Getting everything together for the arrival of your new baby can be lots of fun but also costly. There are several ways to help you get around this especially for those out there that weren't planning their pregnancy and are up against hard times financially as most out there are. From bassinets and cribs to diapers and changing tables there are ways to save if you don't mind gently used.

Most first time parents want everything to be brand spankin' new for their first child. If you can afford it or have a very generous family that can, go for it. Those out there that can't, you can still have very nice things for baby but at only a fraction of the cost. The first step to saving some money is to not buy anything for baby (unless you absolutely can't resist) until after you have had your baby shower. Those that have never had one before will be surprised at how much friends and family will show up with including items you probably didn't even think about having on hand. Also a big bonus is that one gift that is always popular next to clothes at a shower is diapers in all sizes.

After your shower you'll have a better idea of what you are still going to need for your new arrival. Make a list of just the absolute necessities for taking care of baby's needs. Changing tables are nice to have, but not always something you have to have. After my first I realized that I ended up using the changing table more for storage shelves than actually changing diapers. Put the word out to friends, family and co-workers that you know have kids and may have things in storage. See if you can either have them or borrow them until your child out grows them. Since I didn't save anything other than keep-sakes from my first I had to start from scratch. This is how I was able to get a lot of the bigger, more expensive items for absolutely free and still in almost new condition.

Pull out your local paper and start hunting for garage sales in your area. Garage sales are a great place to find baby stuff you need and if you have money left over, the things you want at a great deal. Usually better than what you would even find at used baby stores. Not all advertisements state that there are baby products so find several garage sales in the same area and hit them all up. Newborn out fits all the way up to the first year are almost always in nearly new condition. Baby's grow fast and don't get a whole lot of time to ruin their clothes and a lot of times won't even get a chance to wear some of the outfits before they out grow them providing you with tags still on the clothes.

Another great way to save is to sign up for all those baby sites out there. It can be a little time consuming, but it's well worth it in the end. With all the free samples and coupons you can't pass it up. Sites like Baby Zone and Parenting allow you to sign up for groups of other sites that provide these offers in one simple step. This way you can get coupons and free samples for Huggies, Pampers, Johnson and Johnson, Aveeno Baby, Target, Babies R' Us and many more.