Reader Carmen sent me an email and asked the following:
I have a 2yr old son and am expecting my 2nd in June. Me and my husband are both out of work and the only set income we have is my unemployment. I had to spend my savings to pay all the rent and bills for the past couple months and that was money i was saving to get stuff for our 2nd son. So we have NOTHING for him yet and very little funds to get it. I will be having a baby shower in may but i know that won’t cover everything. Do you have any suggestions as to where the best place is to shop for the basics? Thanks in advance for any suggestions and have a great weekend!
There are lots of great ways to get baby items. The good thing is that baby items are often times in excellent condition due to the short time that they are used. Here are a few ideas:
- Craigs List. I have purchased many items from this site. I always remind people to stay safe when shopping on-line and meeting someone. Keep it a public location if you can. For larger items where you must go to someone’s house, you should always go with someone and make sure your family knows where you are going.
- Garage Sales. It is just about that time of year. Lots of people will be having garage sales and some subdivisions will be hosting community garage sales. These can be a great resource for finding items you need. Make sure that you negotiate as most sellers are willing to haggle — which can get you an even better deal.
- Consignment Sales/Stores. These stores carry lots of inventory for all sorts of ages. You can find these stores all over and there are several sales that usually take place in the spring. If you live in Kansas City, you can find some by checking out the KC Parent calendar.
- Stack sales and coupons. Many stores are releasing in-ad or even printable coupons right now. When you stack these coupons with sales (especially clearance items such as clothing) you can find some deep discounts.
- Watch Amazon. This is one of my favorite on-line places to shop. If you just keep watching