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British mums overspend on baby to impress each other
Filed under: Baby Essentials, Decor
Like the US, Great Britain is in the midst of a credit crunch. But that's not stopping new moms from overspending on baby gear.
According to a poll conducted by The Baby Website, Britain's "Yummy Mummies" are overspending their baby budgets by more than $400.00 each year in a bid to keep up with other moms. Where's the money going? Designer clothes for baby, mostly.
Kathryn Crawford, managing director of The Baby Website, explains the overspending this way: new moms get together for coffee and playdates, which are a "breeding ground for competitiveness." So the Yummy Mummies try to out do each other -- but instead of dressing themselves up, they dress up their babies. "The thing is that mums want to be seen to be doing the very best for their child, and providing the very best, and if this means spending more money than they had intended, so be it."
The survey also found that these moms knock themselves out for playdates at home, cleaning house and cooking and spending hours putting on their makeup. And -- most interestingly -- it also found that moms are more likely to take the advice of other moms before shopping, rather than relying on advertisements or product guides. So when all the other mommies are buying the really expensive baby shoes, it's easy to see where the slippery slope starts, isn't it?
Do you ever overspend on your kids? Or do you stick with a budget, no matter what the other tots are wearing?
According to a poll conducted by The Baby Website, Britain's "Yummy Mummies" are overspending their baby budgets by more than $400.00 each year in a bid to keep up with other moms. Where's the money going? Designer clothes for baby, mostly.
Kathryn Crawford, managing director of The Baby Website, explains the overspending this way: new moms get together for coffee and playdates, which are a "breeding ground for competitiveness." So the Yummy Mummies try to out do each other -- but instead of dressing themselves up, they dress up their babies. "The thing is that mums want to be seen to be doing the very best for their child, and providing the very best, and if this means spending more money than they had intended, so be it."
The survey also found that these moms knock themselves out for playdates at home, cleaning house and cooking and spending hours putting on their makeup. And -- most interestingly -- it also found that moms are more likely to take the advice of other moms before shopping, rather than relying on advertisements or product guides. So when all the other mommies are buying the really expensive baby shoes, it's easy to see where the slippery slope starts, isn't it?
Do you ever overspend on your kids? Or do you stick with a budget, no matter what the other tots are wearing?
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ReaderComments (Page 1 of 1)
9-26-2008 @ 11:30AM
Jamie said...My Husband and I have the money to overspend, but have not done this yet. I buy used clothing and toys and shop at the end of a season for the following year. My Husband calls me "thrifty". I just try not to go crazy on items the boys will love used or new. When they get older (12 years +), I will need all of the money I had saved to keep up with the current trends. Gaming systems, computers, etc. I will save the money now while they don't care what they wear. I have some great new shirts I bought on clearance and my boy still wants to wear a worn looking Cardinals shirt that I bought for a dime at a garage sale. They just don't require much at age 4 and therefore, why start?
The other advantage of buying at a low cost is that I don't stress as much about things getting broken or stained. I would cry if I bought a $60 pair of kids shoes and he tore them on the first day or wore a great $20 shirt and then stained it after wearing a couple of times. I would much rather take my kids to the park and let them run free.
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9-26-2008 @ 1:07PM
CLM said...With twins, it's hard not to overspend because many things must be bought in duplicate. That being said, most of their clothes and toys are hand-me-downs or from resale shops. The only things we've really spent big bucks on are car seats and our umbrella stroller. Oh, and shoes - I have a Robeez habit. But I can splurge on the shoes mainly because we don't spend money on the clothing and toys.
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9-26-2008 @ 1:17PM
brukdiana said...The only expensive stuff I buy for my daugher are shoes. I always make sure they are top quality leather but I try to find them at clearance prices and don't spend more then $20 on shoes and $40 on boots. All the other clothes I buy her are any brand as long as it's cotton. I don't buy in second hand store because I want to know who wore the clothes before my daughter. But I have a friend whose daughter is a few years older and she gives me her clothes which I am fine with.
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9-26-2008 @ 3:46PM
pamela said...that is absolutly rediculous to spend money like that on shoes and clothing for your baby like that! those who do that are trying to make themselfs look good and that to me is selfish. try showing more love to your child by giving them lots of love and affection and stop trying to be the center of attention by how much money your wasting on expensive shoes and clothes for your child!!! they will just grow out of them in a month!! theres nothing wrong with walmart clothes until your child is able to tell you what s/he likes to wear.
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9-26-2008 @ 4:04PM
rachel said...I'm sorry- this comment is totally off topic, but Susan can you please tell us what those shoes are??? I have been searching for something like those- my little one's feet have grown much too fast!
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9-27-2008 @ 12:43AM
JM said...I don't hang out with "those" moms. In fact, I deliberately avoid them. My peers are moms who do like me, find practical yet cute clothes at great prices, sometimes resale, sometimes not. I spend money strategically (ie on sale) on carseats, strollers and other things we'll use for ages or I can't find a cheap alternative to.
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