Cabinet Locks
Double cabinet doors with knobs can be secured with a heavy duty rubber band. Drawers, single cabinet doors, or double doors without knobs can be secured with self-adhesive Velcro strips or dots. Once your baby becomes a toddler, this may not be effective.

Door Knob Covers/Baby Gates
Slip a small sock over your door knobs and secure them with a rubber band. The sock will just slip and turn over the knob if your child tries to open the door. Consider using this instead of baby gates when you want to block off an entire room.

Edge and Corner Guards
Forget buying expensive bumpers and guards for the sharp edges and corners of your furniture. Foam pipe insulation can be purchased for a dollar or two and will slip right onto any edge.

Outlet Covers
Outlet covers are so inexpensive that there is really no cheaper, safe alternative. However, if you suddenly find yourself lacking an outlet cover, cover the outlet with a strip or two of electrical tape until you get more covers.

Toxic Chemicals
In addition to keeping your cabinets locked, consider replacing as many toxic cleaners as possible with natural alternatives. For example, baking soda, vinegar, and lemon juice are very effective cleaners and are not going to be nearly as harmful to a baby or young child. On top of that, they’re frugal, too!

Non-slip Socks and Pajama Feet
Non-slip socks are great for babies learning to walk but can be expensive to buy. Instead, buy plain socks and use puffy fabric paint to add non-slip designs to the bottoms. You can also use the paint on the bottom of your baby’s pajama feet.

Before my son was born, I had absolutely nothing for a baby — no furniture, no clothes, nothing. As my pregnancy progressed, I started getting panicky worrying about how we would outfit an entire nursery. This was during the time that both my husband and I were working full-time jobs but somehow, we thought we were broke! Anyway, I knew that I was going to have to pinch my pennies if I was going to be able to buy everything we needed. In the end, I was able to put together an entire nursery for $119. Granted, I was given a couple of things but when you are pregnant with your first child, that is a common occurrence and you could easily end up with more free stuff than I did. Below is an explanation of all the expenses I incurred in this project.

My first priority was furniture. I knew that I at least needed a crib, a changing table, and a chest of drawers. I knew that I could actually convert the top of a chest of drawers into a changing table in order to save money. As it turned out, I ended up using a changing table as a chest of drawers! A friend of a friend of a friend had a changing table that she no longer needed and generously offered it to me. With frugality already coursing through my veins, I accepted it sight unseen. Fortunately, it was in great shape and it was the kind that has two shelves beneath the changing area. Struck with inspiration, I bought four large plastic bins to hold baby clothes, diapers, etc., therefore eliminating the need for a chest of drawers.

In the coming weeks I went to yard sale after yard sale, looking for deals on baby items. The problem is, baby stuff goes fast at yard sales and I consistently had a hard time dragging my pregnant self (or my husband) out of bed at the crack of dawn on a Saturday. Nevertheless, I got lucky on one outing and stumbled upon a late model crib in perfect condition for $30. Of course, I checked to make sure it met current safety standards, which it did. It did not match the finish of the changing table, but I knew I could paint the changing table cheaply and easily. I was then very generously given a brand new crib mattress by a couple who bought it for their granddaughter but then never used it.

I then began scouring discount stores and baby stores looking for cute bedding sets on sale. I finally struck gold when I found an adorable sports-themed set at Walmart for $25. It had the crib sheet, bumper pads, comforter, and window valances. I picked up the coordinating mobile for $10 and I was done.

With the theme in place, it was time to buy room decor. I found some cheery yellow paint on the mis-tint shelf at the hardware store for $8. Admittedly, it turned out to be a bit bolder than I intended, but it was certainly bright and happy. I then printed out templates of a baseball and bat, football, and basketball. I picked up some fabric remnants in colors that matched the bedding and used the templates to cut out sports shapes from them. I then sewed (with just a needle and thread) some simple but cute wall hangings and embellished them with puffy fabric paint. Finally, I used a Print Shop type program and printed out decorative pictures of four types of balls — soccer, baseball, basketball, and football. I put the printed pictures into dollar store frames and hung them on the wall. Finally, I found a coordinating lamp on sale for $3 at a discount store and a pair of decorative shelves for $10. I put the lamp on a bookshelf taken from another part of the house and I was finished.

For $119, my baby’s nursery was complete. Some of you out there will be able to create a nursery and spend far less than I did. Others will find $119 far too low. Either way, it is important to know that you do not have to break the bank to provide a safe and happy place for your baby.

Car Seats
Did you know that car seats have an expiration date? Most car seats either have an expiration date stamped into the plastic of the seat or printed on a label. If you are unable to find an expiration date, however, the general rule is that car seats expire six years after they are manufactured. The reason for this is that the plastic can begin to break down over time, compromising the safety of the seat.

Another consideration with used car seats is that you are never supposed to use a seat that has been involved in a car accident. The impact from a crash can also compromise the safety of the seat.

Bottom Line: Only buy or borrow a relatively new car seat from someone you know and only if they are certain the seat has never been in a crash.

Cribs
Most cribs manufactured in the last 20 or 30 years are probably safe. Prior to 1974, however, crib safety standards were not as high as they are today. That is why it is important to check the following safety features before you buy or borrow a used crib:

• Crib slats should be no more than 2 3/8 inches apart to prevent a baby from wedging his head between the slats.
• Avoid cribs with corner posts (posts or knobs that protrude from the top of the end panels of the crib). Dozens of babies have died after their clothing or pacifier cords got hooked on the posts, leading to strangulation.
• Avoid cribs with cutouts on the end panels. These decorative holes can actually trap hands, feet, and even heads.
• Look for peeling paint. Never use a crib with cracked or peeling paint. The paint could contain lead, making it hazardous to your baby.

Bottom Line: It is best to avoid cribs made before 1974. Check all used cribs for the above safety standards.

Strollers
In 2007, the ASTM updated their safety standards for strollers. As a result, some strollers manufactured before 2007 may not meet these standards. With that in mind, it is my personal opinion that many strollers produced before this time are still perfectly safe to use under the following conditions*:

• Restraints must be secure and in perfect working order.
• All screws, bolts, and fasteners must be secure.
• The stroller must not have been recalled (visit http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html to check for recalls)

Bottom Line: Only buy used strollers manufactured after 2007 and/or check strollers for the above safety standards.

*This assumes that the child is never left unattended in the stroller.

Play Yards
Play yards are notorious for being safety hazards. Every year 11 babies and children die in play yard related deaths and 1,100 babies and children are injured. As a general rule, the older the play yard, the more unsafe it may be. If you choose to buy a used play yard, only buy a play yard manufactured after the year 2000 when safety standards were updated. If you are unsure of the manufacture date, check for the following safety hazards:

• Make sure that the openings in the mesh are smaller than ¼ of an inch.
• Never buy a play yard with top rail hinges that close into a V shape. These hinges could potentially cause strangulation.
• If the play yard has a changing table attachment, make sure the restraint straps don’t form a loop on the underside of the attachment. This also poses a strangulation hazard.
• Check to make sure the play yard hasn’t been recalled (http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prerel.html).

Bottom Line: Only buy used play yards made after 2000.

It’s true that you don’t want to buy all of your baby gear and furniture used, but most of it is fine to purchase second-hand. Obviously, you want to be discriminating in your hunt for deals, avoiding pieces that are broken, badly stained, or so outdated that they may no longer meet government regulations. Pieces that come with the original manuals and boxes, on the other hand, are especially good finds.

So where to you go to get great deals on second-hand baby gear?

1. Consignment Sales — Not to be confused with consignment shops (see below), consignment sales are events that take place once or twice a year. They are often held in churches and sometimes in bigger venues such as convention centers. The way they work is this: parents bring in their used children’s items and assign prices to them using the consignment sale’s system. Then on the day or days of the sale, people come in and buy the items. The organizers of the sale keep a percentage and the rest goes to the original owners of the items. Prices are generally quite low and the quality of the items is generally quite high. Many sales offer ½ price hours at the end of the sale to get rid of remaining merchandise.
2. Consignment and Resale Shops — Consignment and resale shops are like year-round consignment sales, although some stores pay for used merchandise up front instead of actually buying them on consignment. Either way, most of these shops are particular about the items they sell — this means that you are likely to find high quality merchandise there. In addition, you can make a little money by reselling your own baby stuff. There are three major chains of kids consignment stores located in the United States and Canada: Once Upon a Child, Kid to Kid, and Children’s Orchard.  In addition, many communities are home to smaller independent consignment stores. In one such independent store, I recently bought a double stroller in good condition for $37.50. A new double stroller would have cost me at least $100.
3. Ebay – Ebay.com is a great place to find used baby gear. However, the high cost of shipping large items may cause you to spend more than you really want to. A good way to get around that is to search on Ebay for items in your area. I like to do a search
4. Thrift Stores – There are two types of thrift stores. There are those that are run by or for a charity. They sell donated merchandise and all proceeds go to the charity. The other type of thrift store is privately owned and is for-profit. For-profit thrift stores are so similar to consignment stores that this section will address charity thrift stores. Because these shops resell donated items, they are typically less choosey about what they are willing to sell. As a result, you will find far more stained or broken items in a thrift store than you will in a consignment shop. That being said, keep in mind that thrift stores generally price their items much cheaper than consignment stores. So if you are willing to spend a little time sifting through the junk, you can usually uncover some amazing deals. For example, I recently found a changing table in a thrift store for $10. The only problem it had was that it was missing a single screw.
5. Yard Sales – When it comes to baby stuff, yard sales are treasure troves. Most folks realize that baby gear is in high demand so when they advertise their sales, they will typically mention the baby items. Then again, not everyone advertises their yard sales, so especially in the spring, drive around and look for them. When shopping at yard sales, go early to get the best selection and don’t be afraid to negotiate. If you find something you want but it costs more than you are willing to pay, ask the seller when he or she is ending the sale. Make a note of the item, the address, and the closing time and return an hour before closing to see if the item has sold. By the end of the day, most sellers are practically willing to give their stuff away rather than take it back inside. Alternately, you could give the seller your number and ask him or her to contact you if the item doesn’t sell.

Whenever you buy anything used (and particularly when it is for a baby), be sure to check it out thoroughly before completing the sale. One of the best “deals” I ever got was a $5 bassinet at a yard sale. I was so excited until I brought it home and found mold on some of the padding. The padding could not be removed without tearing up the bassinet so I ended up throwing the whole thing away. From then on, I was always careful to check over every inch of an item before buying it.