Having a baby can be a rather pricey experience if you're planning to buy the best of everything, no expense spared. Research suggests that parents shell out a whopping £50,000 in the first five years of their child's life, with £7,000 of that in the first 12 months alone!
Wiz Wharton fell pregnant back in 2005 and was living in rented accommodation with no regular income. She decided to write How to have a baby on ebay after using the site to save money on a buggy, cot and maternity dress, amongst others.
The result is a handy guide to all the essentials from pushchairs to parenting books and car seats to changing tables. Each product section explains what to look for when making your purchases as well as lists of contacts and stockists.
The second half of the book focuses on how to make the most of ebay when buying baby or pregnancy products, what to look for, and how to get your hands on those real bargains. There is also a section on re-selling know-how, so once your baby has outgrown that designer coat you can learn how to make some of your money back!
While there are many great brand new items to be had on the cheap on ebay, there are some things parents need to look out for when buying secondhand. Some items such as cots, pushchairs, mattresses, car seats and highchairs should never be bought used. If you are concerned about what is safe to buy secondhand then check out our know-how article or the Baby Products Association website for more information.