Naiomi’s thrifty nursery

Bloomin’ heck, the readers of this blog are a talented bunch. Check out the nursery in Naiomi’s house!

A Miss Thrifty reader, Naiomi kindly got in touch with these photos of her thrifty handiwork. Everything here has been thrifted or purchased from eBay. The result: a perfect nursery, all ready for a very lucky baby girl.

She writes:

I was a single mum at 16 for 14 years, so I am used to bargain hunting. I have worked so hard to get the nursery looking like I’ve spent lots… If new, everything I have bought would have cost a crazy £4,192. I’ve done it for under £900 – the price which some pay for a pushchair!

I’ve spent under £900 but that includes an iCandy complete travel system (carrycot, stroller 0-3 yrs , Maxi Cosi car seat, two rain covers, parasol & Cosy Toes), for which the RRP is £800, not including the parasol & Cosy Toes. I paid £300. An Advent electric breast pump, RRp £89-£99. I paid £22. An Angelcare sensor monitor, RRP £99. I paid £45.

I bought a Hugs & Kisses complete nursery range: bedding with two bumpers, three sheets, curtains, changing mat, changing mat liner, carpet mat, lightshade, bath, bath box, cot mobile, two fleece blankets, moses basket with stand, and bouncer. These Hugs & Kisses bits on the Babies R Us website had a whopping RRP of over £400. I paid  £110.

The cotbed is from Kidsmill, RRP £700. I paid £50.

As for the vintage dark oak wardrobe & chest of drawers / changing unit: I am not sure of the RRPs but when looking at new ones, they were well over £500. I paid £80 for both.

The carpet was brand new with underlay & fitting, £160. Paint cost £22 for two pots from B&Q.

Three small pictures were 50 pence at a car boot.

And I have spent around £120 on clothes, which are complete from 0-3 months all the way to twelve months. And they are all Ralph Lauren, Baby Dior, Mamas & Papas, Baby K, Sarah Louise, Next and Monsoon. I have enough to dress her for a year!  These outfits range from well over £25 to over £120 each. On eBay, I’ve waited up until 2 am or 3 am and paid a few pounds only! If had to buy over 45 complete outfits new, it would have been well over £1,200. Now that is crazy! 

I did insist that my partner buy me a brand new changing bag, since I had worked my brain off for months getting everything second hand. I loved the Baby K leopard one, which looks more like a stylish bag.  The RRP was £60 but I got it in a sale weekend for £45. 

Naiomi, you are amazing! Thanks so much for sending these pictures – and I love how even your special treat ends up being a bargain.

I’ll have to post soon about Thrifty Baby’s nursery, once I’ve finished painting a couple of bits. But the bar has clearly been set high.