I am busy getting all prepared for baby number two and it seems to all be going well. Todays blog posting is about buying second hand goods. With the first baby you normally have a little more free cash and buy a lot new but with number two any free cash normally gets used on take aways on a Friday night. So for number two I am on a second hand bargain hunt!
Buying second hand can bring lots of bad imagery to mind - like I said in a previous posting - the idea of pushing my way past some fat smelly woman to buy a worn out baby grow at a sale is not my idea of fun. But with the internet and free ad papers it can be done soooo much easier. Additionally today we live in a very disposable culture. If something is broken we tend not to fix it but just replace it... this is not helping the planet nor our pockets but none the less it is something I am guilty of doing too. By buying second hand we are ensuring that things get well used and not thrown out or wasted and we are also helping the environment by ensuring we are not over producing goods.
This time round I have decided not to buy my pram/pushchair new. Mainly because I sold my last Mamas & Papas travel system for such a bargain price on Ebay last time (as I was unhappy with it) I knew that other people could be selling theirs too for similar bargain prices! I was partially right except this time I have decided to go for a Bugaboo which is possibly the most expensive and popular travel system on the market!
I purchased a Bugaboo Frog for these main reasons:
1) I like the name... he he only joking
2) The pushchair is rear and forward facing
3) They are very maneuverable
4) I can put a buggyboard on it if necessary
5) It can fit with my Maxi Cosi car seat
6) There is a strong second hand market
7) My mum will hate it :-)
So I ebayed and purchased a red Bugaboo Frog (which are discontinued now). It is great and in fab condition. I got some extras too and all for £200 (a saving of over £300). I will blog how I get on with it as the proof is in the pudding!
I have also bought a second hand Maxi Cosi infant seat (£40). This is a little dodgy for some people as apparently you should only buy car seats new to ensure they haven't been in an accident but I am an honest person who truly believes others are the honest too - who on earth would sell a car seat that had been involved in an accident? Other than a sicko...
Play Gym (£10) and Baby Bouncer (£10) have also been bought second hand.
So far that is a saving of over £430 costing me only £260 instead of approx. £690...
And it's environmentally friendlier :-)
