Baby Bargains, 7th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more! (Baby Bargains)
By Denise Fields
Oh baby! With the average newborn racking up $6000 for the first year alone, expectant moms and dads need all the creative cost-cutting ideas they can find. Baby Bargains is the answer. Inside, parents find detailed ratings and reviews of baby gear, plus handy charts that compare brands and models.
Congratulations, you're expecting a baby! What you may not be expecting is all of the requisite gear you "need" to look after your dear bundle. Fear not. Denise and Alan Fields, authors of Bridal Bargains, are here to tell you what's super and what's silly, and how to find it at the best price. You'll learn all about how (and where) to shop for a crib and dresser (including how to get European styling at reasonable prices), what you need in bedding and what can be skipped (a hint: no baby requires the $200 quilt!), which clothing brands are safest and least expensive, and how to shop for monitors, toys, car seats, strollers, books, videos, and more. The authors have field-tested every major brand (and several of the minor ones), and they provide star ratings and annotations at the end of every chapter. A helpful feature in each chapter called "Wastes of Money" will steer you away from $35 Baby Air Jordans and frilly diaper stackers that match your bedding. If that's not enough, they offer a money-back guarantee: If the book doesn't save you at least $250 in baby expenses, they'll refund the price of the book. Well researched and written in a witty and comfortable tone, Baby Bargains should be required reading for every safety- and money-conscious parent-to-be. --Rebecca A. Staffel
Review
Congratulations, you're expecting a baby! What you may not be expecting is all of the requisite gear you "need" to look after your dear bundle. Fear not. Denise and Alan Fields, authors of Bridal Bargains, are here to tell you what's super and what's silly, and how to find it at the best price. You'll learn all about how (and where) to shop for a crib and dresser (including how to get European styling at reasonable prices), what you need in bedding and what can be skipped (a hint: no baby requires the $200 quilt!), which clothing brands are safest and least expensive, and how to shop for monitors, toys, car seats, strollers, books, videos, and more. The authors have field-tested every major brand (and several of the minor ones), and they provide star ratings and annotations at the end of every chapter. A helpful feature in each chapter called "Wastes of Money" will steer you away from $65 Baby Air Jordans and frilly diaper stackers that match your bedding. If that's not enough, they offer a money-back guarantee: If the book doesn't save you at least $250 in baby expenses, they'll refund the price of the book. Well researched and written in a witty and comfortable tone, Baby Bargains should be required reading for every safety - and money-conscious parent-to-be. --Rebecca A. Staffel
A better resource than the Consumer Reports version.
Put this one in the "I shoulda payed attention" category. I noted, while checking the reviews to the Consumer Reports book "Guide to Baby Products," that the Fields' book was clearly given the nod as the better book. Still, I've been a Consumer Reports subscriber for many years, and I reasoned that "Guide to Baby Products" must surely have information that "Baby Bargains" lacked. So, I bought both of them. My advice? Those other reviewers were right. "Baby Bargains" is as least as complete in its evaluations of products, and it's a much better source of background information. To boot, it's warmer in tone, funny, and a more enjoyable read all around. Buy "Baby Bargains" and skip CU's book.
Great Bargains & Reviews, but read carefully!
It will be my baby shower gift from now on! This book is EXCELLENT - great for 1st time parents or parents who want to buy the best stuff at the best price. It's also useful for ensuring good baby gifts, especially baby clothes. People who don't have babies buy all the wrong clothes - no easy diaper access, snaps in back & not front, etc. So be sure to share the baby clothes tips!
Some readers complain that a lot of the recommended brands are pricey - like Peg Perego strollers. True, but you need to read ALL the recommendations. Peg Perego is said to be the best stroller. However, the text notes that only city-dwellers really need a stroller this light and durable. For suburbanites, the 4-in-1 travel system from Century is recommended, and it is cheaper than Peg Perego. I have a 4-in-1 Century Travel System, and I'm very happy with it. I bought it based on Baby Bargains' recommendation. Sometimes the book is wordy or confusing but this is a minor complaint. Read and reread this book - there's alot of info here - too much to memorize. Take it with you on shopping trips for quick reference! And be sure to check their website for updates!
The Bargain Hunter's Treasure!
Every new parent can relate to the huge money drain that comes with a new infant. We want our children to have the best, and it just seems the list of must-haves is never-ending. Many of us choose to do without certain items or find them second-hand, but there are certain things, like car seats, that are often better to have new. Thus the dilemma: how to find new items at the cheapest prices. Furthermore, how does one choose between the multitude of companies, brands, and styles of endless baby stuff? Baby Bargains to the rescue! This book is about "how to save money and still buy the best." If you're looking for a detailed comparison of brands and how they rank up, you`ll love poring over the chapters that range from Nursery Necessities to Maternity and Nursing Clothes to Catalogs, The `Net, Child Care and more. They also include lots of up-to-date safety info, "email from the real world" (letters from parents-they interviewed over 1000!), and they even tell you where to find specialty items like African-American bedding, affordable art prints for baby's room and rental baby equipment when you're on vacation. On top of all this, they include Smart Shopper Tips, a Phone/Web Site Directory, and they have a web site of their own
