How Buy-Nothing Parents Are Embracing Secondhand Shopping

Life is generally expensive (yes, we feel the impact of tariffs), But cost of being a parent is on another level. According to BabyCenterThe cost of raising a child in the first year is approximately $20,384, although costs vary by state and children tend to become more expensive as they get older. As for specific, more expensive items that increase the base cost, fan favorites Stroller Uppababy Vista V3 costs almost $1200 (not including taxes), gorgeous Cot ranges from $500 to $800, and favorite BabyBjörn sun lounger costs at least $210, although if you want it in a fun pattern or color, you better be prepared to pay more.

These costs are already a major shock, but unfortunately prices continue to rise only due to ongoing supply chain issues, increased demand, labor shortages, inflation, and now… tariffs. So how can parents cope with high prices? It's not easy in a world filled with overconsumption, but used baby gear has been undergoing a rebranding of sorts lately.

First, Babylist has announced a new second hand function allowing friends and family to donate to a fund that can be used at thrift stores of the parents' choice. There's also a lot more pride in thrifty shopping, thanks to online parenting content creators like Natalie Joy And Kerry Dahan proudly share the finds they bring back for their children and families.

On top of that, we're officially in the age of the explosion of “buy nothing” groups on Facebook: location-based online forums where members can give and receive items for free or at a heavily discounted price. In these groups, loyal members scour the feed for their neighbors' unwanted used items. In a sense, “buy nothing” groups combat any stigma of second-hand goods by repeating the adage that one man's trash is another man's treasure.

“I'm eight months pregnant with my first child, and I've outfitted my entire nursery with exclusively second-hand equipment through buy-nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace,” mom-to-be Andra tells PS. “Baby things are so fleeting, because they outgrow onesies, bassinets and car seats so quickly that I would rather take advantage of the second-hand market to reduce waste and save money.”

“I furnished my entire nursery with exclusively used equipment through buy-nothing groups and Facebook Marketplace.”

You too never Really Know what your baby will actually like or use, so spending money on expensive newborn furniture and equipment doesn't always pay off. “I bought a brand new Babyletto crib for $250 because the person I bought it from ended up only sleeping with his baby, so the crib was literally never slept in,” Andra says. She also purchased a barely used Uppababy stroller and bassinet for a total of $400, which, again, typically sell for at least three times that amount.

Chris, a father of two, found his daughter's bike for free in a no-buy group. (The bike would normally have cost between $150 and $300 if he had bought it off the shelf.) In his mind, the bike was new to his daughter, so it didn't matter if it had a little wear and tear from the previous owner.

In addition to these big-ticket items, many parents also turn to second-hand children's clothing, toys, books and gifts. This is especially true for Chris, who tries his best to buy as few new things as possible. “If I had to guess, my family probably saved at least $10,000 on second-hand purchases,” he says. “My wife and I are very active in our local buy-nothing group and regularly go to community sales where we get Christmas and birthday gifts, boxes of books, stuffed animals, indoor play mats and tons of clothes for free or for just a few dollars.”

After all, kids tend to outgrow their clothes faster than you can wash them. In fact, another mom, Laura, discovered that most of the clothes she saved for her two sons were in perfect condition. Some even still have tags on them. “I get whole bags of practically new children's clothes for free through a local buy-nothing group, and they usually come in sizes, which is super convenient,” she tells PS. “I've been second-hand shopping since 2016, but it's especially great now that my boys love to have holes in their pants at the knees and I know a new, more expensive pair will immediately get dirty or rip.”

But beyond the financial benefits, used items are also much more environmentally friendly. For Lauren, reducing waste is the driving factor behind her second-hand endeavors and love of second-hand items. “There's so much extra stuff out there that I started favoring second-hand and vintage items before I had kids,” she says. “Fashion and trend culture can be so wasteful, and at the end of the day, it’s not always necessary to buy something new, although you can usually get it gently used.”

Andra agrees: “We're taught that we constantly need more to keep up with the latest trends, but this leads to a lot of unnecessary things and unnecessary clutter,” she says. According to experts, there is currently enough clothing on the planet alone to last the next six generations. KALPIRG. The production of these clothes also throws away approximately 2.1 billion tons greenhouse gases into the environment, which ultimately accelerates climate change and contributes to global warming.

These statistics are undoubtedly alarming, but shifting to a second-hand lifestyle can help offset the environmental damage of consumerism. This not only reduces the demand for new products, but also reduces the number of perfectly good items that would otherwise end up in landfill.

However, while the “buy nothing” movement is gaining momentum for good reason, it's important to note that buying used items takes time and patience. “When it comes to second-hand shopping, there is no such thing as instant gratification,” says Andra. “It's not Amazon Prime, so what you might want or need won't necessarily show up on your doorstep the next day.” In preparation for the birth of her baby, Andra began taking care of the nursery months in advance to ensure a lengthy process of sourcing specific items on the secondary market.

Many parents get the thrill of getting an expensive item for free or at a very low price, but Lauren also admits there is an element of “the perk of thrifting” involved. It is not lost on her that it is a luxury to have the time, resources and the ability to choose a second-hand lifestyle, but her goal is to pass on the same items she found second-hand in just as good condition so that another family can use and enjoy them.

At the end of the day, buying new things for your family is not frowned upon in any way. The intention of parents who buy nothing is simply to reduce waste, protect the environment and give their wallets a little respite from the expensive reality of raising children in the modern world. “I didn’t grow up in a family that enjoyed thrift stores and the second-hand market, but now I can’t imagine my life without it,” says Chris. “There's a lot of gold to be found there.”

Andy Breitovich is a freelance writer based in Chicago and a graduate of Emory University and Northwestern University's Medill School of Journalism. Her work has appeared in PS magazine, Women's Health, Cosmopolitan and other publications.