Buying Frugal: Which Baby Products Should You Purchase Secondhand?
As all parents know, having a new baby or another child is expensive. In addition to the expense of having a child in a hospital, getting all of the appropriate gear is a significant financial hurdle. Parents are advised to stick with the basics, but even this is a long list of clothing, furniture, toys, strollers, and diapers. If you could use hand-me-downs or purchase items secondhand, part of the initial financial burden would be lessened. Parents, however, are advised not to purchase certain items secondhand or receive hand-me-downs, but some are perfectly fine.
Baby clothes, according to an article on NOLA.com, is one of those products that can be purchased secondhand. Many new parents who still have baby clothes donate them to thrift and consignment stores, and many of these items are lightly worn. Going to a consignment or thrift store is a way to pick out basics: onesies, t-shirts, coats, pants, and hats. You can go and pick out the clothing you’ll plan to use for the first year, and, later, you can find clothing a toddler will use. As babies and children go through clothing quickly, purchasing them secondhand is helpful to your wallet.
On the other hand, certain items should never be purchased secondhand or as a hand-me-down. Baby furniture and strollers should always be purchased new. Certain pieces of furniture and strollers may have been recalled, and secondhand stores may carry these recalled models. Additionally, these items experience wear and tear and have a higher likelihood of breaking. Drop-side cribs, in particular, have been in the news for various safety hazards and have a greater potential for breaking if purchased secondhand.
Strollers, similarly, went through a large recall earlier this year and also have the potential for hurting the child or parent assembling it. Purchasing a new stroller means that the product will be in better shape.