When I was pregnant with Cohen, I was your typical first time mom. I wanted to buy everything new — from toys to clothes to all of baby’s firsts. I never realized how expensive baby items were until we started shopping. I thought it would be a fun bonding experience for my husband and I to put all these new items together. We were excited to be first-time parents. Everyone remembers getting the nursery ready for your new bundle of joy — painting, putting a crib and changing table together and even folding all the new baby clothes.
It took about a year for me to realize how little a baby actually uses some of the new items we purchased. Take for example, a baby wipes warmer. My child never really minded cold wipes. Out of all the new clothes we bought, Cohen wore them once, maybe twice. I never realized how quickly a baby grows out of clothes. I found myself asking “Why buy so many newborn clothes at expensive baby stores if he might not ever wear them?” and “Why in the world should I buy new shoes when babies don’t walk?” After realizing how quickly babies grow, I became obsessed with bargain shopping.
Thrift Store Shopping Saves
As Macklemore once said, “I’m gonna pop some tags. Only got twenty dollars in my pocket. I’m huntin’, looking for a deal. This is really awesome.”
Yes, I am talking about thrift store shopping. After spending a fortune on new items for my son, I finally started to shop at consignment stores. And it has become my obsession. The thrill of the hunt, the cheaper prices. Why did I spend so much money on things my baby only wore or used once? Some of the items I purchased look brand new for half the price, so why would I ever buy new again?
New Baby, Back to Old Habits
However, when I found out I was pregnant with my daughter, I completely forgot about that promise. No one was going to convince me that my princess was not going to receive all brand new things. Dresses, bows, tutus and all the flashy and girly necessities of bringing home a baby girl. We didn’t need to buy any big items like a crib, stroller or bedroom furniture, so why not splurge a little and go shopping at the Baby Gap and Von Maur?
It wasn’t until I had to sort through the boxes and boxes of Cohen’s baby clothes that I was reminded not to spend a fortune on new things that this child will maybe only wear once. So my obsession with thrift-store buys was renewed and before long it had become my passion.
Getting Money Back
So off to the thrift stores we went — looking to pop some tags, looking for a deal. If we weren’t thrift store shopping, I was online looking for deals. I have spent hours looking for sales not only for my children but for myself or even household items. Not to mention, I have sold a lot of baby items on these sites as well. When Collyns outgrows her clothes, I post the items online and hope someone is in need of those items, or maybe has the same obsession with finding bargains as I do. It’s a fun way to get rid of things easily without taking up too much time.
Now, we’re getting back some of the money we spent on the new items I purchased as well as the hand-me-downs. As a result, we’re saving money and space in the basement. I now consider myself a thrift-store junkie, and I now know there is nothing wrong if you don’t buy new!
Mallory Connelly
Babies & Toddlers
In addition to the time I devote to being a mom, I also work full-time outside the home, which means my day is hardly ever as simple as nine to five. With an all-too-established schedule, as soon as I walk through the door, my day doesn’t end, but rather just begins. It’s a balancing act, especially with two children, but being a mom is one full-time job that I never want to quit!
