Buy-Nothing Parents Are Reclaiming the Secondhand Stigma ...Middle East

Life is generally expensive, but the cost of being a parent is on another level. According to BabyCenter, the first-year cost of raising a baby is roughly $15,755, though expenses fluctuate depending on the state, and kids tend to get more expensive as they grow up. As for specific, higher-end items, which increase baseline cost, the fan-favorite Uppababy Vista V3 stroller is nearly $1,200 (not including tax), a chic Babyletto crib ranges between $500 and $800, and the beloved BabyBjörn bouncer is at least $210, though if you want it in a fun pattern or color, you better be ready to pay more.

Those costs already warrant serious sticker shock, but unfortunately, prices only continue to skyrocket thanks to lingering supply-chain issues, increased demand, labor shortages, inflation, and now, the tariffs. So how do parents keep up with the hefty price tags? It's not easy in a world crowded by overconsumption, but recently, secondhand baby and kid gear is getting a bit of a rebrand.

First, Babylist announced a new secondhand fund feature allowing friends and family to donate to a fund that can be used at secondhand retailers of the parent's choosing. There's also way more pride in thrift shopping, with online parent content creators like Natalie Joy and Kerry Daehn proudly sharing the finds they've thrifted for their kids and family.

On top of that, we're officially in the booming era of buy-nothing groups on Facebook: location-based online forums where members can give and receive items for free or at a seriously discounted price. In these groups, loyal members scour the feed to snag their neighbors' unwanted, secondhand items. In a sense, Buy Nothing groups fight off any secondhand stigma by echoing the proverb that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

"I'm eight months pregnant with my first child, and I have outfitted my entire nursery exclusively secondhand through buy-nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace," expecting mom Andra tells PS. "Baby items are so fleeting, since they outgrow onesies and bassinets and car seats so quickly, so I'd much rather tap into a secondhand marketplace to reduce waste and save money."

You also never really know what your baby is going to actually like or use, so splurging on costly furniture and newborn equipment doesn't always pay off. "I got a brand new Babyletto crib for $250 because the person I bought it from ended up only cosleeping with their child, so the crib was literally never slept in," Andra says. She also scored a barely used Uppababy stroller and bassinet attachment for $400 total, which again, usually retails for at least triple that price.

Chris, a dad of two, found his daughter's bike for free in a buy-nothing group. (The bike would have typically retailed between $150 and $300 if he bought it directly off the shelf.) In his eyes, the bike was new to his daughter, so it didn't matter if there was a little wear and tear from the previous owner.

In addition to those big-ticket items, many parents also prioritize secondhand resources for kids' clothes, toys, books, and gifts. This especially rings true for Chris, who does his best to purchase as few new things as possible. "If I had to guess, my family has probably saved at least $10,000 from shopping secondhand," he says. "My wife and I are very active in our local buy-nothing group and regularly go to community sale events where we've scored Christmas and birthday gifts, boxes of books, stuffed animals, indoor play mats, and tons of clothes for free or just a few bucks."

After all, kids tend to outgrow clothes faster than you can wash them. In fact, another mom, Laura, has found that most of the clothes she's thrifted for her two sons are in perfect condition. Some even still have the tags on them. "I've gotten entire bags of practically new kid's clothes for free through my local buy-nothing group and they're usually given away by size, which is really convenient," she tells PS. "I've focused on secondhand shopping since 2016, but it's especially great now that my boys love to rip holes all down the knees of their pants and I know a new, more expensive pair would get stained or ripped immediately."

But aside from the financial benefit, secondhand items are also much more sustainable. For Lauren, cutting back on waste is the driving factor for her secondhand endeavors and love of hand-me-downs. "There is so much excess stuff out there, so I started prioritizing secondhand and vintage items even before I had kids," she says. "Fashion and trend culture can be so wasteful, and at the end of the day, it's not always necessary to buy something new when you can usually source it gently used."

Andra agrees, "We're taught that we constantly need more in order to keep up with the latest trends, but that leads to a lot of unnecessary stuff and excess clutter," she says. For apparel alone, there's currently enough clothing on the planet for the next six generations, according to CALPIRG. The production of those clothes also emits roughly 2.1 billion tons of greenhouse gas into the environment, ultimately expediting climate change and fueling global warming.

Those stats are undoubtedly alarming, but leaning into the secondhand way of life can help offset the environmental toll of consumerism. Not only does it reduce the demand for new production, but it decreases the number of perfectly good items that would otherwise end up in the landfill.

That said, while the buy-nothing movement is gaining traction for good reason, it's important to note that shopping secondhand takes time and patience. "There's no instant gratification when it comes to secondhand shopping," Andra says. "It's not Amazon Prime, so the things you may want or need aren't guaranteed to show up on your doorstep the next day." In preparation for her baby, Andra began curating the nursery months in advance to accommodate the lengthy process of finding specific pieces on the secondhand market.

For many parents, there's a thrill in scoring a big-ticket item for free or at a deeply discounted rate, but Lauren also acknowledges there's an element of "thrift privilege" that comes with it. It's not lost on her that having the time, resources, and ability to choose the secondhand way of life is a luxury, but her goal is to pass along those same items she found secondhand in equally good condition for another family to use and enjoy.

At the end of the day, purchasing new items for your family is in no way frowned upon. The intention of buy-nothing parents is to simply reduce waste, protect the environment, and give their wallets a slight break from the pricey reality of raising children in today's world. "I didn't grow up in a family that utilized thrift stores and the secondhand market, but now, I can't imagine a life without it," Chris says. "There's a lot of gold to be found out there."

Read More Details
Finally We wish PressBee provided you with enough information of ( Buy-Nothing Parents Are Reclaiming the Secondhand Stigma )

Also on site :

• Numbrix 9 - June 27
• Who Was Eliminated on 'RuPaul's Drag Race All Stars' Season 10 Episode 9 This Week?
• Ventura City Council passes “Care Policy” in a 6 to 1 vote