$1000 Nursery

It took a while before the nesting kicked in during my pregnancy, but when it did, wow. I spent hours searching online for furniture and other things I needed. I made lists of items I still needed after the baby shower and collated the lists by stores I intended to purchase the items at. I searched for coupons and sales and deals and made word documents containing the items, by store or website, including their price, taxes, shipping costs, and coupon codes. It was really important that I get the best deals possible because I was limited to a $1000 budget. I can't explain why, but I felt the need to have a legit crib and dresser rather than sticking with baskets in the closet and a pack-n-play. So, this is how I was able to furnish my baby's room for less than $1000.

Some Assistance Please

We decided to register immediately after finding out the gender of our little dude, so the following day we registered at Babies R Us and Target. Multiple places is so helpful because you can cover more brands, people can choose the store closest to them to shop, and you get more bonuses! Babies R Us sends coupons in the mail regularly and Target gives you a great packet of samples and coupons when you register. Both of them have great websites you can refer to as well. We also received a bunch of coupons and samples (even a bottle and a pacifier) from Destination Maternity when I went shopping for some maternity clothes. They also put you on a list that will send coupons to you.

I was pregnant over Christmas, so, we told everyone that if they planned on getting us Christmas presents to refer to our baby registries for what we wanted. Same for our birthdays and any other gift giving occasion.

The hubs isn't in to garage sales or else I would have taken full advantage of the garage sale groups on Facebook. I was also invited to join a Mommy Support group on Facebook in which other mom's sometimes sell or give away their old baby stuff.

Google is a great asset, as well. I used google to compare prices for shopping and to find coupon codes.

We ended up receiving a changing table, pack-n-play (bassinet included), glider with ottoman, play gym, and plenty of other great stuff as gifts.  That meant we needed to buy the crib, dresser, swing/rocker, travel system (car seat and stroller),  storage bins, trash can, etc. on our own.

The Budget

First we set a realistic budget, $400 for the crib and dresser combo, $200 for the travel system, $100 for the swing/rocker, and $400 for various other baby stuff. The budget included gift cards we had received as gifts as well as our own money. When we started shopping, it became clear that we were not going to be able to stick to the budget without coupons, sales, and some serious finagling on our end. We shopped and shopped and shopped and finally were able to get everything without going over budget. We weeded out the things we wouldn't need for a while and focused on things we would need for the first six months.

I planned on breastfeeding and was able to obtain a great double electric Medela breast pump through my insurance, so we didn't have to worry about that. Because we don't plan on feeding the baby anything but breast milk for the first six months (at least) we decided not to get a high chair at all or get a whole lot of bottles. I never liked the idea of a diaper genie, particularly because the bags are expensive and a covered trash can serves the same exact function at a quarter of the price. Don't even get me started on wipe warmers - do you really want your baby to be so used to warm wipes at home that he or she can't stand the feel of cold wipes when you are out? Is your baby's butt really so delicate that it can't handle a room temperature wipe? Moving on. The point is to prioritize. Some people absolutely feel the need to have a little baby bath. I didn't. I wouldn't have bought a changing table at all, had a friend not bought one for me because I would have secured a changing pad to the dresser. Prioritizing what we really needed and really wanted was a great way to make sure we didn't go overboard shopping for our new little mini human.

The Room

The following are some pictures of the nursery and where I purchased items.

 Glider: (gift) Burlington Coat Factory, website, coupon, free shipping sale
Pillow: (gift) TJ Maxx
Blanket: (gift) Crocheted by a friend with love.
Lamp: Target - I registered for it before I purchased it so I could use my completion coupon for a 10% discount, $22.
Dresser: Babies R Us, in store, 20% off coupon, $200.
Frames on wall: Wal Mart, $10 each.
Mickey Mouse: Disneyworld, bought on our honeymoon.
Dragon: (gift) Crocheted with love by a friend.
Frames on dresser: one gift, one previously owned.
Swing: Diapers.com, online coupon code, free shipping sale, $130.

Storage Bins: H&M, online, $5 each.
Lion:
Hangers: Target, clearance, $.27 for each set of 10.
Clothes: gifts, various sources, blah blah
Changing Pad: (gift), Target
Changing Pad cover: Target, completion coupon, $15.
Changing Table: (gift), Target
Various Items on changing table: (gifts), places.
Chevron Hamper: TJ Maxx, $12.
Trash can: Wal Mart, $10.

Tree Monkeys Decal: Amazon.com, $50.
Crib: Babies R Us, coupon, $200.
Snoopy & Woodstock: Kohls, $5 each.
Breathable Crib Bumper: (gift) Target.
Bed Set: (gift) Target.


Not Pictured: Britax Travel System in black: Babies R Us, coupons for a total of 30% off, sale, $210.





















And that's how I furnished my little dude's nursery for less than $1000. The end.