How much does a baby cost in the UK?
Cost check reveals: parents can save 750 pounds and more on new born baby essentials
Wednesday, July 6, 2016 — Parents spend around £11,498 in a child’s first year* many of which goes to initial baby gear such as a cot, pram and baby clothing for the first couple of months. Research has found that purchasing the brand new products necessary for the first 3 months of a baby can cost approximately £1.475 and upwards. Having also analysed items within the flea market app Shpock it became apparent that parents can save more than just a few pennies.
You can't replace a kids smile with a pot of gold, yet it must be admitted that parenting is quite costly. That’s why Shpock (www.shpock.co.uk) decided to take a closer look at the cost of initial expenditure required for baby essentials during the first few months after birth, and show just how many pennies can be pinched.
Baby essentials include a crib, clothes, car seat, stroller and much more - amounting to a total of 29 items almost every baby needs. Results show that parents that purchase second hand goods can save up to an astounding £758 [2], almost halving costs. >> Download infographic now!
Cutting baby costs in half
A shopping cart full of baby essentials costs approx. £1,475 brand new (taking market values indicated by Amazon, Matalan and other online retailers). Strollers are amongst the most expensive investments in the early infant phase. The Cosatto Giggle, one of Britains most popular strollers, is just one example that costs around £403 whereas a Shpock bargain comes to around £238.50, almost halving costs.
Just a quick glance at the mobile flea market application shows that parents are totally up to date with the digital trend as the ‘baby and child’ category is bursting with items. Kids develop quickly meaning wear and tear is limited when it comes to items they need. Selling stuff not only makes room for the new, but is easier on the budget too.
"Parents are consuming more environmentally friendly and price consciously. This is quite visible within the app, amongst electronics and fashion, the baby & child is one of the most popular categories on Shpock,” explains co-founder Katharina Klausberger.
5 advantages from buying second baby gear
- Cost
Second-hand buyers can halve their costs, it’s a lot easier on the wallet. - Quality
People often tend to buy items off lower quality when they are on a budget, this way parents can buy high quality products at just as low of a price. - Sustainability
Reduce, reuse, recycle - why buy something new when your neighbour has baby gear that’s as good as new and save the planet while you’re at it. - Unique items
Buying brand new stuff is somewhat mainstream, get unique models and items on Shpock. - Resell
Buying, selling and taking care of items can even leave you with little to no investment.
Selling tipps for baby products
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Condition check: you should check if things are in working order and sets are complete before putting them up for sale. Small usage signs, damages etc are okay but damages and stains should be included in the item description.
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Quality check: good quality products, often associated with big brands often last a lot longer than required usage. That way you can resell the item easily.
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Have your got the pricing right? Haggling and bartering a little is allowed, but initial pricing and offers should be realistic. A successful deal has both buyer and seller happy in the end.
[1] Statistik sources: *Study carried out by the Centre for Economics and Business Research https://www.theguardian.com/lifeandstyle/2016/feb/16/cost-of-raising-children-in-uk-higher-than-ever
[2] Method of Analysis: Prices for ‘NEW’ products compare to the most popular products in various categories at popular online retailers such as Matalan, Amazon and more. For the analysis of the ‘USED’ items an average of the same items within the Shpock app was derived. Products of various prices, good quality and condition were taken into the calculation only.
