Location:Home » Caribbean » General » Baby Bargains, 7th Edition: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on baby furniture, gear, clothes, toys, maternity wear and much more! (Baby Bargains)
Product Description 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.
Amazon.com 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 $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
FIRST TIME MOM"S" FOUND THIS BOOK VERY HELPFUL November 19, 2008 First time mom here, this book is a must have!!! The authors do not favor one brand over another, their ratings are very fair and honest. This book will help you understand not only the different baby products and brands, but why they are important (or maybe not so important). It also gives you tips on what to watch for and what to keep in mind when buying items. I have given this book to two other first time moms and they both said they have or are getting a lot of helpful informaiton from the book. You will want to use this before birth but will continue to use after too. You will save much more than what the book costs.
Must have for all new parents-to-be November 19, 2008 I used this all the time when preparing for my first baby. It helped to clarify the differences between all the different baby stuff that all seems alike. This is worth the money even if you just use it to compare and select your infant carrier and/or car seats. I even bought a copy for my girlfriend who was expecting 4 months after me.
Great for first time parents November 11, 2008 1 out of 1 found this review helpful
A friend of mine had recommended this book to me when I first became pregnant. Initially I was a little skeptical because my husband and I already have a subscription to Consumer Reports and read on-line product reviews prior to making most purchases. However, this book is fantastic. Doing research of all the items you'll need for your baby can be quite overwhelming. We are first time parents and I think that we would have registered for/bought a number of "unnecessary" items for the baby had it not been for Baby Bargains. This book is also very instrumental with its review of brands of all the important baby items. We would have probably spent more money if we would have bought some of the poorly made products first, and then having to replace them later on. Of course I also got baby advice from friends and family who already have young children. This is what I got from this book that Consumer Reports or other product reviews could not offer:
1) The authors tell you which baby products (i.e. bottle warmers, sleep positioners, etc..) you can forgo and are pretty much a waste of money. Whenever I felt that I "needed" something that I didn't already have on the registry I knew that I could go back to Baby Bargains and read about whether it was necessary to purchase that product or not.
2) The authors review which products you can/should buy used (after all they are trying to save you money) without compromising your child's safety. For example, they warn parents against buying used cribs and sharing breast pumps between moms (unless you rent a hospital grade pump). As you can see cribs and breast pumps are some of the big ticket items. Consumer Reports may actually have a section on this as well, although I liked the way it was presented in Baby Bargains.
3) The book is well organized and easy to take with you to the Baby stores. It does have a sample registry in the back, which you may or may not want to follow. Some of the registry items we picked out were the top rated products by Baby Bargains.
4) The authors also give you an idea of which baby clothing items you'll need right away, in what sizes and quantities. I wanted to avoid too many unworn clothes sitting in the baby's closet.
The book seems great, but watch which edition you are getting... November 1, 2008 I ordered this book thinking I was getting the newest edition (2007). Instead I received a book that was 2 editions ago and published 5 years ago. If you simply click on New or used links at the top, you will be taken to the screen for the 7th edition (higher price). If you click on the new/used link, it takes you to the 5th edition.
The book is still decent, but I feel like the sale was somewhat deceptive. The authors themselves state that they change 30-40% of the book during each edition which means that potentially 80% of the book I've received is OUT OF DATE.
Bummer. And no recourse since my invoice doesn't have an edition number on it.
Should be mandatory for the newly pregnant November 1, 2008 I cannot recommend this book highly enough. Instead of just focusing on what baby products are cheapest, the authors take into account safety, value, necessity, and just about any other variable you can think of. We were clueless before this book, but referred to it for just about every purchase and we feel confident that we have chosen quality products for our baby without spending unnecessarily.
I have recommended it to every pregnant couple I know - even a random couple we ran into at a department store while registering for gifts. It is easy to read, well-organized, and thorough. I just ordered Baby 411 by the same author and look forward to more great, practical information.
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