Bringing up baby cheaply

With expensive baby gadgets, the latest fashions and trends, and the pressure parents feel to have the best for their wee ones, a new book tells us we don't need the top-shelf stuff.
About a month before our first baby was born I started obsessing about nappy bags.
I searched high and low for the perfect mix of practicality and chic (I'm just not a Pooh Bear kind of girl).
Until I found the bag of my dreams - a stylish $220 tote with a plethora of compartments, insulated bottleholders and a matching change mat.
Unfortunately my wallet did not agree with my choice.
So I had to settle for a $20 canvas holdall.
And it worked just fine.
The nappy bag was just one of the things that I had to "do without".
The American-sized wooden cot with themed linen was another.
When it became apparent the budget just wasn't going to stretch that far we happily accepted a much narrower hand-me-down that looked like it was from the 1970s.
And having since been gnawed on by both of our teething tots, I am glad we did.
A baby hammock, nappy bin that individually seals used nappies and baby gym that plays womb music also went by the wayside. As it turns out we didn't need any of those things but as an expectant mum I thought that I did.
While there are plenty of people out there telling you what you need when you have a baby, there are not so many telling you what you don't need.
Which is a niche three Wellington men have tried to fill.
Yes, men.
Scott Lancaster, Stefan Korn and Eric Mooij, of DIY Father, launched an e-book this month, Baby on a Budget, for parents who want to "enjoy their new life with a baby without breaking the bank".
And when you think about it, a male perspective makes perfect sense.
Less likely to have their decisions influenced by hormones and fashion trends, they have valuable, practical advice to offer.
Mind you, they are cautious about making that claim themselves.
"To be fair, a lot of tips in the book are not from guys - they are also from mums," says Korn, who has a 3-year-old son, Noah.
But he does accept there are some fundamental differences.
"The number one worry before the birth for mums is how to get the baby out of the body.
"The number one worry for guys is finance."
With a foreword by BNZ Chief Economist Tony Alexander, Baby on a Budget covers savings in a wide range of areas from food, consumables, toys, clothes and childcare to big-ticket items like going on holidays or buying gifts for special occasions.
With not a man-bag in sight.
Today, the Bay of Plenty Times shares some of their top tips which, being on the other side of babyhood, I can personally vouch for.
DIYFather.com is an online interactive forum for dads that offers practical information about parenting from a male perspective.
Get your copy of the Bay of Plenty Times today for top tips on how to raise a baby on a budget.