How much did you spend for your newborn per month? What to expect?

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Lauren

I just wanted to know how much couples spend on food, diapers, clothes, etc per month? Also, any advice for first time parents? At what point in the pregnancy did you start getting furniture, clothes, and setting up the room? Also.. any adivce from parents who are in their early 20's and finishing college?

Answer
I use cloth diapers, breastfeed, and get most baby clothes as gifts or second-hand. So I don't really spend anything on a monthly basis. I guess there's a monthly cost for washing the diapers, but that's in with my regular water & electric bills so I don't know how it breaks down. There's an initial cost for stuff like crib, car seat, stroller, cloth diapers, etc. but that's a one-time thing.

I also make my own baby food, so I'm not spending tons on the commercial jarred stuff. So maybe $20 per month after they start solids (6 months).

Clothes... I get whatever I can second hand. Sometimes friends give me stuff their kids have outgrown. Sometimes I get stuff cheap at yard sales, consignment sales, or thrift stores. Babies grow out of their clothes quickly, so you can usually get used stuff in really good condition. My parents give my kids clothes for birthday & Christmas sometimes. Then I just go buy whatever I still don't have for them. I probably spend less than $50 per size. Again, that's not monthly. They'll grow out of the newborn stuff in about a month, but the 0-3M stuff lasts more like 2-3 months, and it slows down from there.

I started collecting secondhand baby stuff at good prices as soon as I found out I was pregnant the first time, but I didn't buy anything new until the last month or so. In particular I didn't buy any baby clothes until after my baby showers. That way I could spend my money on the things I still really needed. I set up the room for my first after we moved to a bigger apartment. With my second, I got the room ready when I was around 4-5 months, which is when I moved my daughter from the crib to a twin bed in her new bedroom.

Should I put porcelain or travertine on my floor?

Maya

I have two small kids and am remodeling the downstairs floor (all of it) and don't know what to pick? Price is same and I have heard people with kids pick either one of them (although I heard travertine is more maintenance). Which is better? I'm confused.

Answer
I have procelain floors which have lasted decades. My babies have completed college and move on but floors remain pretty much the same without too much wear and tear i.e. no scratches, stains or cracks. Only the color and the pattern is a little dated (beige with brown, white and grey irregular whirls) Otherwise still serviceable and easily cleaned.
With young children, I moped several times a day, and twice a day with Lysol cleaners. (before breakfast and in the late afternoon, during their nap time when they were toddlers, and after they trudge in from thr school bus when they were in grade school) You won't believe how easy it is to mop the floors and how good the floors looks and feels after mopping.
Only set back is the cooless of the tiles. While it feels great in the summer to walk on the cool tiles, they are pretty cold in the winter and you need warm thick bedroom slippers to walk around the house in winter weather. By contrast, during the warmer months, we all like walking on the procelain floors barefooted to feel the smooth cool tiles under your feet.
When you check out travertine, the sales personel will be the first to tell you that it won't take the kind of abuse young children will wreak on the floors. It's easily etched, so when your child drags his toys across the floors or hammers on the floors with his mallet or drumsticks, ugly scars will ruin the floors' appearance. They are definitely not a child friendly flooring.
If I were remodelling, I would go with procelain every time. There is one setback. Procelain is hard and ever glass or dish you drop on it will shatter. And when your baby falls on his head, he will holler for a long time, because it will hurt. . But then he will know there is the 'no running in the house' rule makes a lot of sense.

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What website and/or store would i go to for sale furniture?

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cligrl102

I need sale furniture that's kid proof. Can anyone help?

Answer
With the advent of disposable furniture from famous brands like Ikea and the like, poor quality seems to be accepted as normal. It is not normal, necessary, or environmentally responsible. A properly made bedroom set should last a lifetime. Go to any antique exhibition and you will see sets that are hundreds of years old. Mission furniture, which originated in Great Britain, is still made to last a lifetime. There is wide verity to choose from at www.barnfurnituremart.com
Authentic Mission style furniture also known as Arts and Crafts furniture is a timeless choice. When it is made using the traditional methods that make it, truly authentic it is a bulletproof choice. You will have something that will last and last. Many stores sell Mission Style furniture that is not made in the traditional way using solid oak. Instead, they use what they call solid wood. That is code for particleboard. Baloney IS meat. The Barn Furniture sells Mission furniture built with the traditional methods in a multitude of price ranges
If you plan on only keeping your furniture for 1 to 5 years and treat your furniture with kid gloves Ikea may be a good choice, however, ask anyone that has had Ikea furniture for a while or attempted to move it. It tends to auto destruct upon moving. Those cam lock type assembly hardware just don't like to be moved. What makes it fairly inexpensive is what makes it poor quality. The whole thing is about freight and warehouse space. This should NOT YOUR PROBLEM. In my humble opinion, virtually all assemble yourself furniture is inferior quality mostly made of particleboard filled with formaldehyde.

How much did it cost for your to furnish your place?

Dora

I'm wondering how much it would cost to furnish a 3 bedroom, 2000 sq. ft home. We're planning to buy all new furniture.

How much did it cost for you, and what furniture stores did you go to? Do you have a lot of hand-me-downs? Please include how many bedrooms you have and/or square footage.

Answer
Furnishing you home can be very expensive. I have a 1200 sq. ft home with 3 bedrooms and 2 baths. Furnishing the living room and the bedroom were the most expensive. These two rooms cost approximately $1500/room to furnish. All our furniture came from Rooms to Go. I waited on sales and discounts before making any big purchases. The kids room and guest room were less expensive to furnish. These rooms were less expensive because we didn't buy room packages and purchased the neccesities, such as just the bed and dresser or nightstand (s). The kids room and guest room cost approximately $800/room. Furnishings for these rooms came from Ikea. The dining room cost approximately $400. The dining room set came from the Room Store. I waited for sales and discounts before making any purchases here too. Most furniture stores have a family and friends day were they give the customer 10 to 20 percent off their products. Use the 10 to 20 percent coupon on a day when there is also a sale. You could save 200 to 500 dollars on furniture. Also, ask for free delivery specials; paying for delivery can get expensive. Note: When buying furniture packages, make sure the price is less than buying the pieces seperate. I found an error in a package price where the package price was more than if I bought the prices seperate. I saved myself an extra $100.

As far as hand me downs, I do not have any. However if you have old living furniture such as sofas, chairs, or loveseats, you can go to a furniture upholstery store or outlet and have you living furniture revamped in the style you want at a cost lower than buying new furniture. Your furniture will be custom.

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