Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

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CRC301
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Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by CRC301 »

Second installment of my "Having Child" series of questions. This our first child and we appreciate any guidance and help that is given!

Wife's car is 10 years old and small (Lexus IS250). It's a great car and still runs fine but we're feeling it will be too small or cumbersome to carry baby + all baby gear when needed. That said, I just bought a new Toyota Camry last year which I feel is large enough for baby + baby gear. Another wrinkle: our family lives out of state and we will probably drive 1-2x a year with baby + baby gear + our gear so in that case Camry may not be big enough.

We could leave our car situation as-is and just plan on using my car as the main baby transport vehicle when we need all the gear. In that case has anyone ever just rented a large car/van for long trips if their daily drivers were too small? That seems like it may be a good option if we really thought a Camry size car was enough to transport baby + baby gear throughout the year.

If we replaced my wife's car it would be with a medium to large size SUV. We generally like to keep our cars for 10 years and then buy new (or slightly used) ones but this year also happens to be the year we are having child. So we will be replacing my Wife's car either now or in 2019 anyways.

Any thoughts on a game-plan? Wait and see how things go? Go ahead and purchase the vehicle now in preparation for the baby?

Thanks!
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Pajamas
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Pajamas »

If you have a new Toyota Camry that you feel is large enough, then what exactly is the problem?

What kind of gear does your baby need that requires a van or SUV to haul?

Honestly, sounds to me like you are creating a problem where none exists and/or are looking for an excuse to buy a new vehicle now. If you are planning to buy one in a couple of years but want to do it now instead and can afford it, do it.
sport
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by sport »

The Camry should be large enough to handle your travel needs. You will not need that much more equipment compared to daily use.
dbltrbl
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by dbltrbl »

no need for a new car. Switch cars if needed. Long distance and you do not travel light, just rent a car for that time. As long as old car running fine sit tight.
livesoft
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by livesoft »

What "baby gear" are you writing about? I've had two babies and they didn't have any stuff when we visited places long distance.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by tainted-meat »

The more space you have the more useless crap you will buy whether it is a house or a vehicle.

Keep it simple.
stoptothink
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by stoptothink »

Pajamas wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:51 am If you have a new Toyota Camry that you feel is large enough, then what exactly is the problem?

What kind of gear does your baby need that requires a van or SUV to haul?

Honestly, sounds to me like you are creating a problem where none exists and/or are looking for an excuse to buy a new vehicle now. If you are planning to buy one in a couple of years but want to do it now instead and can afford it, do it.
Didn't you know, once you have a kid a full-size SUV or minivan is a requirement. I am typing this while simultaneously rolling my eyes and packing the car for a 7-day trip to California with our two kids. We might have to actually put something in the trunk of our VW jetta this time.
mega317
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by mega317 »

Yeah there is no such thing as "baby gear". I'm interested to hear your list. Diapers, wipes, clothes, a few rattles or something? Nursing pillow? Pumping supplies? Even a pack-and-play and stroller will easily get into almost any trunk/back seat.

Do you have a 90 pound dog like me? They of course need somewhere to sit and the back seat with a baby isn't the greatest idea.

If I were you I'd wait at least until baby #2. If you are feeling this way now, you will definitely want a minivan then. They way you have presented it, 10 years seems completely arbitrary.

Edit to add I have this awesome stroller that folds up small enough to fit in an airplane overhead compartment. Mountain buggy nano I think it was about $200. Certainly cheaper than even renting a car.
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warner25
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by warner25 »

CRC301 wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:35 am...our family lives out of state and we will probably drive 1-2x a year with baby + baby gear + our gear so in that case Camry may not be big enough...
You're worrying too much, or at least worrying about the wrong things. The Camry will be fine for this. The Lexus looks like it would be fine too. Our only family car for out-of-state road trips, with two toddlers in rear-facing seats, was a Prius for a while. We eventually added a minivan for a variety of reasons, including that we are expecting a third child, but it still seems massively wasteful for two kids, never-mind just one.

My best advice: Worry instead about how you'll restructure and optimize your routines so that you can continue sleeping, eating, and exercising adequately after the baby arrives.
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CRC301
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by CRC301 »

Sounds like we'll be keeping car situation as-is for now and see how things go. This is our first child so I was just guessing that baby gear would be at least diaper bag and stroller and for longer trips maybe a pack-n-play. The IS250 trunk is decent sized but the opening is small; a stroller may fit in there but I'm thinking it would be difficult to try and fit other bulky things in it. We've traveled long distances in it before and it was hard to fit a large and medium sized suitcase into it; there is enough space to fit but it's a bit of pain to get them in there with the small opening...not impossible though. Also, we travel with our small dogs on the long trips and they take up space in the backseats that would otherwise be used for luggage or baby stuff. All that said, I do feel like the Camry would be just fine so we can just always use that one for longer trips (or rent a larger vehicle if necessary).

Every 10-years new car is arbitrary. :) A friend of mine at work does that and I liked the idea so we adopted it. 10-years ends up being plenty of time to save up money to buy a new one outright or if the interest rate is good finance it and invest in the rest.

Thanks!
Katietsu
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Katietsu »

Also, if you are traveling to visit close family to stay for a week, you do not need to take everything with you. In other words, get on Amazon, Target.com, or whatever you prefer and have a the requisite supply of diapers, wipes, baby food, etc delivered to your destination in advance. Also, decide if you will be visiting enough with this baby or future babies that it is worth getting an extra pack and play that you just leave at the relatives. Of course, this also assumes that the relatives can easily store the equipment and aren’t living in a 600 sq ft apartment.
gmc4h232
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by gmc4h232 »

Why buy a new car when the kid will just trash it? Let them trash the old car.
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Watty
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Watty »

Katietsu wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:01 pm Also, if you are traveling to visit close family to stay for a week, you do not need to take everything with you. In other words, get on Amazon, Target.com, or whatever you prefer and have a the requisite supply of diapers, wipes, baby food, etc delivered to your destination in advance. Also, decide if you will be visiting enough with this baby or future babies that it is worth getting an extra pack and play that you just leave at the relatives. Of course, this also assumes that the relatives can easily store the equipment and aren’t living in a 600 sq ft apartment.
+1

The parents may also be able to borrow some things from friends.

Even if it is not the massive stroller you would normally use the small fold up cane strollers may be usable for kids once they are not a newborn.
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dm200
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by dm200 »

sport wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 11:57 am The Camry should be large enough to handle your travel needs. You will not need that much more equipment compared to daily use.
I think that would work.

Look into mini-vans. Less expensive than SUVs - We owned one of the original Chrysler minivans (1985 model in late 1984) - and it was wonderful with then small child - and several long auto trips a year.
Hillview
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Hillview »

I think you will be fine for now. At some point wife's car will need to go and you can reassess. I'd keep non essential costs low until baby arrives and you know what you are dealing with for other unexpected expenses.
Afty
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Afty »

I think y'all are being too hard on the OP. A large stroller plus a pack-n-play will totally fill a small car's trunk. Also, a rear-facing car seat requires a lot of front-to-back space; it's going to be difficult to fit one in an IS250 without pushing one of the front seats all the way forward.

A Camry on the other hand should be fine.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by 3feetpete »

I found a small suv or station wagon very convenient when our daughter was potty trained at around 3. At that age when they tell you they have to go you have about a minute to react. With a spare potty in the back of the suv you just pull over where it's safe. Pop them over the back seat and your done. Especially convenient in bad weather.
abonder
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by abonder »

I think you’ve gotten good advice to wait on changes. The Camry is an excellent family car. Large back seat, large trunk, reliable. Back seat of a sedan of that size is likely bigger than the second row of most SUVs. I think the rush to SUV is unnecessary and expensive. The best thing I can recommend is to wait and see how things are going. And I agree with those who say that kids will put a hurt on a new vehicle. So there’s no rush to get some shiny new wheels.

Also, I think the IS 250 has many years of life left. It’s plenty big for two parents and one baby. Drive it till it dies or no longer serves your needs. Don’t fall into the mindset that you need the biggest/latest/largest for the baby. We have three adults and two toddlers in a 1400 sq foot apartment. It doesn’t really feel small but we have less in the way of toys, stuff than most families. Not having a huge space makes us cautious in our acquisitions.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by il0kin »

No need to rush it. The Camry should work just fine with one car seat. You can get small, collapsible umbrella strollers for about $20 that will work fine for a weekend out of town. We have a CR-V with one toddler, but also haul a 75 lb black lab out of town with us. We have another baby on the way and will not be upgrading or changing a thing! When the time does come, CR-V's are great and fairly miserly on gas for an SUV. But no need to rush, remember you will probably be paying quite a bit for daycare and adding in a car payment might stress the monthly budget more than you like (Ask me how I know....)

Redirect your anxious energy to finding the best quality and most compact carseat money can buy. Now THAT is money well spent for the little one.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Isabelle77 »

We had two kids when we had a 2003 Corolla and regularly drove 10+ hours to visit family. Fit two car seats fine and bonus when they got a little older it was much easier for them to get in and out of than the Honda Pilot we eventually replaced the Corolla with.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by motorcyclesarecool »

Katietsu wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 2:01 pmAlso, if you are traveling to visit close family to stay for a week, you do not need to take everything with you. In other words, get on Amazon, Target.com, or whatever you prefer and have a the requisite supply of diapers, wipes, baby food, etc delivered to your destination in advance. Also, decide if you will be visiting enough with this baby or future babies that it is worth getting an extra pack and play that you just leave at the relatives. Of course, this also assumes that the relatives can easily store the equipment and aren’t living in a 600 sq ft apartment.
+1! These are also useful tricks for when traveling by air. It means we travel with only as many consumables as we need for that day. We have a pack & play pre-positioned at each set of in laws, and just about every hotel has them available when we’re road tripping overnight. We’ve rented minivans when family visits us so we can all travel around town together. I highly recommend renting a Sienna from Toyota Rent a Car at your local dealership, because they rent by the calendar business day, which can be an excellent bargain over a long weekend... Much cheaper to rent a minivan when needed (or buy a rooftop cargo box) than to buy a minivan outright.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by TallBoy29er »

One kid in a Camry is a cake walk. You can even have a parent sit with the child while you drive since you only have one car seat. As others have said, you will have a lot going on in the coming months. Don't overcomplicate it with a car purchase that you don't need. And I honestly mean that. You don't need it.
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CRC301
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by CRC301 »

Thanks again! We are just going to sit tight for now with the Camry and IS250. We were in the habit of splitting trip duty between our two cars so as not to run the miles up on any one of them but for now we'll just take the Camry and not worry about it. A small bit of worry was also about the physics of an accident in a smaller car but that appears to just be a perceived issue; I felt the Camry was OK but the IS250 is actually about the same mass and weight as the Camry.

Didn't know hotels offered pack-n-plays! That is pretty cool. Also didn't know Toyota dealerships rented their vans! That is really cool too. Didn't think about pre-positioning stuff at the grandparents house either; they would definitely do that for us.

Thanks!
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by fortfun »

Go to an REI garage sale and buy a half-priced topper that will fit on either vehicle. I have a 10 and 12 year old and can tell you there ARE many times when you have to haul a ton of crap around. We could fit the 3 wheel BOB buggy and pack in play in the topper and that left room for everything else in the back. Since then, we've used the topper for camping and lots of road trips. It was a great $250 investment.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by Jack FFR1846 »

With 2 kids, I had a 2001 Subaru Impreza. Much smaller than anything Lexus ever made. Pack n play, an umbrella stroller, a baby bag. What else would I need? Couple 5 gallon gas cans?
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getthatmarshmallow
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by getthatmarshmallow »

+1 to keeping the car for now. We had a Honda Fit when our first was born, and made two long-distance trips in the kids' first year with it. It was totally fine. (And I was broadsided in that car and walked away fine. Newish cars are built tough, and if your kid is in a carseast they're safer than almost anyone else on the road.)

With two now we have an Accord and a CR-V, and most of the time the kids are in the Accord. You don't need the MegaKidMobile, unless you really like driving them for some reason.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by bottlecap »

The Camry for one baby ought to be okay.

But keep an eye out for how much more room you might need in the future, especially if you have more.

I do disagree with much of the sentiment here, though. More room is nicer and babies do take a lot of gear. We had to take blankets, burp cloths, diapers, diaper bags, pack n’ plays, rolled up mattress, breast pump bag, stroller, and a cooler for breast milk, and snacks and drinks for a breast-feeding Mommy, of course. Oh, and then everything else for us.

So “what baby gear?” is an intriguing question to ask. The stuff adds up. Maybe somebody can pack all that stuff, themselves, and a baby in a smartcar, but I’m not diminutive enough myself.

Congrats on the new baby. Just wait and see. If you think you need a change, you’ll have some time before it becomes critical.

JT
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by bloom2708 »

Spend $50 to $75 on a compact folding stroller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O20OD4S/re ... 97713&sr=1

Much cheaper than a new car. Start saving in a car fund. You will know when to buy when the combination of money saved and mileage/repairs moves to the next level. Your current cars seem fine for now. But then, new car-itis is very contagious and is hard to stop once infected. :wink:
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by dziuniek »

We have a '13 Outback and a '14 Camry.

There really isn't much you can't fit into a camry's trunk. As long as it's something you can fold (pack-n-play, tent, stroller) - you won't have any issues.

You can also explore a roof rack, but really not necessary yet still cheaper than an SUV.

I would have the kiddo drive in the newer car, so you might be driving the lexus now :) You just got upgraded to a luxury car :)
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bottlecap
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by bottlecap »

bloom2708 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:58 am Spend $50 to $75 on a compact folding stroller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O20OD4S/re ... 97713&sr=1

Much cheaper than a new car. Start saving in a car fund. You will know when to buy when the combination of money saved and mileage/repairs moves to the next level. Your current cars seem fine for now. But then, new car-itis is very contagious and is hard to stop once infected. :wink:
One limiting factor is that umbrella strollers such as these do not provide support for an infant’s neck and head.

I don’t recall using these for our newborns or infants and some manufacturers warn against it.

But many here have used them that way, I guess.

JT
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by bloom2708 »

bottlecap wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:46 pm
bloom2708 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:58 am Spend $50 to $75 on a compact folding stroller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O20OD4S/re ... 97713&sr=1

Much cheaper than a new car. Start saving in a car fund. You will know when to buy when the combination of money saved and mileage/repairs moves to the next level. Your current cars seem fine for now. But then, new car-itis is very contagious and is hard to stop once infected. :wink:
One limiting factor is that umbrella strollers such as these do not provide support for an infant’s neck and head.

I don’t recall using these for our newborns or infants and some manufacturers warn against it.

But many here have used them that way, I guess.

JT
I believe the folding model we had came with a head/neck support insert. The straps went through it. You might have to remove it to fold into the compactest fold. Of course, get any baby equipment to suit the needs of your child. I know how it happens, you get a big, beautiful full sized mega-stroller for a shower or gift. To get your full use, you want to bring it everywhere, so you buy a new mini-van to hold the stroller. New mini-van > price of smaller stroller.
mfng
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by mfng »

We had a CRV and an Accord when our first was born. Totally enough room in either car for kid and gear, but getting the "Snap and Go" infant seat in and out of the Accord with my huge, fat baby in it was murder on my back.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by bottlecap »

bloom2708 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:50 pm
bottlecap wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:46 pm
bloom2708 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 11:58 am Spend $50 to $75 on a compact folding stroller:

https://www.amazon.com/dp/B00O20OD4S/re ... 97713&sr=1

Much cheaper than a new car. Start saving in a car fund. You will know when to buy when the combination of money saved and mileage/repairs moves to the next level. Your current cars seem fine for now. But then, new car-itis is very contagious and is hard to stop once infected. :wink:
One limiting factor is that umbrella strollers such as these do not provide support for an infant’s neck and head.

I don’t recall using these for our newborns or infants and some manufacturers warn against it.

But many here have used them that way, I guess.

JT
I believe the folding model we had came with a head/neck support insert. The straps went through it. You might have to remove it to fold into the compactest fold. Of course, get any baby equipment to suit the needs of your child. I know how it happens, you get a big, beautiful full sized mega-stroller for a shower or gift. To get your full use, you want to bring it everywhere, so you buy a new mini-van to hold the stroller. New mini-van > price of smaller stroller.
If it lays down completely flat, you can cushion the baby and your baby is a heavy sleeper (for the ever-so-fun transition from car seat to stroller when sleeping), then the model is workable.

JT
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by alfaspider »

As the parent of a toddler, I agree that there's no need to rush out and buy a car for the baby. We have no problem with one in my Subaru STI (smaller than your Camry). It would be slightly tight but doable with two even. Babies really don't need as much junk as most people think they do. Food/pump gear, a few changes of clothes and diapers/wipes. Our child travels with less luggage all-in than most adults would. I'd just buy a pack and play for your family (~$50) so you don't have to haul one back and forth.

We have a Doona stroller carseat combo. It's expensive, but does eliminate the need for any other stroller (unless you are jogging). It takes up no more room than a normal infant car seat. [Comment removed by admin LadyGeek] Some umbrella strollers have an infant sling attachment- a normal umbrella stroller doesn't really work until your child can sit up without assistance (4-6mos usually).

Finally, I'd note that my spouse has an SUV, and I actually find it more difficult to load our child in the SUV because he has to be raised up to chest height instead of plopped down at waist height. Remember to hip-hinge when lifting your child- don't lift with your back!
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CRC301
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by CRC301 »

alfaspider wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:58 pm We have a Doona stroller carseat combo. It's expensive, but does eliminate the need for any other stroller (unless you are jogging). It takes up no more room than a normal infant car seat. [Comment removed by admin LadyGeek] Some umbrella strollers have an infant sling attachment- a normal umbrella stroller doesn't really work until your child can sit up without assistance (4-6mos usually).
How do you like the Doona? My wife was looking at it since it converts to a stroller but it's expensive. After all of this info, I've been leaning toward buying a regular car seat and just getting one of the those cheap stroller frames where you just place the car seat into it. When baby is old/large enough, we would then worry about stroller.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by mmmodem »

I say this every time I see a baby car thread. Buy baby gear to fit your car instead of a car that fits your baby gear. It's much less expensive to buy compact baby gear than a whole new car.

Our umbrella stroller may cost double what a normal stroller costs but it fits in our paid off Prius. Our ice chest takes up a lot of space in the Prius but it's cheaper to buy a brand new one and donate this perfectly good ice chest than buying a minivan. It took me 15 minutes to pack up the Prius and Tetris-fit everything for a family of 5 on a one week trip to San Diego. It took more time to get on the road but it's way less time than going to the rental counter to get a SUV. It was better to replace our way too expensive umbrella stroller with a double stroller and a baby bjorn carry sling to carry our three kids than to buy a car.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by lthenderson »

CRC301 wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:52 pm for longer trips maybe a pack-n-play.
At of all the stuff we acquired or were gifted during our two kids growing up, the pack-n-play was the least used of them all. When our kids were little and immobile, it wasn't needed. A soft blanket on the floor worked well. When they were older and mobile, neither of them were content to spend more than a handful of minutes at a time in the thing. We used ours less than a handful of times over six years and sold it for $10 to some sucker at a garage sale.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by alfaspider »

CRC301 wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:02 pm
alfaspider wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 12:58 pm We have a Doona stroller carseat combo. It's expensive, but does eliminate the need for any other stroller (unless you are jogging). It takes up no more room than a normal infant car seat. [Comment removed by admin LadyGeek] Some umbrella strollers have an infant sling attachment- a normal umbrella stroller doesn't really work until your child can sit up without assistance (4-6mos usually).
How do you like the Doona? My wife was looking at it since it converts to a stroller but it's expensive. After all of this info, I've been leaning toward buying a regular car seat and just getting one of the those cheap stroller frames where you just place the car seat into it. When baby is old/large enough, we would then worry about stroller.
We love it. It's especially nice if you travel by air a lot and have to rent a car. No need to lug a car seat through the airport or try to figure out an overpriced rental car seat. It was also helpful in the early days for my spouse who couldn't really carry a normal infant carrier for very long, but could easily fold down the wheels. Our son is 90th percentile on size, but has mostly outgrown it at 17 months- we do intend to use it for one last trip in two months. A smaller child could probably make it to age 2.

Got it a bit cheaper from my parents who live in the U.K. - it was $100 less there when we last shopped, but the U.K. stores wouldn't ship to the U.S.- they just brought it over as a checked bag.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by alfaspider »

lthenderson wrote: Mon Apr 16, 2018 1:08 pm
CRC301 wrote: Sun Apr 15, 2018 1:52 pm for longer trips maybe a pack-n-play.
At of all the stuff we acquired or were gifted during our two kids growing up, the pack-n-play was the least used of them all. When our kids were little and immobile, it wasn't needed. A soft blanket on the floor worked well. When they were older and mobile, neither of them were content to spend more than a handful of minutes at a time in the thing. We used ours less than a handful of times over six years and sold it for $10 to some sucker at a garage sale.
A pack and play is a bit of a misnomer. It's just a portable crib- I imagine few mobile kids would really want to "play" in it for any significant period times. Kids who aren't mobile yet don't need to be corralled. However, a portable crib is sort of essential now that our son can walk and get himself into trouble if he wakes up in the middle of the night and decides to wander. The crib is also a bit of a Pavlovian signaling device that it's time to sleep.
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by LadyGeek »

I removed a comment and several replies. The comments were removed due to a strong concern for infant safety, as well as keeping the discussion from becoming derailed.
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atomicrc11
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Re: Having Child; Car Purchase maybe?

Post by atomicrc11 »

I would have to say no, you don't need a new car with a first child so long as you current car has the safety features you desire. In 2004 cars were required to have stability control, they had driver/passenger airbags, some had side/head airbags, and any car manufactured after Sept 2002 must have a LATCH system for securing car seats. We started our family with a 2004 Jetta and just sold it this year because of reliability issues.

As for vehicles if you want to travel with lots of stuff such as bikes and camping equipment and don't want an SUV is a station wagon. You get better fuel economy than many SUVs and can fit just as much stuff. People I know have both the Volkswagen Golf Sportwagen and the Subaru Outback.

I have the Golf Sportwagen because it has overall more cargo space and didn't want all wheel drive, but it is an option and a manual transmission is required. The Subaru has AWD standard and both have roof rails. In addition you can put a small hitch on the cars. This allows you to put a bike rack on the back of the car so as to not affect aerodynamics and leave the roof free for a cargo box.

In a Golf Sportwagen this means you can fit two adults, up to three kids unless you have 3 kids that can't use booster seats. The cargo space is 30 cubic feet and then you can get another 45 cubic feet if you get the roof cargo carrier. The Outback and Honda CRV can do the same with about 5 more cubic feet of space but the base cost is $5000 more.

You don't have to drive an SUV if you don't want to as there are viable options. You also don't need a new car, but wanting one for safety or other reasons is perfectly reasonable.
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