You have to buy two cribs, two car seats, more clothes, and way more diapers. Not to mention the double stroller and other baby paraphernalia. There are some things you can buy used and other things you can accept from friends or family, but there are also items that you will want to spend more money on. The trick is knowing which is which.
Let’s start with buying used baby items. When I was pregnant, my husband and I were certain that we needed a double stroller that had a lot of storage, had front and back seats, and would be able to handle the twins’ car seats. We bought one online with matching car seats.
After our twin girls were born, we quickly found out that the stroller was just too awkward for us to use. We then bought a stroller that was just a metal frame that worked much better. We used our big stroller just once and then decided to sell it on craigslist. I wish that we had gone on craigslist in the first place to see if they had any strollers available.
When we no longer use the metal frame stroller, we are also going to sell it on craigslist for a couple of bucks. There are sites out there you can use to buy second-hand baby items that are usually still in pretty good condition. There also may be some second-hand baby stores in your area. Items like the stroller that we didn’t use for very long are perfect for buying used.
Other baby items that could be good to buy used are things like a changing table and dresser. They can be very expensive new, but you can find good deals if you take the time to look.
Speaking of good deals, the best deal that you can get is something for free. Do not turn up your nose at things that are offered from friends and family unless you know that they are in terrible condition and are beyond repair.
When I was pregnant, a family member offered her changing table and a crib. We didn’t take the crib because I really wanted matching ones, but we did take the changing table. It wasn’t the same color or wood as the cribs we bought and it had a broken shelf, but my father-in-law painted it and my husband fixed the broken part. It works great.
We also have accepted clothes and toys from everyone who offers them. We just pick through the donations, and if something is stained irrevocably or not the right size for our twins, we either throw it away or give it to charity.
Yet there are some baby items you will probably want to spend more money on to get new. The first thing I thought of in this category is the car seat. I’m not an overly protective mom. I let my babies cry for a while if I’m taking a shower and can’t get to them. I don’t always have them perfectly strapped into their bouncy seats if they’re in our carpeted family room.
However, one thing I was crazy about was buying the safest car seat we could afford. We bought the Graco Safe Seat, which has the five-point harness and is extremely sturdy. It is also extremely heavy to carry; but it makes me feel reassured that if we got in a car accident, the twins would be safe.
Because we have twins, we tend to buy cheaper items than we might have if we had only had one baby at a time. We buy the store brand diapers that might not be as nice as Pampers but work just fine for our twins.
I don’t buy as many clothes for them as I might have if I only had one baby girl. Buying one twenty dollar dress is not necessarily terrible but buying two means spending forty dollars, which is more than I usually want to spend. They don’t know the difference and won’t care about something like that.
It is usually the parents who care and who want their kids to have all the nice stuff. As with many other aspects of being twin parents, you just have to let go of some of your preconceived notions. Buy used. Accept donations. If you spend less money on the things that don’t have to be the best, then you’ll have the money to spend on the things that you feel do need to be the best that you can afford.
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