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Here is the 2008 Bugaboo Cameleon which is what we have. Sure its hot trend in strollers, but this thing is light, rides like a Mercedes, comes in many different colors and fabrics, and you can push it with basically only one finger.
Plus, with the bassinett baby can sleep in this for first few months. Before I bought one, I did a ton of research on it. You see so many of these in the malls and shopping areas of LA. I asked a few moms about them and some let me (a stranger) push their babies around a bit just to get the feel of it.
2008 Bugaboo® Cameleon Stroller Complete with Dark Brown Base Pink Canvas Top - single strollers - The Right Start - Babies to Kids (http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product.aspx?item=8593&mr:trackingCode=194EDFA9-7E8E-DD11-B8BB-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA - broken link)
There are only TWO reasons that stroller would be worth $1000.
1. If it was made of gold.
2. If you wanted to one up the Joneses (prestige) and it's the right brand to do so.
If you want to spend $300 or so on a carseat, I recommend the very highly safety rated Britax Marathon, which can be used from birth until the child is 6. Then it expires and you can either buy a bigger harness seat, or else buy a belt positioning booster. Spending that much on an infant carrier carseat isn't worth the expense... most babies outgrow them well before a year.
Aside from a pricey carseat, I can't see spending big bucks on baby equipment that you will use for such a short amount of time... including a stroller.
It isn't necessary to spend on a pricey stroller OR a pricey car seat. There are plenty of not-so-expensive products out there that are just as effective, safe and comfortable.
A baby is only as expensive as you let it be. There's alot of different ways to cut the costs. Britax carseats are great, but you can pay $50 for a Cosco Scenera, which can be used in the rear facing position until 33 pounds, then forward facing until 40 pounds. My oldest daughter didn't outgrow the Scenera's weight limits until she was 4.5. She's now in a Graco Nautilus ($150) and will be in a 5 point harness until she's 65 pound, and in a booster until 100 pound.
Strollers? My second child is 16 months and I didn't have a stroller until last month. I only got it because we were going to a festival and I didn't want to worry about losing her in the crowd. I haven't used it since. They're nice to have, but they're not necessary.
Cribs? You can get one of those for $100 or so, if you're not hellbent on having the fanciest ones out there. Pricier doesn't always equal better, by the way. I spent $120 on my youngest's crib (the oldest had a hand me down from a friend.) and it's done just fine, however on my parenting website I frequently post recall information for cribs that cost upward of $400-$500.
You don't have to formula feed, but if you choose to do so, then there's always store brand formulas. Formula is very strictly regulated by the FDA and all of them are the same - really. So it doesn't have to cost you $350+ a month for formula. Formula companies also are very good about sending out "checks"/coupons for $1.50 to even $4 or $5 off a can of formula if you sign up with them.
Now here's the thing I always notice when somebody says they're considering trying for a baby. They feel like they need this money right now because they're going to get pregnant as soon as they start trying. There's alot of misinformation about conception hanging around out there. Women spend most of their early adult years trying to prevent pregnancy, but know very little about how to get pregnant. A couple with no known health complications has only a 15% chance of conception during any given fertile cycle. Thats with perfect timing and everything being in your favor.
I definitely agree that $1000 for a stroller is ridiculous. I probably spent almost $200 on a stroller and I regret it and think it was a waste. My daughter is 2 and I've probably used the thing less than 20 times, mostly for things like when we went to the zoo and would be walking all day. The $20 umbrella stroller is completely adequate and much more convenient!
Our family doesn't use strollers much anyway since we prefer a carrier like a sling or mei tai, especially when the baby is very tiny. Those can be pricey too, maybe $50-100 each, or more for really special ones. I have 4 carriers though, 2 I got 2nd hand for under $20, one I got from ebay from someone who made it for $20, and the last was my splurge for a brand new name brand mei tai (Sachi) for about $60. I found that to be way more worth the money than the stroller.
..... but know very little about how to get pregnant. A couple with no known health complications has only a 15% chance of conception during any given fertile cycle. Thats with perfect timing and everything being in your favor.
I agreed with you all the way up to here.
A couple things...
If females know very little about how to get pregnant, why are there SO MANY teen pregnancies and unwanted babies out there???? I'd say MOST females know how to get pregnant.
Too bad it isn't that difficult. We wouldn't have such an out of control population in this world.
Here is the 2008 Bugaboo Cameleon which is what we have. Sure its hot trend in strollers, but this thing is light, rides like a Mercedes, comes in many different colors and fabrics, and you can push it with basically only one finger.
Plus, with the bassinett baby can sleep in this for first few months. Before I bought one, I did a ton of research on it. You see so many of these in the malls and shopping areas of LA. I asked a few moms about them and some let me (a stranger) push their babies around a bit just to get the feel of it.
2008 Bugaboo® Cameleon Stroller Complete with Dark Brown Base Pink Canvas Top - single strollers - The Right Start - Babies to Kids (http://www.rightstart.com/global/store/product.aspx?item=8593&mr:trackingCode=194EDFA9-7E8E-DD11-B8BB-001422107090&mr:referralID=NA - broken link)
I had never heard of this stroller until you mentioned it so I had to google it to figure out wtf you were talking about.
My conclusion is you are high on something for blowing a gr' on a stroller...regardless of what it does...but thankfully you didn't spend my money to do it. So congratulations on your well-researched frivolous purchase.
We spent $40,000 in savings the first year of my kids life.
Quote:
Originally Posted by leavingcali
Let me explain...
Everyone says "you'll never have enough money, so just have one already." I understand that, but I also want to be responsible. On the other hand, I am 30, so I don't have 10 years to save. This is what I need to know: if I plan to start trying to conceive in 1-2 years, how much money should I have saved for the 12 weeks I will have off before I have to go back to work (assuming that I will have to work)? In CA, the Family Medlical Leave Act mandates that an employer has to give the requestor 12 weeks of unpaid leave to bond with a new child. I think there is a separate law that allows for 6 of those weeks (or is it a separate 6 weeks?) in which the mother can receive disability pay at a fraction of her orgininal salary. Sooo... for those of you who have already done the math, or lived it, what's a good basic number? My husband will be working, but if our income and bills are the same as they are now, his salary alone won't cut it. I know we'll need money for the house payment, food, the regular bills, etc. but how much additional expenses (approximately) per month will an infant incur? Does this make any sense?
...A couple with no known health complications has only a 15% chance of conception during any given fertile cycle. Thats with perfect timing and everything being in your favor.
LMAO
OK statistically this may be true. And possibly my wife and I are freaks of nature but I swear....the three times my wife and I have gotten prego it's been a one-shot deal. (ie only had sex once in between minstral cycles). And the last happened when she swapped birth control pills (so there was a risky month in between). When the second line appeared on the test we both looked at each other and said, "No f-ing way!"
So for only 15% of a chance for perfectly healthy people...that seems like such a very low figure when my experiences tell me it should be more like 15% chance you WON'T conceive.
...The $20 umbrella stroller is completely adequate and much more convenient!
Yeah...hard to beat that for value. We've got 3 of them (1 at home and one at each of the GP's). Plus they are lighter and when folded up they are extremely compact. You never have this clunky stroller taking up space.
Last edited by drjones96; 10-01-2008 at 02:03 PM..
Reason: sp
OK statistically this may be true. And possibly my wife and I are freaks of nature but I swear....the three times my wife and I have gotten prego it's been a one-shot deal. (ie only had sex once in between minstral cycles). And the last happened when she swapped birth control pills (so there was a risky month in between). When the second line appeared on the test we both looked at each other and said, "No f-ing way!"
So for only 15% of a chance for perfectly healthy people...that seems like such a very low figure when my experiences tell me it should be more like 15% chance you WON'T conceive.
We are kind of going OT here, but (and I mean this in the nicest way possible) your probably more freaks of nature than the norm.
I'll counter your incredible fertility with the fact that it took 14 months to get pregnant as a young healthy couple with no problems! Most people seem to be somewhere in between.
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