Yeah you all know Craigslist ... and if you don't, then you certainly should.
In my opinion, it is the best way to get some great baby items (it's not limited to baby items, it has everything - but I usually go on there for baby stuff!) I have found some amazing baby items on Craigslist for pretty inexpensive... sometimes it feels sooo wrong b/c it was so cheap!
Some of my great Craigslist finds:
Local Garage sale where I got about $200 worth of clothes & toys for $5.
Dutailer Glider that was $350 brand new, I got for $50. It was in perfect condition & the color matched Julianna's room perfectly.
Play Gym - Brand new, this was about $45 - we got for $10
Maternity Clothes - I bought most of my maternity clothes from one person - probably worth about $600 or more ... got it for $60.
Fleece Halo Sleep sacks - These are $20 new, I got them for $5 each.
Garage Sales - I have found some great items at Garage Sales for almost free. You know those great LaMaze toys I raved about in a recent blog... well I got 2 of those for 25 cents each. They are about $14 brand new. And yes, they are very washable. Chuck them in the washer... good as new! I got some great Christmas PJs, hats & jackets as well... again, all very washable!!
I only buy 'used' stuff that I can wash or sanitize. That's why I draw the line at mattresses, sofas and similar items. That kind of yucks me out. And now with the huge bedbug scare, I would personally stay away from anything those little critters can hitch a ride on. Blegh!
Coupons - I am sure most moms know this but just in case you do not - Sign up for every single baby related website you possibly can. You'll get incredible coupons in the mail & through email. We never buy anything for full price. Ever.
I signed up for Similac, beechnut, Gerber, babycenter, babysrus, the bump, Dr. browns, Carters, Baby Gap, Osh Kosh, Coupons.com, Newspaper circulars, BJ's Wholesale (Bjs has some of the best coupons around if you have a membership!) ... there are many others... but you get the point. It's a beautiful thing.
I also found a fabulous website called DiaperSwappers - Love it. You can buy & sell all baby items on there. I also am a huge "Amazoner" - I think Amazon and Amazon Mom has some of the best prices around for new stuff and you can't beat how fast they ship.
I tried Freecycle, but did not like it. It seemed like I had to weed through so much garbage to find anything. To each his own.
If anyone else has any unique baby websites they can recommend, please post them in Comments. I would love to find some other great sites for baby stuff (outside the norm!)
Friends & Family - When I was pregnant, many friends & acquaintances came out of the woodwork offering me their hand-me-downs. At first, I wasn't sure I wanted hand-me-downs, (I know, it sounds snotty!) but I quickly changed my mind and accepted everything once we added up how much $$money$$ it was to buy everything new. We got some great things from our very generous and amazing friends; Dr. Browns bottles, breathable bumper, extra crib sheets, clothes (tons of clothes - thank you to all my friends!), video monitor, exersaucer, toys, and did I mention a lot of clothes. We did still have to buy many other things brand new, but it helped to have this stuff donated to us.
The over-abundance of clothes works out well since I am a baby-clothes-aholic. I think I have replaced my shopping binges for myself with the baby clothes addiction. I love to buy Julianna new clothes. Baby clothes are just the cutest things ever.
Word to the wise: take those hand-me-downs... and don't forget to pay it forward when you are done with them. I have been doing it and it certainly is a good feeling. I would never sell anything that has been given to me by someone - that's bad karma!
Unrelated - Here are some cute Julianna pictures from this week... I just love photographing her. She even smiles when I put the camera in her face. She's learning to look cute & ham it up even at her young age!
Deep Thoughts.
Her grandma made this for her - sadly the hat is getting to tight on her already. Bummer.
Here is Bianca, my god daughter, playing with Julianna.
Julianna chewing on one of her many favorite things!
I just love this little girl to pieces!!
Boy, Skye, my daughter Kadie would so agree with you about Craig's list. She has bought some great things for amazing prices. She's GREAT at garage sales, too! Congrats on your award, you deserve it!
ReplyDeleteJean - Thanks! I need to do more garage sales than I already do!
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