Tips for Parents: Put money where it matters
ELLSWORTH, Kan. – Expectant parents typically need to stretch their finances, and may be encouraged to spend unnecessarily.
If shopping for a crib in a furniture store or baby department, new parents may be pressured into buying a more expensive crib, matching changing table, and youth dresser a child will outgrow within a few years, said Jamie Rathbun, K-State Research and Extension agent in Ellsworth County, Kan.
Do your homework, and look for a crib that is check-rated for safety, said Rathbun, who also encouraged new parents to consider a good used crib and changing table that meet safety standards or borrow the items from a friend or family member who no longer needs them.
Investing in a good used dresser a child will be able to use as he or she grows also can help to free up funds for other essential items, such as a car seat.
“Put the money where it matters,” said Rathbun, who advises new parents to forgo unnecessary extras to buy the safest possible car seat.
When expecting, Rathbun researched consumer evaluations and chose to invest in a check-rated car seat. At the time, she couldn’t have imagined that she and her six-month-old daughter would be involved in a roll-over accident. Both were securely buckled in, and came through the accident unharmed.
More information on money management is available at K-State Research and Extension offices throughout the state and online.
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K-State Research and Extension is a short name for the Kansas State University Agricultural Experiment Station and Cooperative Extension Service, a program designed to generate and distribute useful knowledge for the well-being of Kansans. Supported by county, state, federal and private funds, the program has county Extension offices, experiment fields, area Extension offices and regional research centers statewide. Its headquarters is on the K-State campus, Manhattan.
Story by: Nancy Peterson
nancyp@ksu.eduK-State Research & Extension News Jamie Rathbun is at 785-472-4442
