Money, Money, Money - Babywearing on a Budget

Happy Sunday, Midlands Babywearers!

What  gorgeous weekend it's been! This fantastic spring-like weather is a welcome reprieve from the cold and wet of the last week. I hope all of you have been able to spend some time outside, even babywearing, and enjoying the sunshine.

We enjoyed seeing many of you at yesterday's Saturday meeting in our new location on Assembly Street. The space is certainly better suited to the varied ages of children that come to the meetings, and we hope all of you found it accommodating as well. We welcome any and all feedback you may have regarding any of our meeting spaces, we want you to be as comfortable and as welcomed as possible.

 

Sticker Shock.

I started babywearing my first son in a Moby wrap, which we bought ourselves for around $40.00 new. My husband requested an Ergo, with every accessory possible, as a baby gift from my mother-in-law, which came to around $200 at the time (2009). I was, needless to say, a bit skeptical about this purchase. Certainly there were cheaper, more affordable options out there?  But hey, my husband was happy, and we did end up using the Ergo quite a bit, until we upgraded to a Boba carrier when our son was one. We tried one on at KD's Treehouse in downtown Columbia, loved it, and bought it when she did one of her sales where the entire store was a certain percentage off. That's all I knew about baby wearing on a budget, then. Sales.

When our daughter was born when our son was not quite two, I knew I wanted her on my back as early as possible, and from what I read online, the best way to do that was with a woven wrap. I was daunted a bit by the skill level involved in such a task at first, but even more than that, I had a bad case of Sticker Shock.

Venturing online for woven wraps in late 2011, with the help of our local babywearing group, I couldn't understand really why what many sites labeled a SPOC (simple piece of cloth) sold for well over $100.00. At the time our daughter was born, we were living with my in-laws, as my husband had been laid off shortly after conceiving our son, and later went back to school for massage therapy. In the intervening time, my paycheck was just not enough to maintain us, and to help us get back on our feet, we moved in with my husband parents while I was still pregnant with our daughter. So, money was very definitely tight. Since having our son, I had discovered consignment sales, yard sales, online sites for buying used cloth diapers - ways to help us save money but still keep our kids well clothed and supplied with all the baby gear we needed. Certainly something similar existed for woven wraps.

Then I was introduced to www.thebabywearer.com - a site truly for all things babywearing. It was, and is, a treasure trove of information for both novice and experienced Babywearers. Reviews, pictures, tutorials, questions, and yes, a FSOT (for sale or trade) board. I bought my first, used wrap - a Hoppediz Panama - for less than $100. And sold it not long after for about what I spent. Since that day, many other wraps and carriers have found their way in and out of our home, some were quite affordable, others were definitely a splurge, but I've learned a few tricks for making the most of a babywearing budget, as have others in our group, and we are going to share what we've learned with you.

In the years since I've started wearing, many other websites have sprung up, there are more brands, more wrap designs, more SSCs, and Mei Tai on the market than ever. There are some highly sought after designs and brands, but there are some quality affordable options out there, too.

Buying New

Many people prefer to buy new, and there are some brands and websites that either are consistently affordable, or regularly offer deals and discounts that will help you save money. Many websites offer layaway options which is a great way to buy something on a budget. Especially if you are like me, and not all that great at putting aside money for savings.

Brands:

Little Frog - is a Polish company that makes safe, quality woven wraps that are extremely affordable. Even buying directly from the company, and paying shipping from Poland, a wrap will generally run you under $80.00.
Infantino - This company has gotten bad press in the past for making unsafe (as in recalled) carriers, as well as carriers that just were not good quality. Do not let past mistakes keep you from checking into this brand now - they have some of the most affordable, ergonomic carriers available in stores like Wal-Mart, Target, BabiesRUs, and BuyBuyBaby. They have both Mei Tai and ergonomic Soft Structured Carriers available for under $50.00 brand new. You can often find these clearanced out in stores like TJ Maxx, or on the shelves at consignment stores like Once Upon a Child.

Websites:

Marsupial Mamas - frequently has sales around holidays up to 40% off. There is also a "wrap closet" section on the site for clearance items and second quality wraps. Second Quality wraps are wraps that are safe, wearable, but contain a minor design flaw such as a skipped thread, weaver's knots, uneven tapers, or other minor cosmetic flaw that makes them less than perfect, but still safe and wearable.
Birdies Room - a Canadian website that carries pretty much everything Didymos (a German brand of woven wrap) has to currently offer. She offers layaway and often does holiday discounts as well.
Wrap Your Baby - another site that offers great sales, and - if you buy from them - let us know! Our local baby wearing group gets a $10 credit towards Lending Library purchases each time one of our members purchases something.
Baby Steals - often as Ergo baby carriers or Ring Slings as the daily deal for $75-$80.
Zulily - a daily deal site that also will do Ergo, Infantino, and other brands for well under typical retail.

 

Buying Used

Especially with woven wraps, it can actually be preferable to buy new. Just as your favorite jeans get more comfortable and soft the more you wear them, so do woven wraps. This breaking in process can be a quick as a wash and dry cycle or take months of wear and use depending on the wrap and fiber blend. Many buyers prefer to get something already well broken in and look to buy used, or are looking to hopefully pay less than retail on woven wrap and save money.

The Babywearer FSOT - you must join the babywearer in order to purchase anything from the site, but there is no minimum join time or number of posts before purchasing from a member. There are more rules about who can sell (you must belong to the site a minimum of 30 days and have a certain number of posts before listing something for sale). Carriers are organized in forums by type, and this tends to move more slowly than the Facebook groups.

The Babywearing Swap - sometimes simply referred to as "the swap" - there is a Bargain Carrier album in which every carrier listed is under $100, including shipping. Things go very fast here. Some tips for navigating the swap can be found in the documents on Babywearing 102, which are linked here. You'll find basic how-to's, swap etiquette, how to buy, how to ship, and more.
 - tips for buying on a budget
- swap etiquette
- how to navigate The Swap
-also, for the curious, why woven wraps can be so expensive?

Babywearing on a Budget - this Facebook group only allows the sale of carriers under $100. Again, things move very quickly here. All of the basic how-to's, etiquette, etc apply to this group as well.

Buy local - Babywearers of the Midlands is now home to over 175 local Babywearers - among us, there are a LOT of carriers. Many of which will be for sale at some point. If you are ISO (In Search Of) anything, ask on the wall of the Facebook page, you will be surprised at what you can find here, and at a fantastic price - no shipping!

 

Do It Yourself

Are you crafty? handy with a sewing machine? Yes, you can make your own baby carrier. You can sew a woven wrap from Osnaburg fabric (it is the most common choice for this purpose), make a ring sling from a table cloth, or a Mei Tai. You can use your own fabrics for this purpose also.

Jan Andrea of Sleeping Baby Productions has some of the most comprehensive tutorials out there, and below are some links to her instructions on how to choose fabric, sew your own ring sling and mei tai.
 - choosing fabric
- buy rings from www.slingrings.com
- one of the most common ring slings - a single layer pleated shoulder - tutorial here
- basic mei tai tutorial
- main menu with many other tutorials from herself and around the web

If you have joined www.thebabywearer.com, there is a forum on DIY there, also, which is a wealth of information from people who have a lot of experience DIY.

There are several Facebook groups too, one of the most helpful is Babywearing DIY Advice and Support.


Can you babywear on a budget? Yes, you can! There are many options out there for anyone, on any budget. The best part? You and your baby (or toddler) can be happy, comfortable, and functional in a carrier regardless of whether it cost $25 dollars to make, $50 to buy used, or $150 to buy new. The next best part? When you are done, or maybe the carrier just didn't work for you the way you thought, you can SELL it, often times for almost as much as you paid for it originally. Baby carriers retain their value better than nearly any other piece of baby gear you purchase.

One other option is our Lending Library. Once you have attended two meetings, you can check out a carrier your first carrier for FREE. Subsequent carrier trials are only $5. Try out options as you save money towards a carrier of your own, or as you narrow down your options for your very own carrier (or if you are deciding what you'd like to add to your stash). Most our Lending Library carriers are very affordable options, so if you fall in love with something, and you are on a budget, we can help you find one of your own for a great price.

Speaking of meetings: our next official meeting is on Thursday, March 27th, at the LDS Church on Broad River Rd, and we will talk more about Babywearing on a Budget.
Our Saturday April meeting will focus on Babywearing Men. Bring your husbands, brothers, and fathers out for more information on babywearing specifically for men. Already a babywearing dad? Come show us your favorite carrier, and tell us why you love it so much!
The Weekday meeting in April we will discuss warm weather babywearing, including how to wear your baby in the water. If this summer is as hot as the winter was cold, this is topic you won't want to miss!

Come join the discussion on our Facebook page, and share this blog with your friends!