Before I start, I would like to reprimand the baby brands out there who sadistically exploit the new parent's desire to always do the best for their children. You do not need branded, specifically designed tupperware in order to make and store the best meals for your babies, neither does it make you a bad parent if you choose not to spend £150 on a swinging crib which is useless as soon as the baby can sit. Shame on you all, a new parent's heart is full enough with worry without your scaremongering.
Now that I have that rant out of my system I shall begin. I have attempted to arrange this post into an order illustrating methods for purchasing the best bargains and specific highly recommended bargain products.
Sources of Great Baby Bargains
- Car Boot Sales
This may seem obvious to some, but if you are a new or expecting parent and have not yet started frequenting your local car boot sales, I urge you to do so. We bought our high chair for £5 at a car boot, and whilst it looked a little tatty, once cleaned up*, we never looked back. It was heavy and did not fold flat, two things that led me to believe this highchair would be a temporary solution until a more streamlined version went on sale at Mothercare. HOWEVER, the very things that made me consider it cumbersome, made the chair perfect. It was so heavy there was no danger of it ever being tipped over, and as for not folding flat, I'm afraid I hardly ever bothered to put it away, so frequent was our use of it. The legs could be lengthened and shortened and the chair used with or without the tray meaning that our daughter could sit at the table with us. A similar style of chair would have cost around £100 new. Car boots are also great places to get children's bikes, baby walkers, push chairs, toys, books and baby clothes. I urge you not to feel cheap buying second hand baby clothes. Children grow out of ages 0-3mth, 3-6mth and 6-9mth so quickly that hardly any wear is caused to the clothes. This means that for 20-50p per item you can get some practically new clothes. Get to the car boot early so as to have the best pick of the bargains, and bring your baby along. In my experience the gentle rocking of pram over grass sends even the most cantankerous child to sleep within minutes. - Gumtree
I have discussed the virtues of Gumtree before, but it really does come into its own when searching for bigger baby items. Go to Mothercare and pick out the style of pram, push chair, cot, changing table etc that you like and then see if you can source them on Gumtree. We got a beautiful cot with movable sides on Gumtree for £20 and it is currently stowed in our attic, should we decide to reproduce again. - Local Facebook Buying Groups
You can usually find a Facebook buying group specifically for the sale of baby and children's items in your area. These are great places to pick up large bundles of second hand clothes and toys. However, these sites should be used cautiously; when you go to pick up your items make sure you have a good look at them before handing over the cash, and don't be afraid to walk away from the purchase if the item isn't as much of a deal as you thought it was going to be. - TU clothing at Sainsbury's
The children's clothing range at Sainsbury's is absolutely fantastic. The quality is every bit as good as the more expensive Next, Boots or Mothercare brands, and the clothes are wonderfully colourful and fun. There are two other brilliant things about Sainsbury's clothes - firstly, they always have a sale rail somewhere and the clothes here are usually half price. Secondly, it seems that every bank holiday weekend they have a 25% off clothes event, making their beautiful items even more affordable. - Home Bargains
Home Bargains is to me what taking selfies is to Kim Kardashian - without one the other would not survive. My cleaning product purchasing habits are not the only thing keeping Home Bargains in business - their baby isle takes a hammering from me too. You can often get branded baby wipes (I love the Pampers Fresh Clean Wipes), nappy creams and children's medicines for a fraction of the supermarket price. More than that, their baby gift range is wonderful. Beautifully presented boxed socks for 79p, appliqued fleece blankets for £3.99 and Disney toys, teethers and feeding sets for pennies.
Brilliant Bargain Baby Products
- Sainsbury's Little Ones Dry Nappies
I have heard many parents wax lyrical about Aldi nappies, but as our local Aldi opened after our daughter was dry, I have never tried them myself. I can however, strongly recommend the Sainsbury's version, which are about 1p more per nappy than the Aldi ones. They go on (and stay on) easily, absorb every bit as well as Pampers, and do not leak. Incidentally, they are half the price of Pampers. What more could you want? - Sainsbury's Little Ones Pull On Junior's
I don't subscribe to the theory that pull-up nappies are a requirement of potty training, but these are brilliant for changing very active babies when they first start to walk, as most changes can be done without requiring the child to lay down. In my experience, these are much better than the Pampers Easy Up Pants as they can be easily opened (and re-sealed) at the sides. At 18p per nappy, verses 32p for the branded ones they are a bargain not to be missed. - Tesco Loves Baby 64 Fragranced Baby Wipes
I do prefer to get the Pampers wipes from Home Bargains as mentioned before, but if you are unable to get to a Home Bargains, these are a great alternative. They are as functional as a baby wipe can be, cause no irritation to sensitive skin and have a plastic clip style seal to stop the wipes from drying out. Perfect! - Tesco Loves Baby and Toddler Soft & Gently / Gentle Shampoo
As far as I can tell, this is exactly the same as Johnson's Baby Gold Shampoo, and it is half the price (unless the Johnson's stuff is on offer...). - Sainsbury's Little Ones Botty Wipes
These are, basically, flush-able baby wipes, or wet toilet tissue if you like. They are half the price of the Andrex version and smell amazing! They are perfect for potty training, or just generally for messy children. - Tommee Tippee Explora Easy Drink Cup - 260ml
This is THE BEST non-spill cup. It has a heart shaped valve which makes it really and truly non-spill (providing that the adult who fills it screws the lid on properly!) I have seen this product for some silly prices, but I bought mine in Wilko for £3, which it still is today. In fact, if you want anything Tommee Tippee branded, Wilko seems to be the cheapest place to find it.
I feel like this post could go on for ever, but in stead I will leave you with one more parting piece of wisdom: download the Aldi app. Go on, do it. Do it now. Right now. Aldi have some FANTASTIC special buys for babies, children and parents ranging from books and toys through to nipple cream (which I hear is fantastic). If you have the app, you are pre-warned about the special buys that are coming, so you can be sure not to miss out,
Until next time... spend wisely, give generously,
The Wise Old Rabbit
*A small side note - when cleaning second hand items such as toys or high chairs which have a lot of scuffed or dirty plastic, a cream cleaner (like Cif or the non-brand equivalent) on a dry cloth and some elbow grease will bring it up beautifully. This is a tip from my mother, for which I am repeatedly grateful.
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