I have a guest post up at Being Frugal today. I wrote about all the money we’ve been spending lately to remodel our house, and how we’re getting back on the frugal wagon. We still have to get some stuff this weekend (lights, rugs, window blinds…) but we’re just about finished spending money on the house, which feels really good.
We bought a Pack n Play today that I found on Craigslist for $25. It’s barely been used at all, and was one of the last things that I wanted to get for the baby. It will come in handy when we visit the grandparents, and we’re thinking about just leaving it set up in the dining room most of the time. Our house is on three levels, and the baby’s room is on the top floor, while the dining room and my husband’s office are on the bottom floor. Having a place for the baby to sleep down there would be a bonus. We’ll see how it goes anyway. With our newly remodeled kitchen/dining room, we have tons of space for it if we decide to keep it set up all the time.
We also got $34 from a consignment store where we had sold a couple of snowboard packs (we bought them for a total of $40 several years ago and hadn’t used them for the last couple winters). In the same store, my husband found two great summer shirts that were about a third of retail cost. He almost never goes shopping, and he’ll wear clothes until they fall apart, so I’m glad he found these shirts.
My parents stopped by today and took a wagon-load of stuff out of our garage – we can almost park our cars in there again, which we haven’t been able to do for the last couple months with all the remodeling supplies taking up space. My sister got a house last fall and is getting our hand me downs – today she got a couch and a chair that we no longer have room for. I’m glad that they’re going to be put to good use.
Last month, our midwives gave us a long list of birth supplies to have on hand for the big day, and my mother took a copy of it when she went on her most recent thrift store excursions. She got all the towels, sheets, baby blankets, etc – and even found an unopened plastic mattress cover that will fit our bed! All for about $30 – less than the cost of one set of sheets at Target (she got us three sets, along with six towels, and ten baby blankets). I’ll get everything washed this weekend and stashed away, and then my husband and I can go to the health food store to get the rest of the supplies that we need. It feels good to be getting everything ready and organized, and not breaking the bank to do it.
Shanti @ Antishay says
Frugal excursions! So awesome.
I am very happy that you’re having the baby at home – it will be an amazing experience. I was born at home, and so were my two younger sisters, and my mom swears by the experience. I don’t remember the middle sister being born (I was only one and a half) but I remember clearly when the littlest was born (I was three). I have only one older memory than that experience of my dad waking me up and telling me that I had a sister and coming downstairs (very tired and confused) to see this tiny baby all wrapped in blankets and looking adorable and wrinkly. :) I can’t wait to hear the story of your birthing experience!
Kelly says
Good job on getting everything ready! You’ll know the baby’s coming when you go to wash and refold all those things that are already put away… it’s so exciting to be nesting. Almost wants to make me have another one- nah, on second thought, not really!