full set of baby kit needed on a budget !

osted by christinadean (2 days ago)


[ Edit ]


Hi


We've just moved here and will have a baby in 3 months time. I need to buy everything for the baby on a buget, and I mean everything. I see that there are lots of individual ads for baby kit on asiaexpat, but does anyone know of really cheap shops where I can buy everything (but not poor quality... know this is tough) or any other methods to buy second hand baby stuff?


Thank you

http://hongkong.asiaxpat.com/classifieds/babiesstuff/

Probably the easiest thing to do is make a list of what you want and then check the classifieds there is usually everything you need/want and I have had good experiences with both buying and selling. Getting everything new can be very expensive so Xpat is a great place to start. Thankfully when they are newborn there is not a huge amount of things you need it's as they start to get older that the list grows and grows! I can help you out with a selection of clothes, have just been sorting out some items to fit between 3 - 12 months, I'm happy to offer them to you first before I submit the ad and can send you pics. They are all in great condition, some hardly worn as follows:

X2 long sleeve long body suits (baby bear & little star)

X2 Disney short sleeve short body suits (tigger & pooh)

Disney Little Roo dungarees with matching long sleeve t-shirt

X7 short sleeve body suits

X1 sleeveless body suit

Will also include FREE 3 hats & 2 pairs of booties

ONLY $220 for the lot

I can meet you at most MTR stations but Causeway Bay is the best for me.

Let me know as I'm planning to submit the ad in the next few days.

Many thanks and good luck with the rest of your pregnancy.

you can try this link for some hk based retailers, although not particularly cheap except maybe the baby outlet store (which unfortunately is in mostly Chinese):-


http://www.dubido.com/useful_information/baby_shopping.php


for second equipment, you can try eco-mama, i don't have the website on hand but i believe they check and clean every piece of donated baby equipment before putting it out for resale.


clothing wise, i'll just take a day trip to stanley market and stock up on baby blankets, babygros, pjs etc. for about HKD1000, you can probably pick up 30-40 items of basic essentials.

Eco Mama is a shop in North Point that retails Second hand baby goods - they do a thorough check and clean of all items before putting them up for sale to make sure they meet safety standards. Their web site is www.eco-mama.org The lady who owns the shop is very helpful if there is something in particular you want and she does not currently have stock she'll call you as soon as they do get it in. I'm sure you'll find the majority of the starter things you need there. Just remember that you don't actually need half the things that the big shops try to sell you

Your friends and family! I'm sure you will receive gifts when the baby arrives but alot of them are likely to be clothes and silly cute stuff that wouldn't be too practical.

For example, if you think you will be using bottles, ask a bunch of good friends to pool money together to sponsor a breast pump or steriliser, etc.

In other words, if you have close friends and family members planning to get gifts, don't be afraid to tell them what you need. When I had my first, my MIL sponsored the pram, my mum sponsored the cot and a group of girlfriends bought stuff like a bouncy chair and things to amuse my baby. We could have bought everything ourselves as we didn't have a tight budget but it was still nice to save some money! With No.2 due in Jan, my mum has bought me an Ergo carrier, my sis-in-law is sponsoring a new playpen and my MIL is probably going to contribute to the new dishwasher we're buying to help with the washing at home.


Also, ask around if there are any businesses in HK that rent out baby equipment. There are many items that a baby will only need for a few months, e.g. a bouncy chair that he will soon grow out of by about 5-6 months. See if you can rent that cheaply instead of buying one youself.


As for clothes, etc don't be sucked into buying stuff that sound fancy. e.g. instead of spending money on burping cloth, go for those plain white muslin cloth that you can use for everything from burping, keeping baby warm, sunshade, etc.


good luck!

Also, I suggest going to a La Leche League meeting in HK. It's a bit like a prenatal class for breastfeeding! Talk about saving money...breastfeeding will save you thousands of HK$!

You'll meet plenty of mums with plenty of things that their babes have grown out of!


cara is very wise!


Good luck and have a happy birth day!

cara is right, most of the stuff you buy in the stores are overpriced and often only marginally useful (unless they are things like strollers or carriers, where it's a good idea not to compromise since you get a lot of use out of them.)