It’s been a while since we’ve had a virtual “coffee date!” Let’s fix that! If we were having coffee today—I would tell you that my mug is a little less full than I like it and I won’t be going for seconds. The reason? My husband and I are expecting our first baby! She’s due in March, and we can’t wait to meet her.

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you I’m grateful to still have my one cup of caffeine goodness a day, even if I’m making it a tall instead of a grande. I’d tell you that I’m excited, nervous and a million other emotions that I’m sure all of you seasoned mommas can relate to!

If we were having coffee, I’d tell you that I’m apprehensive about the slow creep of “stuff” that I know comes with having a baby. I’m grateful that there are now many options for fair trade baby items that I can mix in when I buy things! I’m excited to be able to purchase some items for our little one, but I also want to be mindful that not everything is a necessity. So I’ve created a short list below of my favorite tips for avoiding the money trap that I know having a baby can turn into!

1. Borrow, borrow, borrow! Even if these “tips” are a bit obvious, I had to stop and remind myself of them before running to Target and buying every baby item I saw! I made a mental list of friends I have who have had baby girls (or boys, for many of the items!). I plan to ask them if they have extra baby “stuff” lying around that I can either borrow or take off their hands completely. For my friends who have said, definitely, that they aren’t planning to have more children and are out of the baby stage, I don’t mind asking this question at all. In many cases I think they are grateful to make more room in their basements or storage closets!

2. Make the effort to search out good deals and sales. Thrift stores, garage sales, fair trade online stores—all might require a bit more effort than heading to the mall, but will be so worth it in the end! Babies grow so fast; I really want to be mindful of not just accumulating piles of clothing that might have been made by child laborers in other countries. Buying second-hand and fair trade items will help with this goal tremendously. I’ve mentioned this shop on the blog before, but how cute are these rompers from Baby Theresa? Their motto is “buy once, give twice”—which I just love! All of their items are fair trade and 100% organic cotton. For every romper sold, they donate one to a child in need and for every accessory sold, they donate formula.

3. Remember that all my little girl will truly need for the first few months is somewhere safe to sleep, food and clothing, and all the love we can give her!

If you have any other suggestions for avoiding the baby “money creep,” fair trade baby stores, or any other momma advice, I’d love if you’d chime in in the comments!

XO,

Casey

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