Excluding a brand new furniture item, I only spent $25 on my son for Christmas. He got tons of books, 3 puzzles, a little riding car, bath toys, and a toy truck--all from shopping at thrift stores and on Craigslist. You can stretch your dollar too by following these money-saving tips for buying clothes, accessories, and toys.
- Buy baby clothes and toys at thrift stores. Since babies grow so quickly, you can find a lot of new or nearly new clothes. Also, there are usually brand new stuffed animals and good non-mechanical toys. My son goes through board books quickly, so I get them in great condition at the thrift store for a dollar or less.
- Secondhand baby-item stores sell only gently used clothes and working toys for a slightly higher price.
- Join a freecycle group. Freecycle is a site that helps you find and get rid of items for free in your local area. Search for baby clothes and toys offers or request them.
- Shop garage sales. You can get bags of clothes and working toys really cheap! Craigslist is good too.
- Shop clearance racks for baby clothes. My favorite places are Walmart and Target. For full prices, Ross and Burlington Coat Factory have great deals, especially on dressy clothes.
- If you prefer new, trendy clothing and toys, sign up for a daily deal site like Zulily. And, of course, enter giveaways!
- Make whatever you are able to: clothes, hats, toys, blankets, etc. Remember, babies have no idea where their stuff comes from and they don’t care!
- Hold off on big or fancy toys until babies are older. Most babies are happy playing with everyday items. Proof positive: my photo post "Who Needs Toys?"
- If you plan on having more babies in the future, consider storing outgrown clothes and other items for the next baby.
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