So long to saving money on baby stuff. I am a frequent reader of Nicole's blog and she posted about this a few days ago. I just don't think this will happen...
For more information, visit Baby Cheapskate. There are resources there that confirm the validity of the story.
Chris and I are by no means poor. But that isn't the point. The point is that there is so much gently used baby stuff out there that looks and works like it's brand new. It makes absolutely NO sense to me to buy Jayna all new stuff that she'll use for a few months when I can get it for less than half price if I buy it off of craigslist or from a resale shop...especially when I can throw the cloth parts in the washer and magic eraser/Clorox wipe the other parts and it looks brand new. I bought Jayna a Bumbo seat for $26.00 off of ebay...and that included shipping. I bought her a Baby Einstein jumper that she LOVES for $35.00 at a resale shop. I cleaned these things up and they're perfectly useful and wonderful...and she'll eventually outgrow them. In just those two products I've saved myself $60.00!!
I've bought her a few other things off of craigslist also. She has a toy like this one (but ours is Fisher Price that retails for about $30.00) that she's used so much that it's beginning to lose it's sensitivity to her kicking it. I still say that it's the best $10.00 I've spent since having a kid. I also bought her a travel swing (sort of like this one, but an older model that retailed for around $50.00) that she was too small for (I should try that again...) for $20.00. That brings my total money saved to approximately $110.00...and Jayna's only 4 months old!!
I try to do my part to #1-save money in this crazy, unpredictable economy and #2-recycle some of the junk that's already here instead of buying new things. I'd like our planet to be here and, you know, half-way clean so that Jayna can grow up in a happy, healthy world. And I'd like the same for her children and her children's children and so forth...
I'd also like her to learn the value of a dollar (okay, now I sound like my parents) and know that it's okay to have some things that are used. I'd also like her to know that donating things and selling things second-hand is GOOD. It's good for the economy. It's good for families who are less fortunate than ours. It's good for the soul to donate. I know that not all things are okay to buy used and that kids deserve new things, too, but buying her second-hand items will NOT scar her for life. I promise. In my mind I'm making her happier because she has more things to keep her busy and make her smile. She wouldn't have half the stuff mentioned above if I would have had to buy it new.
How do lawmakers expect families who rely on these resources to live? Now, more than ever, people need these resources to get by. I just think that there must be better ways to protect our children than this. Is anyone even supporting this cause? I suppose I need to look into that. Chris says that this law will never go into effect because it will be too difficult to police, especially with things like garage sales and such. I hope he's right, not just for our sake, but for the sake of others who more heavily rely on the second-hand market.
Okay, stepping down from the soapbox now. Here are my questions:
* Are there anymore of you out there who feel the way I do?
* Do you buy your children second-hand items? Why or why not?
* Do you support or oppose the banning of second-hand items?
* What is your solution to the problem?
1 comment:
I am all for second-hand! However, I still think the best way is to leave the resale people out of it, and go person-to-person! In my opinion, Once Upon a Child is usually over-priced. I mean, when you figure that they are probably charging $5 for something that they paid the parent $1 for! However, I do support Goodwill. And, on a good note, I came across this:
http://www.snopes.com/inboxer/pending/cpsia.asp
So, we may have nothing to worry about. (Except for reputable news sites like CNN seeming to not bother to check their facts...)
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