4 Ways to Save on a Baby Crib Without Sacrificing Safety or Style

Can you save money on your baby crib without compromising on safety or style? You sure can, if you follow these tips from Tina Murray of BabySleep! She’s sharing her expertise on shopping for a crib on a tight budget. Guess what? It’s easier than you might think! Read on to learn more about the different types of cribs and where you can scrimp a bit to save a bundle.

Tips to Help You Save Money on Your Baby Crib

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As a mother of two kids, I had my share of penny-pinching and trying to make the most out of every cent, especially during the first two years. There’s just too much that you could think of, from buying the right swaddling clothes, feeding bottles, supplements, and stuff, to organizing your nursery with matching furniture, decors, and the list goes on and on.

If you’re not so particular about prices and discounts, you could go overboard and leave you with expensive baby products that would have been cheaper if you bought the same from other companies or stores at a discount. Next thing you know, you’re out of budget, as if your money sprouted legs and just walked away from your wallet.

Baby cribs could get a little pricey depending on the make and the type of crib. In case you didn’t know, there are actually six types of cribs, but the one we’re most familiar with is the standard crib. So how do we make the most out of every cent for a baby crib? Right now you might be thinking, okay, I’ll just go with the standard crib, but it’s more than that.

I’ve come up with a list of things to keep in mind to achieve maximum savings on your baby crib. Some of these were taken from actual experience and some from people I know of. Just be reminded that with everything there would be some kind of tradeoff, so the final verdict still rests on what suits you (and your baby) best.

Go for the standard full-sized crib

A full-sized crib is 30 by 54 inches, give or take. The reason for this is pretty obvious. With a full-sized crib, it would be much easier for you to find the right mattress, sheets, and skirting, etc. And with a lot of options to choose from, you’ll be more likely to find something that hits the sweet spot between quality and great value.

But how about mini cribs? Aren’t they cheaper than regular ones? With the crib itself, yes, they cost less than the standard size. But when it goes to the mattresses and stuff you’d be extremely limited to what’s available, or you’d have to buy from the company that made the crib. You’ll have less options than the standard crib and your baby’s gonna outgrow the crib pretty quick. Yeah, that means buying another crib.

Do some homework before buying one

Thankfully, you can do this in the comfort of your own home. Look through the internet and find out which crib gives you the advantage without sacrificing too much on quality. Take time to scroll down to the comments and user reviews to see if people are happy with the crib. Start off with the least expensive ones and work your way up, something like “cribs under $50”, etc. Some websites help you narrow down the options by sliding or checking the price range. It would take you just an hour or so before you hit the benchmark.

Optimize your crib

You can do this by planning ahead of time which type of crib you’re gonna use. Like I said, there are six of them. Basically, if you already have a dresser, a shelf, and a baby changer, you’re just gonna need a standard crib. However, if you don’t have them already, you can have a multi-purpose crib that comes with its own dresser, shelf, and baby changer – all in one complete package (except the mattress).

Now, this might seem a little bit more expensive than just having the standard crib. But if you add the prices buying each furniture a-la-carte, you’ll see the difference – a big difference. Aside from multi-purpose cribs, there’s the ‘lifetime’ crib which turns from baby crib, to day-bed, toddler bed, to adult by adding just a few attachments here and there. And then there’s a blend of both. Plus, you can re-use the individual parts such as the drawers, shelf, and changers, into a nightstand, etc. In other words, nothing goes to waste, and there’s no need to re-sell the crib when your baby outgrows it.

Hand-me-downs

Sometimes you get to the point where you really want something for your baby but it is completely out of the budget. Or you want to save money to buy other things for your baby. Buying pre-owned cribs isn’t bad, actually. As a matter of fact, a lot of moms have been doing this, and moms who once used theirs would be happy to re-sell them if someone else comes along. Besides, you’re just gonna need it for the next 24 months or so.

On the flip side, finding a good hand-me-down crib can take a lot of work. You need to physically inspect the crib for damage, loose or missing parts. As a rule, the older the crib, the more unsafe it becomes. But that depends on how it’s been used by its previous owners. The make and the kind of materials used must also be taken into account. Whenever you can, buy from someone you trust. You might even find a friend who’ll give it to you as a keepsake for your baby shower.

About Tina Murray

Tina shares her passion in helping other moms make well-informed decisions in her website babysleep.help. She enjoys writing about her own experiences as a mom and providing reliable information about baby care, product reviews, and more. As a baby sleep enthusiast, she also writes about the latest baby gears to help babies sleep better and make parenting experience a lot better as well.