Thanks to social media and ads, the pressure for parents to provide for their babies are at an all-time high that they unnecessarily spend thousands of dollars on designer diaper bags, a fancy nursery, gadgets, and expensive nursery. For example, more than 61% of expecting parents plan to purchase a tablet, laptop, or other home electronics, a survey said. Another 43% want to purchase new furniture for the baby and 33% of would-be parents were planning a major renovation.
But these are rookie mistakes. These are mistakes that first-time parents do when they find out they have conceived. Ask any parents with two or more kids. They’ll tell you to forget about the nursery. Save your money for the playroom or study room. That’s what these kids are going to need in the future. The nursery? That might be the one thing you shouldn’t spend on when you’re having a baby.
Can you imagine finding a reputable mortgage broker to apply for a loan to renovate the extra bedroom in your house only to realize your baby never wants to sleep in the crib? Or that the baby is going to spend the whole night cuddled up next to you? Very few parents actually use the nursery for its original purpose. That nursery you spent thousands of dollars on will just be a storage room of baby stuff.
Use the Loan for Something Else
Instead of using all that money to renovate a room your baby probably won’t want, why not use it to fortify your home and place safety devices for your kids? You can renovate the basement and turn it into a game room. You can also overhaul the yard. Why not install a deck or an outdoor playground? This will be great for the kids. You only have to wait a year before the baby starts getting bored stuck inside the house.
You can also use the money to beef up your home security system. A smart home system is a nice touch to make life a bit more convenient for you once the baby comes. A refrigerator that reminds you when you’re running out of milk is going to be a lifesaver when you can’t even remember to brush your hair in the morning.
It’s about time to check on your home’s foundation, plumbing, and electrical systems, too. One of the worst things that could happen to a first-time parent is to need to take care of home repairs in the middle of taking care of a weeks-old baby. So, before the baby is due, call a home inspector. See to it that your home is as safe and sound for your baby as possible.
While it is the dream of every parent to have an Instagram-worthy nursery, this isn’t the be-all and end-all of your parenthood. Taking care of your kids doesn’t mean providing them with a branded diaper bag (though that makes you feel better, too). That’s all aesthetics. It’s more about how prepared your home is safety-wise for this baby. If you do have the budget, splurge on these things. But if not, don’t feel too bad about it, too.