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I think if you have a boy first and get all neutral/boyish gear, then feel the need to re-buy really girly stuff for your daughter that's specifically made for baby girls, it could be more expensive. (stroller, pack n play, car seat, etc.) There's lots of cute girly stuff out there! But I agree with you that things will be expensive as you allow them to be, and I think it depends on how particular you are and how well you stick to a budget. I think as a woman it's easier to get excited about girly stuff and want to buy more, but that comes down to personal choice.

@NaturallyCathy: 'cause I love to shop? It's not necessary but I love fashion and love putting together outfits for my little man.
I would have a hard time holding back with a little girl because there's just so much out there for girls.

My mom is a dressmaker and I totally look back at the outfits she had me in, she was very creative with putting outfits together for me. And saved a lot of them! I see where I got it from.. haha

I would think girl...but since ds is 5, it might be hard for me to compare. He's into buying light up sneakers and cartridges for his innotab, but in 5 years, she might "need" the latest barbie or whatever girl toy is important. And, I have no idea what her taste in clothes will be. It's important to me to let my kids have their interests and certain things that they DO have control of in a world where everything seems to be out of their control.

I also know that because I'm having a girl, and I've lived the past almost 6 years buying boy clothes, that I'm shopping a lot for this girl.

Plus, the whole shopping world is geared towards women/girls, so I think it's just the cultural norm.

I voted girl because of more accessories and what not and for most people they could spend more,, but I definitely agree it is what you make of it. Also... With girls you will probably have a wedding to help pay for! (if it's decided that you would help/pay)

Also, I have a boy but would reuse his clothes for a girl, no problem. I don't need to re-buy an entire wardrobe when they are so little. But I would probably get some girl stuff too.

@NaturallyCathy: my SIL actually gets upset because when she was little (like 5 and under) she was dressed like a boy and had a shorter hair cut. She gets upset that she looks like a boy in all of her little kid/baby pictures. I don't think I would feel the same way, but she cares.

@NaturallyCathy: I agree, I was just saying that she did care about the younger ages when she wouldn't have had much say. I will probably take the same approach that you are. We don't have the money to go out and splurge on all new stuff for a girl and it's really not a big deal if they are dressed more neutral at such a young age.

@NaturallyCathy: yeah I've never understood that. We we didn't find out what we were having so all of our large gear is gender neutral anyway. But I always laugh when I see bright pink flowery strollers or pack n plays. Why on earth does that need to be so gender specific?

I think it's my comment you saw, lol! I have 12 nieces and nephews so our siblings have told us that girls are more expensive. Mostly because of the clothing and accessories required. And if you have a girl first, you can't use all the 'girly' stuff for a boy, but you can use boy stuff for a girl. Makes sense to me - but I'm still not a parent of a boy or a girl so I don't know for sure!

@septemberlove: I think you are right. Girl babies can definitely get more expensive due to clothes and the plethora of options. But as they get older, boys tend to get more involved in sports and other activities that require more money, like video games. So actually the boys tend to be more expensive overall. I'm pretty sure that I read a study about this once.

As for me, I have a girl and a boy, and I have definitely spent WAY more on DD's clothes than DS. I just don't care as much about what he looks like since it all looks the same and it all matches. But for DD if I buy her a skirt, then it has to have matching shirt and tights and what not!

Both genders can be equally expensive. I have a boy and try my best to be more frugal with spending. He doesn't need 5 bow ties. 3 is more than enough. He doesn't need 5 pairs of shoes in the same size, just 1 will do. I try to keep his style simple, but I do splurge on toys and books, knowing that it will be passed onto future kiddos. I know that if I had a girl it would be so tempting to buy cute clothes and accessories (options are much bigger than with boys).

I have a little girl and I'm very thrifty with her clothes.
-She has two pairs of shoes, one gray converse every day (that can be passed on if she has a brother) and one fancy white shoes.
-all clothes are gifted or hand me downs
-the only accessories I buy are bows, and that's because she needs to keep the hair out of her face. I buy them cheap at target and at the dollar store.

I don't know if sex matters much but family position sure does! We hardly had to buy anything for DS so he has been much cheaper.

I think even though my girl will have more clothes, there are cuter things for girls at a lower price point. I like clothes for boys that make them look like little men and that's harder to find, so I feel like I will end up spending more per piece of clothing than I will on my girl. But I also try to temper my shopping because we're definitely on a budget! We also purchased a lot of neutral items because we want to use them for future kiddos. I would rather get some blue that I can use with boys or girls than get something pink that I can only use for DD.

@Honeybee: This. Our second has been very inexpensive except for formula!