While having a baby is undoubtedly a joyous occasion, it can also introduce parents or grandparents to a world of enticing but unnecessary consumerism. It’s easy to accumulate a heap of items for your new little one. However, certain items are unnecessary and can be conveniently discarded from your shopping list.
Firstly, consider baby washcloths and towels. After a baby shower of my own, I found that people largely gravitated towards gifting me these items. I ended up with eight sets! Despite their adorable designs, they fell short in terms of quality and, truthfully, I didn’t need that many. This does not reflect poorly on the givers but on the producers who compromise the quality of these baby-specific items.
Instead of spending excessively on overpriced baby-targeted items, consider investing in 1-3 gentle and top-notch quality towels and washcloths. This will cost you around $15-20, whereas a set of slender baby towel and six washcloths will cost you $15 at a place like Target.
Secondly, the shopping cart cover is seen as a must-have by many, but how necessary is it really? We all aim to keep our babies germ-free, but many stores provide anti-bacterial wipes on-site for a budget-friendly cleaning. Bypassing the shopping cart cover can save you around $20-30, apart from the inconvenience of lugging it around.
Next, let’s talk about baby music and sound machines. It’s undeniable that white noise and baby lullaby CDs facilitate sleep and pacify babies. But, in this era, with devices like MP3 players and iPods readily available, these machines seem obsolete. Free music resources can be downloaded for personal use. Additionally, alternative sources like a fan, humidifier, or air purifier can offer white noise. Avoiding these machines can save you $25-50.
Lastly, the wipes warmer might seem like a watershed device to some mothers, but it’s an unnecessary luxury. Babies generally dislike wet diapers or changing times, and a wipes warmer isn’t a definitive solution. Given that diaper changes don’t usually need a lot of time, you can forgo this device and save around $20.
There are numerous other baby items you can confidently remove from your registry list. Keeping the clutter and storage from the excess items at bay can be a headache. Can you recall any baby items that you received or thought were indispensable, only to discover they were not? What’s your experience with these surplus items?
