Parents-to-be want to give their baby the very best, but that usually comes with a hefty price tag. However, more expensive does not always equal better. “There’s a lot of baby stuff you can easily cross off your birth list.”
From buggies to bottle warmers to self-rocking beds. Expectant parents are bombarded with things for their little sprout from their positive pregnancy test. Before they realize it, they have spent a fortune in baby shops and their house is cluttered with accessories that they will hardly use. In these financially difficult times, we all consume less gas and electricity. So why shouldn’t we also save on baby stuff?
“Parents want the best for their baby,” says Jona Mukabalisa of start-up Mic Mac Minuscule. “That is beautiful. But the best is often just enough love, attention and a tetra cloth over the shoulder. Not the most expensive baby monitor with camera and color screen. There are a lot of baby items that you can easily cross off your birth list.”
Mukabalisa and her husband founded the Ghent company in 2017 with the aim of saving baby stuff from landfill. They work very simply: parents-to-be can make an appointment to discuss what they need. Mic Mac Minuscule then searches thrift stores, markets and sales sites. Everything is thoroughly checked and – if necessary – pimped. “But often that is not even necessary,” says Mukabalisa. “Many items are still in perfect condition because they have been used for such a short time.”
Half the price
The company now has 20 points of sale in Flanders and Brussels. Together they recirculated more than 100,000 items. “We prove that baby stuff doesn’t have to be very expensive. Of course there are baby products that you cannot ignore. But with us you can buy them for about half the price.”
The demand for second-hand birth lists is also on the rise in Wallonia. Emilie Servais agrees, who is at the helm of together with Julie Verdonck Rock‘n brol Baby in Court-Saint-Etienne. “We keep growing,” they say. “More and more people are opting for second-hand. For financial reasons, but also because it’s good for the planet. Parents realize that they can buy stuff for next to nothing that is still as good as new.”
Parents spend an average of 6,500 euros on baby and children’s equipment in the first year. Far too much, say the businesswomen. What you need mainly depends on your lifestyle. “Busy people may benefit from things that save time,” Mukabalisa says. “People who live small can do without a park, which takes up a lot of space. They are better off with a toy mat that they can roll up.”
Savings can also be made on kitchen appliances. “Nowadays they sell babycooks that are so extensive that you can make cappuccinos with them,” says Mukabalisa. “That is not necessary at all. You can go a long way with a cooking pot.”
Servais has another tip. “A draining rack for porridge bottles is completely unnecessary,” she says. “You can use an ordinary rack or put glass bottles in the dishwasher, then they will dry immediately.” The purchase of a high chair is also not necessarily necessary. “A booster seat or child seat works wonders,” says Servais. “That is a sturdy, ergonomic cushion that children can sit on.”
Even a pram is not a must. “Combine a baby carrier with a small buggy,” says Servais. “That costs less and saves space. Moreover, such a baby carrier provides closeness and physical contact, which is good for the baby.” If you still want a pram, it is better to buy a second-hand model, Mukabalisa adds. “The price difference is huge.”
Many second-hand baby items are still in perfect condition because they have been used for such a short time.
Reusable wipes
Parents, on the other hand, do not save when it comes to care products. This is evident from a recent study by bol.com. Although you can also skimp on that. Just by opting for reusable wipes you will spend 250 to 300 euros less in the long term. “It is cheaper, more ecological and healthier than disposable wipes that often contain toxic products,” says Servais.
Reusable baby items often turn out to be cheaper and better for the environment. Just think of washable diapers. Purchasing them is a major investment – about 600 euros on average, unless you also choose second-hand – but in the long term you spend less. After all, you don’t have to buy hundreds of disposable diapers. “Many people are short on cash and unfortunately make decisions that don’t turn out to be more beneficial in retrospect,” says Mukabalisa. “I advise people with a small wallet to look at how they can spread costs.”
You can also buy second-hand toys and clothes. Another tip: buy multifunctional items. “You can continue to use tetra cloths, even when your baby gets older,” says Servais. “As a towel, as a blanket, as material to swaddle your baby or as a bib. The possibilities are endless.”
Especially parents who are expecting their first child are often fooled by all kinds of things speciallekes. “Completely unnecessary are side-lying cushions, for example,” says Servais. “They are promoted to prevent a flattened head. Babies who often lie with their heads to the same side can suffer from this. But as they get older, this usually automatically decreases.”
Those who want to save even more can even go one step further and scrap the baby shower. “Birth announcements and christening sugar are also extremely expensive,” says Mukabalisa. “That can be done differently, with more sustainable alternatives such as a birth postcard without envelopes, for example.”
