Photo courtesy of PreciousLittleOne.com
Guess what? The Joneses had a baby. And boy, is their stroller cooler than yours!
Maybe they got an $900 Bugaboo or $350 Maclaren. They might even have purchased the $1100 Stokke Xplory Stroller — the it stroller sported by Courtney Cox and Heidi Klum.
Wait a minute? What was wrong with the $50 stroller that saw me through both my kids?
Nothing.
Something has shifted since I bought my stroller in 1995. My only considerations were maneuverability and a nice roomy under-basket. I certainly had no idea which brands my friends and neighbors had. It was a non-issue.
Things have changed.
My neighborhood is populated by left-wing hipsters who pride themselves on their individuality. But they too have fallen prey to ridiculously expensive stroller mania. The buggy of choice is the “Phil and Teds E3” stroller, which costs $400 before you add the $90 toddler basket-thingy.
Jeepers!
Listen up parents, it’s time to stop the insanity!
It doesn’t matter if everyone else has a $500 stroller. You can choose to not play this game. You’re not in high school anymore. There’s no need to ape the purchases of the popular kids.
Strollers are super easy to find on the secondhand market. Try these sources:
- Scope out the consignment shops
- Surf Craigslist
- Hit some garage sales
- Mooch hand-me-downs from friends and family
- Place a want ad for that coveted designer stroller
But whatever you do, don’t feel you need to keep up with the Joneses. They’re status-driven social climbers, most likely on the road to financial instability.
-Katy Wolk-Stanley
“Use it up, wear it out, make it do or do without.”
{ 8 comments… read them below or add one }
I agree. I’m always in shock at how much money people spend on strollers and how many they will buy!
Although I could have afforded outlandishly expensive baby paraphernalia if I had been so inclined, my three daughters spent their non-ambulatory years happily cruising around in a $19 umbrella stroller wearing their latest garage-sale duds!
I own a Peg Perego. I bought it not because of the brand, but because of the height. Both hubby & I are tall & the Graco’s, Eddie Bauer’s, Cosco, were all too short. Umbrella strollers were torture. We searched for a cheaper alternative, but after months of looking, we bought the Peg & I am so glad we did.
I agree that the current trend in strollers is ridiculous & don’t get me started on designer diaper bags…
I always get a kick out of the exercise classes at the community centers…where the moms put their kids (usually one) in the JOGGING stroller and make their way around the park. I always wonder about the moms who choose to use the “cheap” strollers and how dorky they must feel!
Our first stroller was a 6-year old faded hand-me-down. Replaced with a $100 jogging stroller (I did a lot of jogging/walking). It will be handed down to a friend when we are done with it.
There’s a group of moms here in town who all have the bugaboo’s. I didn’t realize they were $800!
Love this … realise its an old post now! We were totally sucked in by the consumer thing with the baby and bought the MacLaren … I can’t believe it now. Especially as by the time baby number 2 came around we ended up buying a (second hand of course) double side by side buggy and the hideously expensive MacLaren lives at mums. Still my most expensive mistake for a long time!
it is better to get to know the features and material for the stroller before going to buy one. check for the quality and manufacturer. then compare with the price. do some survey.
I’ve scored 3 good strollers at the Goodwill store for less than $20. One was a jogging stroller and the other two were what I considered regular strollers with under carriage baskets and drink holders. I had no idea they were expensive strollers, until my daughter told me what they cost new. Some of the strollers you have listed here would take me two weeks of work to pay for retail.
That’s CRAZY!