnant is getting to decorate the baby's room--until you realize how much it will cost. Save yourself some stress and money by following these tips:

• Don't get a changing table. It's easy to change them on a blanket on a bed when they are young and on a blanket on the floor once they get wriggly.
• Skip the diaper pail too. Just throw diapers out in a grocery bag right away, which also eliminates the need for odorizers.
• Expensive cribs do not mean they are safer. Our crib ranked high on safety in Consumer Reports and was less than $150 at IKEA. It doesn't look as fancy, but that was something I was willing to sacrifice.
• Get a crib that converts to a toddler bed for longer usage.
• Skip the bedding sets. Most of the items are unsafe to have in the crib anyway. If you still want them, check thrift stores, Craigslist, and yard sales. Or if you are willing to spend the money, get safer bedding, like mesh bumpers.
• Also check thrift stores for nursery wall decor. I see them often.
• Consider making your own nursery decor. Read my post on how to make your own cheap and easy wall decor.
• Be creative. For example, I used wall decorations from my baby shower.