Hi everyone, I realy need some help. My husband and I are expecting are first baby in March. We have very little money and I would like to try and make as much as posable my self. I'm not very good at sewing or kniting ect. But I'm trying my best to learn. I'm looking for patterns for baby clothes, blankets ect. Also would anyone have baby stuff that they aren't using anymore? I'm in Ontario, Canada. Unfortuatly know one in my family has any baby stuff left. I'm planing to nurse, so I shouldn't need to buy formula thank goodness. I'd be very grateful for any advice. Thanks Kim

-- Kim Mills (kim_mills7@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001

Answers

YOUR time is worth money too, so unless you are REALLY good at sewing and really like it, just go to thrift stores or try to get hand-me- downs from friends (I didn't have any family either for hand-me-downs) or wait for church rummage sales, garage sales, etc. Knitting, crocheting, etc., the same thing. Stay away from consignment shops--the clothes are nicer, but are quite pricey, and let's face it, young children could care less about what they wear.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 20, 2001.

Ditto , my baby is dressed nice in all the top brand .I dont think one outfit cost more than 2 dollars.Put an ad in the penny grader and look for listings there too.

-- Patty {NY State} (fodfarms@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

Thrift shops are a great place, I agree. Half the time, the baby outgrows the clothes long before you get your money's worth!! I also used dual purpose clothes for around the house--I bought some of those footed fleece pajamas and let them wear it during the day and night, changing only once a day. Face it, they don't get very dirty with all that sleeping!! Maybe a relative will throw you a baby shower.

-- Dawn (olsoncln@cecnet.com), November 20, 2001.

Also, the earlier you can get your child used to thinking of thrift stores, etc., as being perfectly fine places to get clothes the less hassle there will be later on. My little one doesn't even think of the new stores as being places to get clothes, just other things. It is difficult if not impossible if you try to make the switch to thrift stores after they've been to school or have been watching too much commercial TV. If relatives complain (and some might), let them spend their own money on baby clothes.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 20, 2001.

I have to agree with all the thrift store suggestions. I go to the ones that are full of wealthy people that have nothing better to do with their money than to buy clothes all the time. Need less to say, the thrift stores I go to have some top notch stuff that sometimes, still has the tags on it.

There is a misconception that thrift store mean trashy stuff. Well, there are some out there that are like that, but the majority aren't and they have really nice stuff. I am greatful that my children love to go. The challenge of finding top style stuff and cut rate prices is wonderful and we always have fun.

Also, you might want to go to garage sales, or flea markets or bizaars run by chruch organizations.

-- Wendy A (phillips-anteswe@pendleton.usmc.mil), November 20, 2001.

Ask around, tell people you are interested. Join mother's groups and tell people. This stuff really fills a bureau and closet so people are happy to pass along, happy to see they get used.

I'd love to give my kids clothes away--can you believe no one will take it? I've asked people I KNOW are on assistance, have bill trouble. Oh well, that may explain their situation.

-- Ann Markson (tngreenacres@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

Gee, where DO all of you find these quality thrift stores? I go in the ones around here, and they're full of worn out, cheap, and frequently, broken things. The clothing is usually sleazy fabric, dull and dingy. I do have to admit, I haven't really looked at things for children there, however!

-- Joy F [in So. Wisconsin] (CatFlunky@excite.com), November 20, 2001.

Now is a good time to start connecting with companies that make baby food, diapers and even clothing. Write and ask. They are always willing to send coupons if not samples.

A good thing to do -- start now, if you can, and buy a few jars of baby food (although homemade baby food is still the best and cheapest way to go) and a box of diapers--every time you go shopping. I guarantee you will use it all and go through both of them so much faster than you ever expect to!

Put ads in laundries and post offices for what you are looking for, you never know when the good samaritan may find you.

Before you have the baby -- see if you can barter for what you need. Do you cook? maybe you could cook for someone who knits or sews. Or if your husband is handy, he could barter his skills.

How about your church if you belong to one? Many church women would be delighted to know their handiwork is going to a fellow parishoner

While GT is right that your time is money, if you don't work outside the home, and you have a sewing machine, baby clothes is as good a place to start as any! If not the clothes you can always buy material at thrift stores. Use your imagination. You can get a lot of flannel sleepers out of one flannel sheet!!

Good Luck!

MissJudi

-- MissJudi (jselig@clemson.edu), November 20, 2001.

Our Goodwill around here is like a department store. It is in a ritzier town and they have whole racks of things by colors and types. One rack of blazers, one rack of long sleeved sweaters, one rack of skirts that is about 40 feet of skirts! It is huge! Not really cheap to me, but much better than storebought new ones. I bought a dress there for 4.50. That is not bad for a dressy dress. The kids clothes are cheaper. There are lots and lots of churches that have clothing drives. I would think that you could ask them if they have any baby items. Most would love to be able to give them to someone! Crisis pregnancy centers have extra items too. I have given lots of my old stuff to them. Babies are a true blessing! Congratulations!

-- Nan (davidl41@ipa.net), November 20, 2001.

May I suggest using fabric diapers. Those disposibles cost a lot of money. Use them for when you are going somewhere, but for daily use, use fabric ones. Corn starch makes a wonderful baby powder and it's good for the skin. As with regular powder, don't let baby inhale it. Petroleum (sp) jelly is a cheap salve to put on the-other-side- of-babys-belly...if you get what I mean. If I think of any money- saving ideas for you, I'll post again.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

Wow Joy, you must live in the part of the country where they actually are homesteaders?? Like use up and wear it out?? We have literally anything that you could want in our thrift and goodwill stores. My favorite shopping places.

-- diane (gardiacaprines@yahoo.com), November 20, 2001.

I don't shop at Goodwill much anymore--I prefer what I call "true nonprofits", where they are mostly staffed by volunteers or minimum wage employees so most of the money goes where it is supposed to. It is my understanding that many people at Goodwill make more than minimum wage, and I have problems with tax-exempt organizations that pay more than minimum wage. Also their mission is supposed to be helping the developmentally disabled or handicapped, and to me "economically disadvantaged" does not fall into the same category.

Same with I have a problem with Dr. Healy making $450,000 a year running the Red Cross, especially when you know that these head jobs are most of the time "ticket punching" to put on a resume later. The argument that "if she were a CEO of a for profit she could make this much more" just doesn't cut it with me.

I have also found that Goodwill charges a lot more for their items than other thrift stores, but that may be just my area.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 20, 2001.

Hi thanks for the help everyone. I don't work out so I have lots of time to learn to make things, if I can find some simple patterns. I have tried all the local thrift shops, but most of the clothing is in very bad shape. I have picked up a few sleepers from them though. Most of the stuff I've seen is faded, stained or riped. I buy my own clothes at thrift shops but the kid stuff seamsto be extra used. Kim

-- Kim Mills (kim_mills7@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

Do you know what your haveing? if its a girl let me know! I have 4 girls under 6.

-- renee oneill (oneillsr@home.com), November 20, 2001.

I go to www.sew-whats-new.com once in awhile for ideas. I think that they might guide you in learning to sew. I wish we lived closer as I'd love to teach you to sew. I made my DD's baby clothes as I had given away all my sons baby clothes.

-- Ardie/WI (ardie54965@hotmail.com), November 20, 2001.

I'll be happy to field any knitting questions you may have. I also have many baby patterns, yes, even for beginner knitters. I started knitting when I was expecting my first baby, and here I sit 21 years later and still knitting up a storm! You will never regret learning to knit, start now! There are no better mittens than the ones I knit for my kids and their friends. I have even given them as birthday presents. Once I used a pattern called Northern Compass, and included a cheap compass, and a suggestion that the next clear night, the boy have his Dad take him out to look for the North Star. This made the mittens so special, that when he lost one at school, he actually cried when he got home. (He eventually found it, and had those mittens for many years) I told my children, when they were little, that I knitted "magic" right in with the stitches. They loved that idea.

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), November 20, 2001.

Oh, here's a good website for free knitting patterns.... www.woolworks.org/babies.html

-- Sandie in Maine (peqbear@maine.rr.com), November 20, 2001.

Try this: www.eknitting.com

-- lance (lance1_86404@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

Sorry Kim, wrong site. That one is to buy patterns. Try these: www.coatsandclark.com www.lionbrand.com that one definitely has free baby patterns and www.craftyarncouncil.com that one has a crochet and knitting bulletin board so you can ask questions also from there www.learntoknit.com For other things try sites like www.thefrugallife.com www.frugalmoms.com www.frugalfamilynetwork.com www.simpleliving.net www.stretcher.com just run a search for frugal On baby food.... just get yourself a blender or a mixer for that matter. Boil vegetables till soft and blend till mush. What could be simpler? For baby wipes you will find recipes on these sites, it's just a couple of drops of baby shampoo and a couple of drops of baby oil in a mayonaise jar full of water, cut a roll of paper towels in half and put the towels in the jar. I have seen many recipes for them on these sites. Keep in mind that babies don't need half of what people think they do. Blankets to be warm and a mom to rock them and a full belly. Babies used to be put to bed in a dresser drawer. It's always nice to have all the goodies, but your baby can be happy without them.

-- Jill (lance1_86404@yahoo.com), November 21, 2001.

Thanks everyone, this is helping out so much! I'm going to check out all the sights you've sugested.

-- Kim Mills (kim_mills7@hotmail.com), November 22, 2001.

Another website for projects of all kinds is www.nancysnotions.com which is the companion site to the Sewing with Nancy series on PBS. Click on "Free Projects" and you will find lots of things to practice on, plenty of them first-rate gift projects. The show is good, but it tends to focus on sergers a lot, and I don't have one. You can do most things just as well with a regular machine anyway. If you do order from them (some nice stuff, but they tend to have a lot of specialty items for people who sew a lot), they have good customer service.

On an earlier comment someone posted along the lines of "if you're not working outside the home", always remember that a baby will keep you busy, and tired. If you had to pay someone for daycare (and infants are always charged at higher rates), even though you "just stay home" remember that you fulfill an important need.

It is too easy to devalue one's time because society does NOT recognize the value of stay-at-home parents. One article I saw in the paper a while back said that because of all the skills a stay-at-home-parent needs to have (chauffeur, nursing, cooking, etc.) he/she should have a salary of like $1 million a year. So that is one reason I didn't sew baby clothes when it is so inexpensive to pick them up elsewhere, but sewing is an important skill to have so you can mend the clothing you do want to keep around a little longer.

-- GT (nospam@nospam.com), November 22, 2001.

Go to www.recipesource.com they have some recipes for babyfood

-- lance (lance1_86404@yahoo.com), November 25, 2001.

We just had our 4th child and have decided to use cloth diapers. After pricing cloth diapers, I have decided to sew them. Check out the following websites:

www.angelfire.com/biz/mothershelpinghands/mypatt.html www.mindsync.com/diapersewing users.ezwv.com/~gooding/diapertips.html home.att.net/~ofuzzy1/diaper.htm

I hope this helps.

-- Silvia (organic_farmer@hotmail.com), November 26, 2001.