Discount website MyVoucherCodes polled 1,273 parents across the UK with at least one child aged two and over, initially asking them ‘Did your friends and family purchase any baby-related items before the arrival of your first baby?’ to which 83 per cent said yes.
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These respondents were then asked to specify what kinds of items their friends and family had purchased for them, as a present for the birth of their first child. They were asked to choose from a list of answers, which items they’d received.
According to the results, the top 10 items bought by friends and family for parents ahead of the arrival of their first born were as follows:
1. Clothing - 79%
2. Bottles/ Feeding Equipment - 51%
3. Baby Bath - 45%
4. Cot - 41%
5. Nappies - 39%
6. Toiletry products - 34%
7. Car seat - 32%
8. Moses Basket - 24%
9. Pushchair - 21%
10. Changing station -15%
Mark Pearson, Chairman of MyVoucherCodes.co.uk, said: “It’s not surprising to see that so many people rely on friends and family to help them when having a child, especially a first born. Having a baby is incredibly expensive; you don’t always feel financially prepared and you can easily lose track of how much you’re spending on all the items you need!”
As part of ongoing research, the study was conducted to find out more about the spending habits of Britons when it comes to the arrival of their first child; and how friends and family get involved financially.
More than half (59 per cent) admitted that having friends and family buying items for them was a ‘considerable financial help’; whilst just over a quarter (27 per cent) admitted to completely ‘relying on’ their friends and family to purchase the baby items they needed ahead of the birth of their child.
Two thirds of respondents admitted that they had purchased ‘necessary baby items’ for friends and family before the birth of a first-born. Furthermore, just under a fifth (16 per cent) claimed that they didn’t feel ‘financially prepared at all’ for the birth of their first child.
Mark continued: “We have some fantastic offers on the website to help every mum and dad when going through what can sometimes be a difficult financial start. If you don’t have friends and family to rely on to help you out, try to save money on purchases wherever by checking for discounts and savings on all the items you buy. You can really end up saving yourself a fortune!”
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