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Baby Gear on a Budget: What to Buy New, What to Buy Used, and Where the Deals Are
The first year costs what you let it. Here's where to spend, where to save, and where the recurring deals are.
Always buy new
- Car seat. Seats expire (6–10 years from manufacture) and a crash you can't see about voids them. Target runs a car-seat trade-in event twice a year — 20% off a new seat for bringing in any old one.
- Crib mattress. Firm, flat, new. The crib itself can be second-hand if it's post-2011 (no drop sides).
- Breast pump. Usually free through insurance — ask before you buy anything.
- Bottle nipples, pacifiers, teethers. Cheap new; not worth the risk used.
Fine second-hand
Strollers, high chairs, bouncers, play yards, baby carriers, clothes in bulk, books, toys. Facebook Marketplace and local buy-nothing groups are the best sources; check recalls at cpsc.gov before you pay.
The diaper math
A newborn uses 8–10 diapers a day. Brand name at full price runs about $0.30–0.40 each; the same brand stacked (B1G1 40% off Target Circle offer + a cashback app + subscribe-and-save) lands around $0.20. Over the first year that's roughly $300 saved on diapers alone. Store brands (Target's Up&Up, Walmart's Parent's Choice, Amazon's Mama Bear) are about half the price and fine for most babies.
Where the deals recur
- Amazon — Subscribe & Save (5–15% off), plus the baby registry completion discount (10–15% off remaining items, once).
- Target — registry welcome kit and a 15% completion coupon; Circle Week sales in July and October.
- Walmart — rollbacks on play yards and bassinets are frequent (a 4-in-1 play yard is on rollback this week).
- Cashback apps — Ibotta usually has diaper and formula offers; Rakuten pays on Target, Walmart and Buy Buy Baby's successors.
Skip these
Wipe warmers, bottle sterilizers (the dishwasher works), a changing table (a dresser with a pad is the same thing), newborn-size anything in bulk (they outgrow it in three weeks).
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