Three Useless Things You (As A Cash Strapped Parent) Do Not Need to Buy Your Baby

Cleaning your house while your kids are still growing up is like shoveling the sidewalk before it stops snowing.

Phyllis Diller

There are few things more frustrating, as a parent, than seeing how companies love to exploit your tiny bundle of snot joy.

Nonetheless, there are certain necessities that you will have to shell out for. A crib or bassinet? Most definitely. Diapers? Yes. A car seat and stroller? Yup. A wide array of knitted headbands? Nope. 100000 onesies? No. There’s only so many outfit changes you should subject your baby to.

The list could go on and on. Marketing campaigns and Instagram influencers will become the bane of your existence as you try to navigate an expensive world, wondering whether you will really need that or not.

Therefore, in an effort to help save money for what truly matters, here are three relatively expensive items many parents think they need but truly don’t:

1. A Diaper Genie
   
   Some parents will swear by their diaper genie, and jump at any opportunity to tell you why you should definitely invest hundreds of dollars in the pale and all of its associated products.
   
   However, many parents will also attest to the fact that the diaper genie is a glorified trashcan that smells slightly better than your average container. For this reason, if it’s not in your budget (remember to account for pale refills when you calculate viability) then you can definitely do without it and simply take out the trash more. Alternatively, there are plenty of DIY diaper genie tutorials.
   
   
2. Shoes for Babies that Aren’t Walking
   
   Baby shoes are surprisingly expensive, and if your baby isn’t walking or learning to walk, then they don’t need shoes. This is a pretty concise idea that doesn’t required much elaboration.
   
   You should buy your kid some warms socks, or better yet, a warm coat 0nesie if you live in cold climate–and leave those expensive booties for when they will actually understand that their feet are attached to their body.
   
3. Expensive Teething Toys
   
   Despite being utterly unnecessary, there are hundreds of overpriced teething toys on the market that parents consistently flock to. $30 rubber giraffes, $50 organic rubber bananas, amber necklaces (?)– there are too many to list.
   
   If your baby is teething, a cold rag will often suffice. A baby toothbrush that will serve a function later will also do nicely. A cheap, functional teething toy will please your baby’s gums just as much as that overpriced rubber toy in fancy packaging.
   
   So put it down – walk away.