BUDGET BEATER

Say YES to the hand-me-down. With your first child, it’s extremely tempting to want everything to be sparkling and new, but when your sister-in-law offers you her twice-used cot or compactum, smile and say ‘thank you’. You’ll be very relieved to have that cash on hand for all the unexpected costs that sneak up on you when baby arrives. Particularly with furniture like cots, compactums, high chairs and baby baths, there’s nothing that a fresh coat of paint or a good scrub with disinfectant can’t fix. The one exception to this rule: the car seat. That, you should buy new if you can.