What a great thread! Not only for our own insight, but for once I've been able to get a baby shower gift for a friend of mine that I know she'll actually be able to put to use... Diapers, onesies, long sleeved body suits, and flannel receiving blankets.

i thought a onesie was the babygro

What do u use a muslin wrap for?

Just to point out, the problem with thisis that the formula isn't sterile, that is why you have to add hot water to the powder.

If you are adding room-temperature sterile water to un-sterile powder formula your baby could end up with just as bad a stomach upset as if you'd just added tap water to the bottle.

Not such a problem with older babies who've developed a bit more of an imune system, but definately not what is recommended.

The tub says nothing at all about adding it to boiling hot water, it says to cooled boiled water.
Distilled water is actually boiled water, in which the steam has been collected and turned back in to water, removing all the minerals and additives tap water has in it.

Her pediatrician has said it's totally fine to prepare her milk this way.

Autumn has not been sick with anything ever.

To be honest, if you do reading up on sterilizing bottles etc, its actually just followed on from the days when water supply was shite.

Once they are on the floor and putting everything in their mouths, they have more chance of getting sick that way.

Thanks to everyone who posted with great advice and ideas!

I've often wondered which supplies were ok to buy second hand to save a few bucks and which ones NEED to be bought new. Whenever I search the internet, I get results from consumer advocate sites that basically say everything needs to be bought new, which I am somewhat skeptical of. So far the only things I can think of that absolutely has to be new is the carseat, because you really can't know if it's been in an accident or not and they aren't safe anymore after they've taken one accident. Other things like cribs, strollers, playpens, etc, you just need to make sure a particular model hasn't been recalled, but they don't get less safe over time, right?

Can someone offer insight into this topic while we're discussing ways to not waste your money?

as long as the crib isnt a recall its ok but most people suggest brand new matress. i bought my stroller and crib used but washed them down and they all seem ok.

Best/essential purchases:
Receiving blankets (think in the UK these are muslins?)... use them as burp cloths, use them for swaddling, use them for blankets
Blankets
Plastic bibs.. when baby starts to have foods, esp feeding themselves, the Bumkins bibs are fabulous. Like $5.49 for one when they're on sale here so very reasonably priced, waterproof, don't need to wash it, and they have a pocket to catch food baby drops
Clothes in a variety of sizes. (I didn't buy anything smaller than 0-3 months but thank goodness my friend who has a son bought me some preemie onesies with one of my gifts and some newborn clothes, my LO was swimming in newborn clothes at 6lbs 1oz- went home 5lbs 15oz)
Baby monitors... INVEST IN GOOD ONES I hate the static I get with mine, if I could go back, I would have splurged on better ones. Newborns especially can be quiet when they cry, and it's nice to be able to hear what they're up to once they get older, sometimes they just wake up and play around.. sometimes they don't go to sleep and they play around, and you don't have to sit in silence nearby w/ monitors you can go downstairs and do your washing or watch TV etc.
Bouncy chair... if you can, one with a removable toy bar, and one with a vibrating setting is nice to soothe them
Mobile
Fisher Price Ocean Wonders Aquarium soother - my baby loved this, I let her have it the first 5 months. Then she learned how to turn it on and off on her own and I had to take it away because it kept her up.
Onesies, sleepers, booties, a little sweater, hats, mitts.. don't go too nuts but have the basics!
Baby care kit- mine included a brush, comb, toothbrush, nail clippers, nasal aspirator, syringe for medicine, nail files
Thermometer- I have a Braun digital read that goes in the ear. It's fast and easy to read, it was like $75 and I hope I don't have to use it that often, but TBH I prefer it even to take my own temperature, and when you need to take baby's temp, it's a pain to do it orally, and I'd be afraid to use a rectal thermometer
FORMULA--> not available in the UK as far as I know, but in the USA & Canada it is... don't bother with the powder- the concentrate is so much easier- no measuring, it's more sterile, and it works out cheaper for us, even though a case of it is $35-$45 and a tin of the powder is $20 something.
Playpen/playard/pack n'play- most come with a "bassinet" height setting. It is killing 2 birds with one stone if you want a portable bed and a bassinet.. no, you don't get the fancy bassinet/moses basket but it's smaller than a full size crib, portable, etc. When you have it at bassinet height, you can use it as a change station as well. Some actually come with diaper/wipes spots.
Baby Motrin... I prefer this to baby Tylenol or baby Advil
Change pad/station w/ belt... I don't have one of these but I need to get one, they're only $30 anyway. When they are a little older they are a devil to keep still for a change.. tricky to not get poo/diaper cream on you or the changing surface... or me, I end up with a barebummed baby crawling away from me before a new diaper is on

Worst/unnecessary purchases:
Soothers- (Dummies) I bought a couple packs and was given tons with gifts, and my baby wouldn't take them. One pack of 2 would suffice.
Any outfits for the first couple of months- easier to just put them in sleepers etc.
Room thermometer- in the UK loads of people seem to have them? Here we don't use them and manage just fine Rule of thumb for dressing baby = one layer more than you. It's not hard to dress baby properly for sleep either IMO, and when they are young they get up often enough that you can check and stay on top of that.. when they are older they squirm out of blankets etc
Special baby detergent... unless your baby has sensitive skin, they can use what the rest of the family uses. I really like the Baby OxyClean stain spray, I buy baby because it is the same price as the regular (I have never thrown an outfit out due to stains and I have a 10 month old because of this stuff! and I am NOTORIOUS for forgetting bibs at bottle time )
Diaper Genie, diaper disposal systems... regular trash can will do, TBH if your child poos it STINKS and you'll probably want it out of the house ASAP anyway not sitting around in a pail in the nursery or bathroom etc.

I'll think of more I am sure.

Great thread!

The things ive found are a waste of money is:

Outfits! ( much easier to put LO in a babygrow when their small, they look more comfy too)

Toys ( she still only looks at the TV, and cant hold things)

Fisherprice take along swing ( My LO hates it, wish id have bought a bouncy chair with the soothing vibrations, as my LO enjoyed my friends babys one)

Bottle warmer

cot mobile ( Looks nice, but wakes my LO if i turn it on lol )

Probably loads more, and i will add more as i think of them.

90% of Autumns stuff is from consignment sales. The only things we have that are brand new (basically because others brought them for us) is her crib, changing table, and pack and play.

We brought her travel system brand new simply because car seats are like crash helmets, you shouldn't reuse them if you don't know the history (as you say .. if it's been in a crash)

Her high chair, bassinet, most of her toys, jumparoo, walker, a whole bunch of her clothes are 2nd hand. Nothing wrong with them that a wipe down in bleach won't fix. It saved us 100's.

Great thread ladies thank you all - very useful. Mx