📋 Interactive Checklist
The minimalist, stage-based plan — what genuinely needs to be ready before birth, what can wait until month 2–12, what's worth borrowing or buying second-hand, and what to skip entirely. Tick items to build your budget, priced from live Australian retailer data.
Reviewed by the BabyCosts editorial team
Quick Facts
Your budget envelope
Tick items to build your plan
Live AU prices from September 2026.
The essentials you want set up before the baby arrives — these are the non-negotiables.
Gear that becomes useful after the newborn weeks — buy when you actually need it.
Items with short useful lives or heavy price tags — Marketplace, family and friends save real money here.
Common registry filler that rarely earns its cost or shelf space.
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The true non-negotiables are: a pram, a car seat (mandatory to leave hospital in Australia), a safe sleep space (cot or bassinet with a new mattress), feeding supplies, and a nappies/wipes starter pack. Everything else can wait until you know what you need — newborns outgrow clothes and bassinets fast, so buying minimal up front saves real money.
The biggest savings are in short-life or heavy items: bassinets (used ~4–6 months), nursery furniture, clothes 3–12 months, toys, books, travel cots and bouncers. Facebook Marketplace typically lists premium prams, cots and high chairs at 40–60% off retail. The one hard rule: car seats should always be bought new — never use a second-hand seat after a crash, and check its expiry date.
A minimalist first-year gear setup runs roughly $1,500 for budget through $5,500+ for premium in our live-priced list. Prams are the biggest single item ($569 – $1,699 AUD), then cots ($254.99 – $1,579) and car seats ($239 – $799.99). Borrowing and second-hand can cut the total by 40–60%, and planning a second child roughly halves the effective cost per child.
Common registry filler to skip: wipe warmers, premium UV sterilisers (a basic steam steriliser or boiling water does the job), designer nappy bags (a normal backpack works), and newborn shoes (babies don't walk in year one). Each of these costs more than the value it returns.
Prices come from Australian retailers including Baby Bunting, The Memo, Amazon AU and manufacturer-direct stores, refreshed on our weekly price check (as of September 2026). Items without a catalogue product carry honest editorial AU ranges.