There is no doubt that there are few things in life more exciting than starting a family. Having a baby is one of those things that fill your life with more joy than you ever imagined. Of course, it can also be a pretty high-stress situation and a lot of that comes down to one thing: money. At this point, it's a well-known fact that the cost of raising a child is pretty significant. A lot of the time that costs starts before the baby is even born! Trying to figure out what to buy and what not to buy before your baby is born isn't always easy, but here are just a few simple tips to make it just that little bit less stressful and expensive.

Focus on the essentials

The truth is that there are plenty of things that you may end up buying for your baby that really aren't important. Sure there are lots of cute things that might be nice to have but it's much more important to concentrate on the essentials, at least at first. Not only that but those essentials should be of high quality. Paces like foryourlittleone.com let you find pretty much everything you could need. That way, you can at least be sure you've got the basics covered before you start to worry about anything else. 

Buy secondhand

Some things that you need for your new baby are going to small and simple but that's not always the case. Some things are not only essential but large and expensive. If you're struggling to afford those kinds of things like cribs then why not consider getting them used? You may be able to buy them online or even inherit them for free from friends or family. After all, a lot of parents have plenty of stuff they just don't need anymore and there's no sense buying it if you can get it without paying.

Don't get carried away

Having a baby is incredibly exciting and that's wonderful. Just don't let that excitement get the better of you. It's tempting to buy up every little trinket or piece of clothing you see but not only can this end up emptying your bank account, but a lot of things you buy may end up getting used once or not at all. Babies grow and develop fast so it's often much better to just buy things as you need them than trying to get everything in advance.

One of the best ways to be sure that you're only ever spending as much as you need to on your new baby is to be aware of the difference between wanting something and needing something. The truth is that babies are pretty simple and a lot of the stuff that many of us end up buying really isn't going to be all that useful. By focusing on what actually matters, you're going to be able to save yourself a whole lot of money, not to mention space at home.