Ask the Frugal Counselor a question and win her recipe book!

[Will]

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us Mary. You are truly a treasure.

Congratulations to the six lucky winners of your wonderful book!

1. allcash
2. purplefdu
3. wrreck
4. Joha
5. queenoftheclick
6. amyschiff

[Herb Farm]

Mary, this is also not a "kitchen" question . . .
My niece & husband are expecting their first child in December. I can see that ALL THINGS BABY are going to be tempting. What advise would you have for these first time parents? Crib, carriage, clothes, room decorations, etc?

[Mary Webber]

Originally Posted by Herb Farm

Mary, this is also not a "kitchen" question . . .
My niece & husband are expecting their first child in December. I can see that ALL THINGS BABY are going to be tempting. What advise would you have for these first time parents? Crib, carriage, clothes, room decorations, etc?

Ahhh, everything baby is so cute and so tempting these days! There's a Cater's outlet near us, and I could easily go budget-beserk there! Something handmade if you're at all crafty is always appreciated... a knit blanket, or my favorite, one of the hooded baby sweaters that zips down the back making it far easier to get a little one into.

While onesies have been so popular in recent years, nothing beats the drawstring nighties for baby's first six months. And it's about impossible to have too many of these! I'm a great believer in a token present at a shower or at birth, and then a more substantial gift when the baby's a month old and what may still be needed, really needed, becomes clearer.

Of course where this will be an early winter birth, any kind of newborn warm-wear would be helpful.

Thanks for your question!

[Herb Farm]

Originally Posted by Mary Webber

Ahhh, everything baby is so cute and so tempting these days! There's a Cater's outlet near us, and I could easily go budget-beserk there! Something handmade if you're at all crafty is always appreciated... a knit blanket, or my favorite, one of the hooded baby sweaters that zips down the back making it far easier to get a little one into.

While onesies have been so popular in recent years, nothing beats the drawstring nighties for baby's first six months. And it's about impossible to have too many of these! I'm a great believer in a token present at a shower or at birth, and then a more substantial gift when the baby's a month old and what may still be needed, really needed, becomes clearer.

Of course where this will be an early winter birth, any kind of newborn warm-wear would be helpful.

Thanks for your question!

I was looking more for suggestions for the parents-to-be. As a great aunt I can be frivolous! More a guide to what to but new, what to find used. I painted a crib and used a stroller from the thrift store to get started. Where do you think savings can be had that are most useful?

[khorrell]

Mary, As long as we're talking about needs vs. wants, I would like to know your opinion. My husband's parents live about a thousand miles from us, and we try to drive down and visit them twice a year. They are very helpful as they usually come up to see us several times a year as well. I can't decide if I should budget these (expensive) trips as needs or wants. If it is just a want, then we really can't afford it. I always rationalize that my children need to see their grandparents as often as we can manage. We don't spend a lot of extra money on these trip, just gas (gasp!) and food while driving. (We do pack a cooler with snacks but I insist that we stop, get out of the car, and eat in a restaurant. The drive about does me in and I'm rewarding myself with restaurant meals. That is something that we certainly could change but I'm not sure that is going to happen. We do save the kids' birthday free meal coupons for these trips, and after numerous years we're learning which restaurants at which stops have Kids Eat Free on which nights.)

[Mary Webber]

Originally Posted by Herb Farm

I was looking more for suggestions for the parents-to-be. As a great aunt I can be frivolous! More a guide to what to but new, what to find used. I painted a crib and used a stroller from the thrift store to get started. Where do you think savings can be had that are most useful?

Oops, sorry that I misunderstood your good gifting intentions! It's funny, but I too started out with second-hand, refurbished baby furniture, even a treasured laundry-basket bassinet, and thought nothing about it. I guess it was just the way "back when."

Today, some to-be parents are truly horrified by the idea of not having a brand-new (themed and coordinated) baby room and furnishings, and you'd certainly want to be sure how your young friends feel. I think a good compromise, great savings on gently used high-quality baby stuff, is shopping a top-notch consignment store such as Children's Orchard which of course specilizes in this market and, I believe, is countrywide. That's where you'd find best buys on the big items - crib, changing table, carriage, and high chair. All the sheets, toys, clothing (especially for the first year) are just as well bought at outlet stores, Target, etc.

Of course if this is the first of what may become a large family, then it's easier to look at a crib, carriage, dressing table, etc. as long-term investments worthy of greater initial outlay. BUT, when still in doubt, ask those to-be parents as there may be a special something that they would like to have, something that could only come from their great-aunt. I know when our first grandchild was born, my daughter asked for a particular piece of art that she had grown up with, and we were delighted to pass it on to her.

Hope your family's early Christmas present is a total delight!

[Mary Webber]

Originally Posted by khorrell

Mary, As long as we're talking about needs vs. wants, I would like to know your opinion. My husband's parents live about a thousand miles from us, and we try to drive down and visit them twice a year. They are very helpful as they usually come up to see us several times a year as well. I can't decide if I should budget these (expensive) trips as needs or wants. If it is just a want, then we really can't afford it. I always rationalize that my children need to see their grandparents as often as we can manage. We don't spend a lot of extra money on these trip, just gas (gasp!) and food while driving. (We do pack a cooler with snacks but I insist that we stop, get out of the car, and eat in a restaurant. The drive about does me in and I'm rewarding myself with restaurant meals. That is something that we certainly could change but I'm not sure that is going to happen. We do save the kids' birthday free meal coupons for these trips, and after numerous years we're learning which restaurants at which stops have Kids Eat Free on which nights.)

This is such a wonderful question, and one that I suspect everyone will be thinking about as the holiday season approaches this fall, and the family visiting becomes a real financial drain.

In my ten years of teaching middle school, by far the most absolutely essential thing I learned was how important grandparents are in the lives of their granchildren. Whether they are nearby or away, often seen or seldom visited, and frankly, whether or not they are the world's most wonderful people or not in your eyes, they are irreplaceable. Visiting them is not even a "need," it's a necessity!


Having said that, I hope you continue to make whatever effort it takes to do that visiting. But, let's look at it differently... Is there another way to get there? Bus? Train? While these may not be your favoirte modes, kids often see such trips as adventures. Would either the bus or train take you near enough your folks' house that they could pick you up? No more than say, an hour for them to travel.

Next, why not have a special savings jug just for these trips. Enlist everyone in the family. If I give up one coffee and bagel a week, I can put $$ in the Grandparents' Visiting Fund (GVF). Dedicate your change or money back from returnables to the GVF. Ask the kids to decide on something they can do without so those funds can be donated. Think of one or two trips a week that you could eliminate or carpool for and save those gas dollars. Depending on the ages of your kids, they might have fun charting how many miles of driving you'd have to save a week to do that trip over the river and through the woods.

A drive like that would finish me off completely! You are so wise to stop, stretch, and eat in a restaurant along the road, and you've certainly been careful how you do that. I'd suggest you consider varying the meals you stop for as restaurant breakfasts and lunches can be so much less costly, and picnic suppers can be a treat too. Lunch or supper, maybe you could stop for take-out then find the town park or other local landmark for moving around, eating, getting some energy out. Many municipal parks have great restroom facilities which I assume is a consideration, AND you could let those kids research where might be a good place to take a break along the way.

There's so many good ways to save for - and on - these trips, but please don't even think about not taking them! They're worth so, so much more than any dollar cost!

[Mary Webber]

Originally Posted by Will

Thank you for sharing your wisdom with us Mary. You are truly a treasure.

Congratulations to the six lucky winners of your wonderful book!

1. allcash
2. purplefdu
3. wrreck
4. Joha
5. queenoftheclick
6. amyschiff

Congratulations to all of you! I hope you enjoy it and please, feel free to email me directly with any questions you may have about the recipes, etc.

I've had a great time here at Wisebread and I look forward to staying in touch, answering more questions, and hopefully, helping folks save money in myriad ways. I'd love to start a discussion - SOON - about getting ready, yes, now! for the upcoming gift-giving season. Thanks, Will, and everyone for making me feel so welcome in this community!

[purplefdu]

Can I put in a suggestion for cloth diapers for the new parents? Especially if they seem like the type to use them? They're making a come back and you can easily find directions to sew your own covers for them.

[Mary Webber]

Excellent idea! I loved cloth diapers when my kids were babies, and I really applaud their use. For a wonderful gift, consider giving a few weeks of diaper service, the kind that cleans and returns your own diapers, especially if there's a winter baby in your future.