hand-me-downs are the best thing ever. i'm not kidding -- 90% of EVERYTHING we have is borrowed or handed down. we have a few things that are new, and even then, it was a gift. i haven't bought one stitch of clothing for this new boy, and won't have to because of all the hand-me-downs i'm getting from two friends. it's a blessing, and if you can find people to borrow/get stuff from, it's WORTH IT. you don't use anything for any long length of time, save the crib.