Chris and I have slowly been learning how to BUDGET our money. We are not perfect at it yet, but we are getting there and the progress we have made in the past 6 months is pretty incredible. And by now - especially after finishing an entire nursery for $240 - I would call myself one smart little piggy!
It's pretty neat actually because it has made us realize exactly HOW much we used to spend on S T U P I D stuff that doesn't matter! Chris nor I can even remember the last time we purchased clothing for ourselves - HENCE - Chris is walking around with holey jeans and underwear and I am recycling what I wear about every 7-10 days since my wardrobe is VERY small. I don't know WHAT I would have done without being able to borrow both my sisters' maternity clothes OR without my mom and my mother-in-law who have so sweetly bought me some maternity clothes... I guess I'd be wearing jeans and tee shirts every day! I'm sure my bosses would love that!
Anyway - the POINT of this whole blog is that my budgeting mind has FAR exceeded itself - MUCH FARTHER than I ever even thought possible. We have everything we NEED for our nursery - and we have spent a total of $240.00. Now - this INCLUDES - a CRIB, a changing table, a glider, ALL the bedding, and ALL the wall decorations. And this is TRULY only $240 because nothing was purchased new by someone else and given to us!
Crib - IT'S FREE! - Chris Testani's sister, Katie, read my blog a month or so ago about the crib we were looking for on Craigslist and she offered to GIVE me a crib that was GIVEN to her when she had her second child, Elizabeth! I honestly have NO idea what it looks like except that it's natural wood color and not exactly what I was looking for. BUT - Chris and I decided that it just DOESN'T make sense to SPEND money on a crib when we are being offered one for free! I am sure that Parker could SERIOUSLY care less about what his crib looks like! And I also have to mention that I have family members that have offered to give us a chunk of change to go towards a crib... but I just can't accept it when I know I can get one at no cost to us or anyone else! Now THIS ladies and gentlemen - is a budgeting mind 'fo 'sho! :)
Changing Table -RECYCLED dresser - It's a Target dresser that I bought when I was in college YEARS ago and it has been living in my sister's house for about 3 years. Why spend $200 on a new changing table people when I have a PERFECTLY good dresser that can be used as a changing table!?!?!?
Glider - $60 on Craigslist - I have been REALLY wanting a REALLY nice glider from Babies R Us - and well they started at about $400 and went up to about $600 for the kind we wanted. We really wanted the big, all upholstered, comfy chairs that look really fancy and blah blah blah blah blah. WELL - we found a perfectly good, used white wooden one on craigslist yesterday for $60 cash. I guess I do need to mention that the cushions need to be re-covered, but my mom is doing this for us at no cost to us - and at very little cost to her! But you know what the main function of a glider is? TO GLIDE/ROCK YOUR BABY TO SLEEP! And guess what?!? This $60 glider is going to do the SAME exact thing that the $600 glider does at Babies R Us! I was chatting with my sister Ashley last night about the deal we found! And she was telling me how we could get a perfectly new one for $100 at JC Penney or something. I didn't really understand where she was coming from because $100 AND $60 IS A HUGE DIFFERENCE IN MONEY TO ME! $40 is a HUGE chunk of change that I am GLAD to still have in my pocket. She didn't understand me as she kept saying that $60 is ALMOST $100. Whatever people. To me - $60 and $100 is a MASSIVE difference in cost!!!! And - just to justify myself even more - the brand of glider we got SELLS BRAND NEW at Babies R Us for about $250 with the ottoman. Uh Hem.... Yes .... I am VERY proud of our $60 treasure find!
This is something like what we really wanted....
And this is what we got! For more than $200 less!
Crib mattress - FREE! - My sister's husband, Doug, had a friend from work last year that gave him a crib mattress for free! Some people may find this gross (like my sister) however I find this as an INCREDIBLY AMAZING DEAL! New mattresses start at over $100 and why in the WORLD would we go purchase a mattress - or have a family member purchase a mattress for us - when we have a PERFECTLY GOOD ONE to use at NO COST to us or anyone else!
Bedding, wall decor, window coverings, diaper stacker - $180 - Now - this may look to you like I actually splurged on something but the bedding is pretty much the thing that brings the baby room together! And I honesty could not find anything on Craigslist that caught my eye. HOWEVER - I must say - that I went with the bedding that wasn't necessarily my favorite - but I did buy it because it was 60% off and about $300 cheaper than any other bedding we saw and liked. My bedding included the sheet sets, a blanket, the bumper, a decorative pillow, a diaper stacker, a toy hanging thing for the wall and TWO valances for the window. (Since his room only has one window, we can use the other valance to help decorate something else for free!)
Wall decor - FREE! - Thanks to Heidi's blog give-away a few months ago that I so eagerly signed up for and WON - I am getting a super cute - personally designed by Heidi wall decor thing to hang in Parker's nursery! I also have two white shelves that I had bought in the Clearance section of Homegoods YEARS ago in college that will look great in Park's room - as well as three thick white wooden picture frames that I bought in college that will be super for Park's room.
NOW - if you are even still reading this CRAZY long post - you are nuts because this was a really long post - but I just HAD to brag on myself because being THRIFTY is not easy - and it's not necessarily FUN... but I'm doing it and I feel REALLY good about it!
YAY ME! I also should probably mention that my father-in-law is probably the most thrifty guy I know - and I think he would be proud of me! I've come a long way, right Jim?! (I don't even think he reads this, but if by some chance he does - I'll take a nice pat on the back next time I see ya!)
1 comment:
YOU ARE AWESOME Hillary!!!! Given the economic times we are in and the fact that you and Chris are building an absolutely beautiful place to call home, but more importantly creating a stable environment for Parker is worth more than any rocker, crib, mattress, bedding, clothing, etc. could ever be valued at. The ability to embrace your child and eachother and not all the materialistic things in life that ultimately NEVER bring you happiness is the true value in life. You guys are wealthier beyond your years by just seeing that saving a dime or two and "recycling" perfectly good items is such a smarter thing to do. I promise when you move in and hold your precious son while rocking him in that recliner and placing him in that bed....nothing will matter but the love you feel as you watch your son...your creation sleep. Enjoy ever moment as it slips away all to fast. :)
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