Ideas for decorating a toddler boy bedroom?

POPPY

I just finished painting the walls in my soon to be 3 year old son's bedroom. The paint is called "Guacamole" . Its a very warm rich green. My trim is dark wood, which I hate (I like white trim but I'm renting). I'm having a tough time decorating because his dresser is white and the toddler bed is a pine color. I'm not willing to paint the dresser and I really prefer to use what we have already. I love the look of pottery barn, but can't really afford to spend the money.Can you help me come up with some affordable ideas to make it look like a cool, & fun big boy bedroom. I'm not into themes because his likes change so often. But one thing that always stays the same is cars, trucks and trains. I could decorate by displaying cars and picture frames with cars&airplanes themes. I"m not sure. Possibilities are endless. I also need an idea for curtain color. I'd like to add a play table and an easel. I'm also making an underbed train table as a surprise. Thank you for reading my post.

Answer
Just a thought. Try downloading a printing pictures of high end cars and exotic planes or trains. Then frame them and put them up in his room. For extra touches add a small collection of Maisto cars in cases for display. By the way many car dealers will give you free booklets and on occassion you can get promo items(i.e. we got a Porsche flag for our sons room). Maybe a few light weight model planes hanging from the ceiling. And if your able put a 6" shelve about 18" from the ceing around the entire room and set up a electric train on it. Put a switch some where on the wall out of his reach for now(he'll enjoy turning it on when he five or so, but not now he may break it to easily). Also for the curtians try a dark green or Dark purple(aka Royal Purple). By the way a extra nice touch is a rug for a kids room has a play scape on it (usually a road and such). I know it sounds like a lot, but it works out nicely. It's what we are doing for our sons room.

What Is The Best Item You Ever Found At A Thrift Store Or Yard Sale?

elvisgurly

What is the best item you ever found at a thrift store or yard sale?

Do you think thrift stores charge reasonable prices or charge way too much?

Answer
My wife found one of those kid's electric cars for $5...and the guy threw in a toddler bike with training wheels for 50 cents.


But the killer of all garage sale items was the lady trucker who bought what she thought was just some old painting of flowers...turned out to be an $18M Van Gogh. Lucky lady!!!

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Electric Powered Ride-On Cars for toddlers- which to buy? Where to buy?

lysistrata

I want to buy one for my son for christmas. However, I looked at amazon and there are so many different ones. Some are cheap, like $40 while others are $500. I can't figure out what makes one different from another. Which do you recommend? And where are good places to buy them? Thanks so much!

Answer
http://www.toysrus.com/product/index.jsp?productId=2842469

We got this one a year ago for our oldest and are about to buy another one for our youngest. I see it got not great reviews but honestly we love it. It is decently priced and they have a blast with it!
We don't have to worry about them falling out because the seat sits down, we go for walks while he drives all over the neighborhood and never have battery issues, and it was simple enough for them to learn quickly.

Electric Powered Ride-On Cars for toddlers- which to buy? Where to buy?

lysistrata

I want to buy one for my son for christmas. However, I looked at amazon and there are so many different ones. Some are cheap, like $40 while others are $500. I can't figure out what makes one different from another. Which do you recommend? And where are good places to buy them? Thanks so much!

Answer
My hubby wants to buy my daughter one of those, and they are very very pricey.

They have them at Toys R' Us. We were told the the Escalade is very good, that it lasted their kids 3 summers. They also said that the Jeep SUCKS, it only lasted 1 summer.

Hope that helps. :)

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Toddler's christmas gifts...?

Wonderious

I was trying to get ideas for what to get my son, he's nearly 3 for Christmas, and was wondering what you were getting your toddler? Also, about how much do you spend?

Answer
My son will be 3 16 days before Christmas. We have bought him an art eisle. It is just simple to put a plastic mat under and an old tshirt and let their imagination run. Last year we bought him a Vsmile video game learning system (about $60). This year we bought him 3 more games (run about $20 each). They are very educational games, not only that but the child learns motor skills as well. I also bought a city scape area rug for his playroom (check link below for example). I got a really nice one at Lowe's for $20. I have looked for one for almost 18 months. I was so happy to find the one I did. It looks SO cute. It is not on the Lowe's website and when I asked many people in the store they had no clue what I was talking about. Look in the section that has the mats folded. The one I have looks better than the one on the link, but just using it as an example. I also want to buy him the Step 2 Real Project Workshop, but it is only available online and I would like to see it in person before I buy it. I also bought "Cars" the movie. It was the first movie he ever saw in theatres and really loved it. For his birthday he is getting a whole new bedroom linen set from the movie (comforter, mini pillows, wall stickers (look at Lowe's in the children section), sheets, and pillow sham).

Another great thing we have purchased...a number of Step 1 get ready to read books. You can find great ones at Walmart for $2.50

Since his birthday and Christmas are so close we make sure he know his birthday is HIS day. We spend about $400 on his birthday and about $200-300 for Christmas.

My inlaws have bought him a junior size real drum set and a mini electric guitar. He LOVES music. They have also bought him a bike with all the protective gear. One of his uncles (has 5 on his dad's side) had a skateboard made for him and another 2 have pitched in together to buy him some sort of mini atv. I have not seen it yet and not sure what I think. I am hoping it is a powerwheel.

Ideas for decorating a toddler boy bedroom?

POPPY

I just finished painting the walls in my soon to be 3 year old son's bedroom. The paint is called "Guacamole" . Its a very warm rich green. My trim is dark wood, which I hate (I like white trim but I'm renting). I'm having a tough time decorating because his dresser is white and the toddler bed is a pine color. I'm not willing to paint the dresser and I really prefer to use what we have already. I love the look of pottery barn, but can't really afford to spend the money.Can you help me come up with some affordable ideas to make it look like a cool, & fun big boy bedroom. I'm not into themes because his likes change so often. But one thing that always stays the same is cars, trucks and trains. I could decorate by displaying cars and picture frames with cars&airplanes themes. I"m not sure. Possibilities are endless. I also need an idea for curtain color. I'd like to add a play table and an easel. I'm also making an underbed train table as a surprise. Thank you for reading my post.

Answer
Just a thought. Try downloading a printing pictures of high end cars and exotic planes or trains. Then frame them and put them up in his room. For extra touches add a small collection of Maisto cars in cases for display. By the way many car dealers will give you free booklets and on occassion you can get promo items(i.e. we got a Porsche flag for our sons room). Maybe a few light weight model planes hanging from the ceiling. And if your able put a 6" shelve about 18" from the ceing around the entire room and set up a electric train on it. Put a switch some where on the wall out of his reach for now(he'll enjoy turning it on when he five or so, but not now he may break it to easily). Also for the curtians try a dark green or Dark purple(aka Royal Purple). By the way a extra nice touch is a rug for a kids room has a play scape on it (usually a road and such). I know it sounds like a lot, but it works out nicely. It's what we are doing for our sons room.

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How does it make a child feel when their parents yell at them?

electric cars for toddlers image

Q. I haven't yelled at my kids in a long time. The last time I yelled it was to keep my toddler from driving his match-box car into an electric outlet...(and it hurt his feelings, he cried)
And... my parents yelled at me a lot, but I can't remember at all how it made me feel.
So, I was wondering how kids feel when parents, grandparents, teachers, whatever adult in charge - when they get yelled at.
anybody know? or remember how it felt to them? or just theories on how you think they may feel?

Answer
i am almost 17, and i really never get yelled at; i dont do things to get yelled at for.. haha. but when i do, i feel hopeless, almost, because regardless of who your parents are, you feel like you can't fight back.

for example, if you get yelled at for sneaking out; they are so mad and you are so upset that you feel like you can't present your argument without getting in more trouble.. so you give up.

What Is The Best Item You Ever Found At A Thrift Store Or Yard Sale?

elvisgurly

What is the best item you ever found at a thrift store or yard sale?

Do you think thrift stores charge reasonable prices or charge way too much?

Answer
My wife found one of those kid's electric cars for $5...and the guy threw in a toddler bike with training wheels for 50 cents.


But the killer of all garage sale items was the lady trucker who bought what she thought was just some old painting of flowers...turned out to be an $18M Van Gogh. Lucky lady!!!

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What should I buy for the baby before it's born?

electric cars for toddlers image

jonnyjewst

So far, a crib is the only definite purchase I am making. Some unisex outfits here and there. She is only 4 months pregnant, should I be buying the drawers playpen, carseat, booster and all that mess now? Or should I wait?

Answer
I would spread the purchases out over the next few months. There's no need to rush out and buy everything at once, plus it can get financially crippling! You really only need a crib and 2 sheet sets, change table which is sometimes good to get the kind that have the drawers down the bottom and the changer on top. The best car seat you can afford, again sometimes its a good idea to get the infant to toddler reversible kind so it lasts longer. And a pram is usually a good idea too! I would wait with the playpen for now and get an electric baby swing instead and there isn't a need for a booster till the baby is much older. Don't forget a baby bath too and if you buy gender orientated outfits just keep the receipts and return the ones you don't need. That way your baby won't just be dressed in yellow and white for the first couple of weeks!


Something I also did when buying baby accessories was to get one thing a week like a packet of nappies,wipes,dummies, bibs or baby bath when I did the grocery shopping. I waited until something was on special then bought it and spread the cost over 6 mths rather than getting all that stuff at once at the end. You don't notice the cost so much then and the baby's room starts to fill up with all those things really quickly which is nice for mum to be!

best of luck and congrats!

Made an offer: Is this house worth losing over $6k?

Me

My wife and I submitted an offer on a home yesterday afternoon following a second showing yesterday morning. It is a 2 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 2-car garage home in a well-to-do community in Hillsborough county New Hampshire, listed for $269k. It is immaculate beyond belief and completely move-in ready: Granite counters, electric cooktop, double convection ovens, hardwood throughout the ground level and a beautiful built-in. It also has central AC and a generator. There are 1,200ish sq ft on the ground level and another 500ish sq ft of finished space in the basement (that cannot legally be a 3rd bedroom) including a finished laundry room and closet and a mostly-finished room that is plumbed to be a future 3/4 bath.

Eight hours after offering full asking price with $8k in concessions, we received a counteroffer stating that the sellers "needed and wanted" to walk away with $267k, meaning we'd need to up our offer by $6k to $275k if we wanted our concession. They also rejected paying for a $385 home warranty plan (no big deal - our agent writes them standard into all her offers).

Even though we're only talking about $6,000 or $35/month, it feels like it would put us in dangerous financial territory in terms of us overpaying and potentially being "stuck" in this house later on. $269k already felt like a stretch but we were willing to do it because it is completely move-in ready. As nice as the house is, though, it is a 2 bedroom house selling for $269k in a neighborhood with 2 other houses having 3 or 4 bedrooms both selling for $279k. The 3 bed house is absolutely out of the question (it's a "flip" and we found evidence of water damage and mold), but the 4 bedroom is in very nice condition, has over 2,000 sq ft and a pool. It would just need heavy decor updates because the lady who owns it is about 50 years older than us.

We also find it fishy that the sellers just happen to need the exact amount on my mortgage pre-approval letter, not to mention the fact that the seller's agent is telling us there were multiple showings yesterday when the sellers left only one "information sheet" on the desk and 4 pairs of shoe booties in the entryway (they're a little OCD, I think). and seemingly left with no diaper bag or anything else for their infant and young toddler when they were likely to be gone at least 4 or hours for these 11am and 1pm showings (we arrived early and they were leaving when we got there). The home has been on the market since June/July and there has been no recent price change.

So with all this said, we have made peace with the likelihood that we will not be buying this house. Before we pass on their counteroffer, though, it would be nice to get some opinions. Is this house worth losing over $6k?
We have only "officially" been in the market for a week but have been monitoring listings for a couple years. During that time a handful of really great houses have come and gone but we weren't in a position to buy. This is not our dream house. Just a nice one that needs little to no work. We were not intending in buying a 2 bedroom.
Thank you very much Equality. Just FYI and everyone else's, we will not be growing our family. We have a teenage daughter (who has her eye on the basement) and that's all we're planning on.

Answer
Lovely as it sounds - 2 bedroom homes are hard sells. Keep that in mind for if and when you decide to sell in the future. You don't say if you plan on having children - but if you do - a 2 bedroom house is going to get "too small" very soon after. And even if you don't have children - 1200 square feet seems a bit small anyway. Any buyer looking that has children looking to buy a house will not consider a 2 bedroom.

As it does sound lovely with all the upgrades - 1200 square feet, 2 bedroom - with children - will become too small for you - if you do have children in the future. As evidenced if - as you say - they are a young couple with an infant and a toddler. 1200 square feet becomes too small for a single person after awhile - Much less all the toys and paraphernalia that children have. And will be too small for any buyers - with children - should you decide to sell in the future.

Also, sellers should have never seen or been told what your pre-approved limit was. Their agent told you what they "needed and wanted". Which should make no difference to you. It's what you guys "need and want" that matters as this is the biggest, most important - and spendy - decision you will ever make.

Did they come back with a counter in writing? Or are you just being told this? Your offer stands if they did not counter in writing. Do not agree to anything verbally. Whether it's them saying it verbally - or you. And if they counter in writing - then you either sign/agree to it or you walk away. That's how it works.

As a former real estate agent and buyer of about 7 houses over the years - I can tell you that you should never spend at the top of the pre-approved amount. That makes one what is called "house poor". Just as you should never max out a credit card. One should not spend all one has to spend. Sure you will own a lovely home - but with all the expenses of owning a home - it gets to be just a lovely burden.

If this is your first home buying experience - my suggestion would be to lower your sights a bit. Don't go for the top of the pre-approved amount. That is an amount that the bank thinks you can afford - based on numbers, ratios and all that - but it's what I call Monopoly money. Looks good on paper but reality will show that it can - and will be - a stretch financially month after month after month. As well as my experience has shown 2 bedrooms can be a liability when one wants to sell in the future. As evidenced by what you said that they have an infant and a toddler. So this house is too small for them already - they are sorry they bought a 2 bedroom and if young - likely need more money to get into something bigger. Most buyers - these days - want an office or a den or a bedroom for each child or a guest room or TV room or whatever... so keep that in mind in your long term plans. One may think they will never sell - apparently this couple thought so. But circumstances change. And possibly yours will too - in 5 or 10 years.

But bottom line - remember - what they "need or want" is no concern of yours. Don't let any emotions like that take over common sense. Spend what you are comfortable with - and I say again - that should not be the top of your credit limit.

Buying a less expensive - easier to sell in the future - and doing your own upgrades - even gradually over time - can be fun and may be best for you right now.

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What is the one thing you couldn't live without when your baby was born?

electric cars for toddlers image

VillageGir

I'd love to hear what one (or more) thing (or things) you parents absolutely loved during your child's newborn weeks and the first year. I'm thinking about my baby list and registry. Thanks!
@Andrew: what exactly do you mean? Like, earplugs for dad? Yeah, um, that's not gonna work in our family. We're taking turns getting the baby.

Answer
My twins nursing pillow. I only use it for them one at a time, but if I was stuck on a desert island with them and could only bring one thing... that would be it.

Although without diapers it would get pretty stinky.

You can't take them home without a car seat of course.

For toys the doorway jumper KILLS SLAUGHTERS DESTROYS and ANNIHALATES all other toys. My guys are 5 months and been rocking out on them for 2 months.

ONLY the Graco is worth getting. I got the Evenflo - SUCKS. Worthless in comparison.

Graco doorway jumper cost $30, but worth $300 for fun.

I have all the stuff, all the toys, everything. For toys, Graco doorway jumper. I feel sorry for babies who don't have them.

I got the slings, I got the baby bjorns, I have the infant swings, bumbos, boppys, activity mat (okay, that one is IMPORTANT), I have 3 strollers, I have lots of bottles, pacifiers etc. gotta go with nursing pillow for feeding and for toys that doorway jumper.

I use prefolds and thirsties cloth diapers to. Much Much cheaper than disposables. For cloth get those, but if not using cloth that's fine to.

I change my guys on a waterproof mat on the floor. It is 1000 times better than a changing table. Because we do naked tummy time, play with them before and after changing... we do tons of floor time, and just change a diaper while we are down there.

I didn't have much help with the cleaning. Would have been great, but everyone who came to help me wanted to give them a bottle instead of helping me clean but I was breastfeeding so had to constantly tell them (my mom mostly) no. *sigh* Yes, help cleaning would have been nice.

Oh wait, an infant scale. I found that reduced my worries when breastfeeding. If you start to doubt your supply etc. you just weigh the baby and make sure they are gaining properly. Well worth the money. Pillow trumps it, but it is still a great thing to have for $30 from amazon.com. It also is a standing toddler scale for when they get bigger. Regular scales don't weight things less than 50 pounds very accurately, and infants not at all!

The best gift I got was my double electric breast pump... and the Kiddopotamus swaddlers! That is a tie actually. No, swaddlers win. Those velcro swaddlers will give you an extra couple hours of sleep or so a night. You want those very very much. Just 1 is fine. Costs about $12.

How do parents feel about spanking the kids?

Whitie

I was raised with parents that spanked I feel some situations call for it but what do you guys think?

Answer
I think it depends entirely on the child and situation.

For instance, if you have a toddler, who really likes to test you, by doing dangerous things like sticking keys in electric outlets, playing with wires, trying to touch the hot stove, running into traffic, etc..spanking can be a good tool.
To a toddler, doing those things is not dangerous, its a fun game to play with mummy. They do not understand the consequence of being electrocuted, or hit by a car. A toddler needs to learn that those things bring pain, and a swift smack to the bottom, will teach them that.
I would rather smack my child's bottom, then have to rush them to the ER or possibly watch them die.

As they get older, spanking become so much less effective. At that stage, you can reason with them. Make them understand there are consequences for being naughty. Take away something special to them, and they will understand why.

If I have a child like myself, spanking will be a useless tool. I was stubbourn and spanking me only made me angry and more likely to do what I shouldn't.

So, as I said. It depends entirely upon the child and situation. Every child is different and the way you punish one, may not work on the other. As a parent, you are constantly learning. lol

I will end this by saying, I do not believe in using spanking as a way to take out frustration with the child, or in anger. I also do not believe in spanking for every thing. If you overuse it, it becomes moot. The punishment should fit the crime and everything is not spank worthy.

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What should I buy for the baby before it's born?

electric cars for toddlers image

jonnyjewst

So far, a crib is the only definite purchase I am making. Some unisex outfits here and there. She is only 4 months pregnant, should I be buying the drawers playpen, carseat, booster and all that mess now? Or should I wait?

Answer
I would spread the purchases out over the next few months. There's no need to rush out and buy everything at once, plus it can get financially crippling! You really only need a crib and 2 sheet sets, change table which is sometimes good to get the kind that have the drawers down the bottom and the changer on top. The best car seat you can afford, again sometimes its a good idea to get the infant to toddler reversible kind so it lasts longer. And a pram is usually a good idea too! I would wait with the playpen for now and get an electric baby swing instead and there isn't a need for a booster till the baby is much older. Don't forget a baby bath too and if you buy gender orientated outfits just keep the receipts and return the ones you don't need. That way your baby won't just be dressed in yellow and white for the first couple of weeks!


Something I also did when buying baby accessories was to get one thing a week like a packet of nappies,wipes,dummies, bibs or baby bath when I did the grocery shopping. I waited until something was on special then bought it and spread the cost over 6 mths rather than getting all that stuff at once at the end. You don't notice the cost so much then and the baby's room starts to fill up with all those things really quickly which is nice for mum to be!

best of luck and congrats!

what are the must haves for newborns?

pretty in

this is my friends email and she said i could use it. i just need to know some things that my baby cant live without when shes born. i have a tight budget so just the must haves please. and if possible could you put the price and how many of each item i need to buy a month. thank you!

Answer
The necessities for a newborn are these:

Diapers (don't buy a ton of newborn diapers because they grow out of them pretty quick. Start with one pack and if you need more, buy them after.) Pampers are about $20 for a box. I'd say we bought diapers every 1 1/2 - 2 weeks at the newborn age) There are cheaper diapers out there too, but we preferred Pampers.

Wipes (Buy in bulk if you can. Trust me you'll use them for everything.) Big box of wipes cost $7-12 depending on how big the box is and the brand name. They will last you a good while and the cheap ones are just as good as Pampers or Huggies.

Onsies and Sleepers. All the cute clothes can wait until later on. Trust me, the baby will spend more time in onsies than anything else.

If you will be nursing, get a Boppy/Nursing Pillow and at least a manual pump. They are a life saver. If you go back to work you'll need bottles and an electric pump. Make sure the pump is for woman who pump regularly. Some are only for occasional pumping and are not as good at keeping up a supply. Medela is great, but also expensive ($250 approx. for a double electric pump, but is worth the price). You can find them used for much cheaper, but you will want to buy all new bottles and pump parts. Replacement parts are not very expensive.

If you are formula feeding and when feeding pumped breastmilk, bottles are a must have. Make sure they are slow flow nipples for a newborn. I suggest buying some decent ones and don't go too cheap. You want some that reduce the amount of air your baby gets, so he/she wont be too uncomfortable after each feeding. It will also reduce spitting up.

You'll want a crib and mattress for sure, unless you will be co-sleeping. A changing table is nice, but definately not a necessity. We will just be using a changing table pad on one of our lower dressers. Crib Sheets, Mattress Pad. No need to buy an expensive bedding set. You aren't even supposed to use the comforter when they are a newborn either. It can cause SIDS, so you really don't get too much use out of it before they want a character bedding set. We bought a toddler bedding set at Walmart for $35 once our son was a bit older. Until then we just used some thin blankets we got from our baby shower.

You'll want a car seat. The hospital will not let you leave without one. The travel systems are a bit pricey, but well worth it. Once that baby is asleep, you will not want to wake him by lifting him out of a car seat.

That's all I can think of right now. Buying things used can save you a ton of money. Try Craigslist.org, but make sure things are not recalled and are not more than 3-4 years old. Many items have more safety standards and what not these days. Also, be careful when buying a car seat used. Make sure it has not been in any accidents. I really do suggest buying a new one. Sign up on websites for coupons and offers. Huggies sends out tons of coupons. Pampers kinds sucks with the coupons. If you'll be using formula you'll want to sign up and many will send you checks you can use at the store.

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How do parents feel about spanking the kids?

electric cars for toddlers image

Whitie

I was raised with parents that spanked I feel some situations call for it but what do you guys think?

Answer
I think it depends entirely on the child and situation.

For instance, if you have a toddler, who really likes to test you, by doing dangerous things like sticking keys in electric outlets, playing with wires, trying to touch the hot stove, running into traffic, etc..spanking can be a good tool.
To a toddler, doing those things is not dangerous, its a fun game to play with mummy. They do not understand the consequence of being electrocuted, or hit by a car. A toddler needs to learn that those things bring pain, and a swift smack to the bottom, will teach them that.
I would rather smack my child's bottom, then have to rush them to the ER or possibly watch them die.

As they get older, spanking become so much less effective. At that stage, you can reason with them. Make them understand there are consequences for being naughty. Take away something special to them, and they will understand why.

If I have a child like myself, spanking will be a useless tool. I was stubbourn and spanking me only made me angry and more likely to do what I shouldn't.

So, as I said. It depends entirely upon the child and situation. Every child is different and the way you punish one, may not work on the other. As a parent, you are constantly learning. lol

I will end this by saying, I do not believe in using spanking as a way to take out frustration with the child, or in anger. I also do not believe in spanking for every thing. If you overuse it, it becomes moot. The punishment should fit the crime and everything is not spank worthy.

She's pregnant. What are some of the costs associated with pregnancy and child rearing?

Joe Schmoe

Neither of us have ever had kids. What will be the biggest challenge? How much does day care cost? Diapers? Etc.? Will I be able to finish college? I need to hear about other peoples' experiences.

Answer
My husband is an accountant and figured this out as much as he could. Please be aware that we live in a high cost area so we are paying more than say, the Midwest.

1. Medical care - Maternity care and the doctor's fee for delivery is usually a flat rate. This includes all your prenatal visits and a basic vaginal delivery fee for the delivering physician. This does not cover blood work, ultrasounds, urology testing, vaginal cultures, etc. These are billed at whatever rate you have with your insurer. The actual stay at the hospital will be a room, bed, nursing plus materials cost. I would call your local hospital and insurer to figure out approximately what this will come to.

2. Day care. Completely depends on who, how and where. Count on at least $800/month on the low side for home-run daycare with much more for a franchise facility. We are fortunate in our area because we can get qualified nannies who are recent immigrants who will cook, clean and watch the children for $1000/month.

3. Diapers. Cloth diapers are more work, but less expensive. Cloth diapers now are entirely different from what they used to be. http://www.fuzzibunz.com/ http://www.happyheinys.com/ If you go with disposables, buy them from Sam's Club or Costco or equivalent. I would buy wipes in bulk from them as well. If we buy them from a local store, they run about $18-20/pack. The packs get smaller as the sizes get bigger. They start at around 40 diapers and go down from there. Babies go through about a dozen diapers a day to start and then taper down some. You will spend a ton of money here.

4. Feeding. Breastfeeding saves well over $1000/year. You will need a breast pump which runs up to $350. (Buy a good one such as a Medela dual electric.) You will also need smaller items such as nursing bras, nursing pads, etc. You will want to have some bottles and maybe a bottle warmer on hand so that she can express her milk with the pump, and others can feed the baby when she is not with him. I can't speak to formula feeding. We aren't planning on going that route.

5. Setup costs. Buying used can save you a ton of money, but you will need to do research to ensure that the items meet safety standards. I would suggest www.craigslist.com. Do NOT buy a used crib mattress. Buy this new for sanitary and safety reasons. I would also suggest that you buy a new infant car seat and base. If the car is ever in an accident of any kind, the infant seat and base must be replaced, even if they look perfectly undamaged. I wouldn't risk someone's selling you a seat that may have been in an accident. We had to buy new since in our area, the cost weirdly ends up being the same between the 'normal stuff' that we would buy and the used 'ultra-luxury' stuff that people sell. We budgeted $2000 and came in just below that, but that included everything - car seat, base, stroller, crib, mattress, changing table, all possible accessories, breast pump with all other breastfeeding items, bottles and nipples, bottle warmer, toys, glider rocker with ottoman, clothes, 500 wipes, 2 -3 weeks worth of diapers, etc. For this amount, we completely and fully outfitted an entire nursery by shopping sales, generous baby showers, and spending a lot of time online looking for quality, but less expensive baby furniture. We did buy a changing table that is really a dresser with a change table on top so that we didn't have to buy him a dresser when he is a toddler or to use for both children if we have a second (dresser for the first and changing table top for the second).

Our pregnancy was a complete and total surprise. (We were told that I probably couldn't have children.) We immediately began to save and make financial arrangements. We also reduced our expenses by cutting down on simple things such as my husband's morning stop for coffee, dinners out on Fridays, visiting movie theatres, etc. We instead starting doing free activities or lower costs things such as renting movies, going for walks in the free botantical gardens, eating out at cheap restaurants, and being more careful to buy grocery items that are on sale.

The baby was the first grandchild on both sides and the first baby in the family for several years so people went 'nutz-so' on gift giving which was very generous and a tremendous help. I would not be shy about registering for whatever you need. People love to buy for babies and are truly happy to give you gifts. Even co-workers surprised me with a homemade knit baby blanket and other presents.

My father (who is around a genius IQ) had a wife, two children and full-time, nightshift menial job sweeping coal dust in a power plant after being discharged from the Army. It took him nine years part-time, but he graduated from college and went on to have a good career. He started when I (the oldest child) was seven years told so I was 16 when he graduated. It was