So your expecting a baby. Congratulations! This is an exciting time,but can be an overwhelming time as well. It is okay to have lots of questions. Do I bottle feed my baby or breastfeed? Do I use store brand diapers or name brand? Many questions will be asked and many questions will have to be just learned as you go.

One of those questions that I had with my first child was; Do I buy all new clothes and baby related items or shop at garage sales, resale stores ect.? Well, it is really up to you if you would rather buy all new or try finding excellent used condition items.

Personally, I found that a mixture of both was nice. Then as she grew I found myself hunting the clearance racks, resale stores, but mainly I found most of my best things at garage sales and on Ebay. At garage sales most of the sellers are in the same boat as you. Constantly hunting the next size of sleepers, shoes and pants. Here I found quickly that a dollar will stretch much farther than at most retail stores. And most of the time the seller will sell items at a much lower cost than in the store. When I discovered Ebay I quickly discovered that my dollar could stretch farther as well most times farther than at garage sales. Most sellers will place large amounts in an auction making the cost of each item very small. You will be getting more for you money all the way around.

When you baby is born ( in most cases) he or she will wear newborn to 0-3 month clothing. This a fun time. The baby clothing market is full of cute things for your baby. One tends to over spend quickly on the cute clothes which is great dont get me wrong. Most of the time I found myself trying to keep ahead of the wee ones laundry. It still amazes me how such a small person can create such messes and amounts of soiled laundry with such stains.

My suggestion for your baby's clothing needs at this stage of your baby's growth is to purchase a lot of essential items such as: 12 blankets (mixture of receiving and crib), cloth diapers or burping cloths, at least 2-3 sleepers for every day of the week,1 large package of socks ( they do get soiled), 3-4 bassinet sheets or 2-3 crib sheets, 5-6 lap pads that are made of a rubbery material ( put these under you baby's head or bottom and if he or she spits up or has a leaky diaper you will save yourself a crib sheet change). If you are having a winter baby 2-3 onsies per day to wear underneath thier clothing for added warmth. I think the most important item of all is a car seat cover. It will never fail when you are going some where a leaky diaper accident will happen. This will not only save your car seat but will act as a huge towel.  As for actual clothing for what I call going to town, I myself purchased 5-7 outfits at first.  Your baby will grow out of its clothing very fast. As your baby grows so does thier clothing, naturally, and so does the price of the clothing. Usually when your baby is about 2-3 months old you will find that everything you received at your shower or you purchased yourself no longer fits. Here is all these adorable clothes hanging in the closet that wont fit and I guessing most still have the tags attached. As you will find this is an ongoing cycle throughout your baby's life.

So, to answer the question of to buy new or slightly used is strictly up to you. Before spending your childs college fund check out your options. Watch clothing sales, clearance racks and check out your local neighborhood garage sales, Ebay (always first choice for me). Buy a season ahead, try to anticipate your child size. Most stores will clearance out thier summer items at the beginning of fall. I have noticed that here on Ebay that this tactic works very well.  

I hope this helps to answer any questions you may have.