Children are an industry - you can easily lavish thousands on your baby in the first few weeks of their lives, and indeed in the run up to their arrival, but babies needn't cost the earth; there are ways in which you can economise, and you aren't a bad parent for doing so!

When it comes to buying certain items, particularly ones where safety is involved, you should buy new for each baby.   For example, you should buy a brand new car seat for your baby because you don't know the history of a second hand one - has it been involved in an accident and could it be structurally weakened?  When it comes to buying baby bottles, you can continue using ones from earlier children, just buy a new set of teats and you'll save yourself considerably on the cost of extra bottles.

When furnishing your nursery or buying other baby paraphernalia such as stair gates, pushchairs or toys, you can happily buy second hand or choose cheaper models.  Pretty much every item sold in our shops has to pass safety standards in order to go on sale, so a cheap cot, pram or stair gate should theoretically be just as safe and sound as the most expensive ones.  Indeed, the price of goods may not even reflect the quality of the furniture so much as the retail markup and fashion.

Shop online and use price comparison websites and you will save a king's ransom!  The same furniture can vary in price enormously, although make sure you factor in the cost of taxes and delivery which can make cheap items suddenly appear rather expensive.

You can also buy second hand clothes, either at 'nearly new' sales organised locally or online at sites such as eBay.  Clothes tend to be sold in bundles on eBay and you may find that you can fit out your baby for the first couple of years for very little money at all!

Your children are going to cost you a fortune over the coming years, and there's no shame in economising, especially while they are too young to have an opinion on pre-owned goods.  Perhaps a frugal upringing will set them up with a valuable life skill!

During their first years, the costs associated with having a new baby in the house are visible, but there are wider and longer term financial commitments that should be considered.

When babies are new, it seems they need lots of equipment and expensive stuff around the house.  The cot, the car seat, the chair, clothes, nappies, shoes.  Something you may get as gifts, other things you may have to save for.  One building Society estimated that the average family spends £132 a week on children.  Over an 18 year period, that is a staggering £123,500!  It's practically a house!

One survey said that the value of a Mum was... wait for it... £32,800 a year!  If only someone would pay that for our services!

But, there are ways of reducing the cost of a baby - it just takes a bit of planning and careful thinking.

1. Borrow or swap toys so you only have to buy one lot and your friend buys something else to share every few weeks.
2. Find out what is worth getting - speak to parents and discover which toys their kids like best.
3. Check out nearly new sales and boot sales for second hand toys.  You may be surprised at some of the bargains on offer.
4. Look at own brand vests, baby grows, nappies and wipes etc.
5. Breastfeed rather than buy formula - no waste and its fabulously free!
6. Get family and friends to buy practical presents.
7. Draw up a list of what you need and try not veer from that list.
8. Make sure you get all the benefits, maternity pay and awards that you are entitled to.  Remember to register for child benefit, tax credits and  working tax credits.  A little research could make a real difference to what you are paid.
9. Claim your Child Trust Fund money and invest carefully.