Newborn baby to buy for? Avoid these most common items parents never use (and save £400)
UK parents are spending £7 billion on unused baby items, according to iCandy.
Almost 60% of those asked had bought items that were never used or only used once.
It meant they had wasted an average £379 in the first 12 months of their baby being born. Almost a quarter of parents (24%) had spent more than £500 on unused items in the first year and almost one in 10 (9%) wasted at least £900 on stuff they didn't need.
With the average UK household budget currently £2,700 a month, parents will be looking to save money anywhere they can.
iCandy questioned more than 1,000 parents to find out what baby items were a waste of money, giving expecting mums and dads and their friends and family some much-needed inspiration of what not to buy.
Cuddly toys and baby towels were top of the list with 30% and 28% respectively saying they never used them.
Close behind were baby shoes with 25% of parents leaving them in the back of the cupboard. Another 25% said they had clothes their baby had outgrown before they had chance to wear them.
When buying clothes it's important to look at logistics - 16% of parents never used fiddly outfits with buttons or layers, probably because they're difficult to get on and off.
Meanwhile 15% own a baby food blender that is simply collecting dust. This could be an example of retailers encouraging you to buy something you already have, much like the baby towel - with normal blenders and towels working just fine.
The full list:
- Cuddly toys - 30%
- Baby towels - 28%
- Clothes that their baby grew out of before they could be worn - 25%
- Baby shoes - 25%
- Bath support / seat - 21%
- Baby walker - 20%
- Nappy bin - 19%
- Bath thermometer - 19%
- Breast pump - 18%
- Baby sling - 17%
- Fiddly / fancy outfits with complicated buttons and layers - 16%
- Teddies / toys that played ‘heartbeat’ noise - 16%
- Baby food blender - 15%
To save money, you could borrow or hire items you're unsure about, iCandy suggests. If you use it a lot, you may decide it's more economical to buy your own - but if you don't then you've not paid out lots of money for it.
Cameron Appel, Vice CEO of iCandy, said: "If you’re preparing for your new baby’s arrival or you’re looking to buy a present for someone who’s about to become a parent, take note, as you might want to spend your money on something else instead.
"Everyone's parenting journey is unique to them, so we know some of the things on this list may have been invaluable to some people, but for anyone who’s unsure about which things to get, see if you can save money by borrowing these things first to work out if you'll actually end up using them in the long run."
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