DIAPERS: Schlecker's own brand "Babysmile" are by far the best and cheapest diapers I've tried. And trust me, I've tried a lot, from the expensive supposedly good brands like Dodot to other cheap brands like Carrefour's own diapers. Nothing beats "Babysmile"!
WIPES: Again I'll have to recommend Schlecker's "Babysmile", same reason as the diapers above.
FORMULA: The hospital recommended Nestle's "Nidina". Since this is what the girls have been eating since day 3, this is what we continued with. At first we bought it at the pharmacy, but it's much cheaper in supermarkets. Here are some tips to make formula-life easier.
CLOTHES: Almost all the clothes the girls own is bought at Carrefour. It's cheap, it's cute and it lasts for the few months the girls can actually fit it. They also have a lot from H&M, but almost all babies wear H&M clothes. Then there's Zara baby and Benetton baby, but we only go there during the sales. TIP: If you're not a total fashion freak, stock up for the following year during the sales!
Don't be afraid to accept second hand clothes, we've saved loads of money that way. And if you're talented or have people in your family who are, the best clothes is always the clothes you make yourself!
FURNITURE: Buying everything double is fun but expensive. IKEA has baby furniture, but we didn't like anything we saw there for newborn babies. In the end we bought their beds at Babies R Us, a section of Toys R Us. Though they share a bed we bought 2 beds straight away to make sure we could get 2 alike. One bed is in our bedroom, this is where they sleep at night. The other bed is in their bedroom, this is where they nap during the day, so they feel comfortable in their own room. One day they'll have to sleep there at night, too.
The changing table we made ourselves. We had a tall table which we didn't really need for anything, we bought a changing mat at Babies R Us to put on the table, and some plastic containers for lotion, diapers, wipes etc to put next to the mat on the table. I sometimes miss having drawers and being able to organize things better, but when I think of the money we saved I can live without. I have a friend who changed an old chest of drawers into a changing table by painting it different colors and putting a changing mat on top.
If you have money and are willing to spend a bit more, Rabassa Barcelona can be highly recommended. They sell the top brands and the service is the shop is top, too.
Prenatal also have nice furniture, and with a customer VIP card you get discounts and other deals.
So basically, my advice is:
- Babies R Us: Nice furniture, good quality, decent prices, special deals with their VIP card
- IKEA: Decent furniture, great prices, special deals with their IKEA Family card
- Rabassa: Very nice furniture, very good quality, very good service, prices to match
- Prenatal: We haven't bought furniture there, so I don't know what the quality is like, special deals with their VIP card
- USE WHAT YOU HAVE AT HOME: Saves a lot of money and makes it all more personal.
The stroller we bought at Ali Bei (On C/Ali Bei with Psg. de St. Joan). They have some nice things as well, decent prices but the service leaves a lot to be desired...
Blankets, pillows, some sheets, diaper garbage can, hamper etc we bought at IKEA.
The curtain we had made, we bought the material that we wanted and brought it to a place where they fix clothes and sew things - it cost us €12 (+ the material, of course).
The bathtub they use now that they are bigger, bed-protectors, some sheets, some towels with hood, etc is from Babies R Us.
But my best tip is amazon.co.uk!! We bought my breastpump there for 20% less than what exactly the same one costs at Rabassa & Babies R Us, we bought a "Monkey Island" playmat for €57.64 incl. shipping which at Corte Inglés costs €69.90 (see ad at bottom of page). We've bought many more things there, and always check there before buying most things.
- Amazon: Same brands and quality that you find in shops but at much better deals
- IKEA: For accessories highly recommended, great prices, fine quality, special deals with their IKEA Family card
- Rabassa: They have everything you need, very good quality, very good service, prices to match
- Babies R Us: Nice things, good quality, decent prices, special deals with their VIP card
- Ali Bei: Nice things, decent prices, crap service!
