Greetings, Everyone! Today's blog will be about how I created an affordable nursery as a first time, soon to be, mother! While affordable wasn't my, nor my husband's, main goal, we are naturally frugal people and often put a lot of thought into purchases, big and small! While I do love aesthetic things, our main goal when creating our nursery was functional and comfortable.
Therefore, if you are interested in learning how I set-up our nursery for less than 300 USD, please keep reading!
My first piece of advice is to visualize what you want. Try to imagine the color scheme, the items you would like to buy, and then visualize how they would fit into the room. It's important to have a very clear picture of what you want, which will then help you stay on course when you go out into the wild-wild world of baby items.
After you visualize what you want, research what you need and compare the two. There are several "nursery check-lists" on the web that will explain to you what babies need. In addition to that, there are also websites and blogs explaining items that you can pass on or at least don't have to splurge on!
Once you've aligned your wants and needs, get organized! My husband and I created an Excel sheet that had exactly what we wanted, how much of that item we wanted, and several columns to price check. Having a hard copy of your items will keep you from double buying, over buying, splurging, and straying from your list.
PRICE CHECK
I know. It's super easy to drive down to your local Babies-R-Us or baby store and just pick up everything in one go. But, you can save a lot of money just by shopping around. Yes, it'll take a bit more time and effort, but it is so satisfying being able to find the same product on sale online or just flat out cheaper! Don't rule out price checking or buying online from sites, such as Amazon, where the variety (and price points) seem endless.
ACCEPT GIFTS AND BUY SECOND-HAND
One sure fire way to save money is to be open to lesser known brands, buying second hand, and accepting gifts. My co-workers could not wait to offload their pre-loved, but in good condition, baby clothes and items. If I were picky about brand and design, I would have had an aesthetic nursery, but an emptier wallet. However, by accepting gifts, hand-me-downs, and shopping around, I was able to quickly furnish my nursery with little things that tend to add up, and therefore, affording me a bigger budget on the furniture! I also hand-made much of the wall decor, which adds a unique personal touch and saves money.
As a side note, however, I do recommend buying structural items (cribs, changing tables, etc.) new and by trusted brands due to safety concerns.
PRIORITIZE FUNCTIONALITY
Last but not least, buy items that can be repurposed or used for a long time. My husband and I bought a crib that can turn into a toddler bed, and our changing table has no problem serving as a storage rack for toys in the future. Buying multi functional items can save money (and sometimes space) in the long run. You won't have to keep re-buying and updating to adjust to your growing baby.
Creating a budget friendly nursery doesn't mean you love your baby any less or have to make huge sacrifices and settle for less. All it calls for is a bit more time, thought, and creativity, which can add a lot more personality to your baby's room and be a rewarding bonding project for you and your partner.
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