Baby Bargains: Secrets to Saving 20% to 50% on Baby Furniture, Equipment, Maternity Wear and Much, Much More!

by Alan Fields and Denise Fields

Book Overview

The bestselling guide to the best deals on all of baby's needs is now revised and updated to cover such topics as how to avoid wasting money with baby clothes, which brands are the best, the ten best... This description may be from another edition of this product.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 1889392448
• ISBN13: 9781889392448
• Release Date: April 2013
• Publisher: Windsor Peak Press
• Length: 608 Pages
• Weight: 1.40 lbs.
• Dimensions: 1.6" x 4.5" x 9.0"

Customer Reviews

A Must Have For First-Time Parents!

Before you ever set foot in Babies 'R Us, you must read this book! The first trip I took to the baby mega-store was an overwhelming experience with too many options that left me without a clue as to how to begin. (There were tons of different types of baby gear and garb, and each item had multiple brands with multiple styles and costs.) The bottom line is that I had no frame of reference to know what I needed, when I needed it or how to make an informed decision.Thankfully, a friend recommended Baby Bargains - and luckily it was before I had purchased anything. Baby Bargains breaks information into digestible categories - covering everything from cribs and strollers to diapers and clothing. It provides overviews of brands, product features, prices and even makes ratings as to what they consider the GOOD, BETTER, and BEST from each category.In addition, it tells you what items you absolutely NEED, what things are nice to have and what items you shouldn't bother with. Not only does it explain what "layette" means to all the novices, but it makes recommendations on the appropriate quantity of blankets, sleepers and such to get you started.Finally, it provides various resources for finding the products you want and for finding deals. I found baby bedding online at a much lower cost than in stores and even got free shipping.Talk to friends with kids, but also get this book and take it with you while you shop!

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.

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

Invaluable for a first-time parent

Being a new parent is exciting, and preparing for the arrival of the baby can be very confusing. My first visit to one of the enormous baby stores left me overwhelmed by the array of products. Asking other parents what to buy only helped nominally since we got conflicting information based on individual biases. We looked at the Consumer Reports guide at the local bookstore and were very disappointed by it as it did not review individual products. Baby Bargains did in fact save us a lot of money. For example, based upon its recommendation we decided to give it a go without buying a changing table. We have found that by using a waterproof pad under the baby and arranging the room for easy access to changing supplies we have no need for one, which saved us $170.00. We also found the stroller reviews VERY helpful as both of us are 6' or over-it was important to us to have a stroller that would be comfortable for tall people. The ratings helped us find the only travel system combination that was rated highly for convenience and portability as well as having an expanding stroller bar. Previous trips to the superstore had left us confused by the huge array of strollers and staff that were unable to explain features or differences."Where to buy" information also helped save us money since prior to becoming pregnant we never paid attention to who stocked what in baby products or who manufactured 100% cotton baby clothes. I also never paid attention to maternity wear to know that Target stocks inexpensive cotton basics, which saved us a lot of money over maternity store pricing. They did the comparison shopping for us, and sometimes information on who manufactured and/or stocked the best products was surprising. Overall the book was well worth the small amount of money we paid since it saved us much more. I do agree with one of the reviewers below in that sometimes what was most highly recommended was more expensive. However, the ratings always gave information that helped us make an informed decision if we did spend more money. We opted for a more expensive crib based on the information regarding who used solid wood but saved money by avoiding double drop sides, a feature that the book pointed out was redundant if your crib was going to be against a wall. Great book for making the informed decision and should save you at least the cost of the book purchase...if it doesn't they will refund your money so you really have nothing to lose!

Great Info, Few Savings

This book was wonderful. I feel like I'll be spending more than I would have, but I'll be spending it for quality and safety. To their credit, the authors helped me sort through an endless sea of products and narrow my choices considerably. They also provide an invaluable list of business names, phone numbers, and web addresses. Though I agree with the review that stated guilty feelings over not going with the best recommendations in the book, you have to make decisions based on your budget. This book will give you the information on safety, quality, convenience, and price that will help you make well-informed decisions. Hey, maybe you can't always buy the very best in style and quality, but wouldn't you want to know that spending $25 more bucks on crib B instead of buying crib A might save your baby's life? I know now, and I'm not guessing when I walk into stores. Are you? So the title of the book isn't the most accurate, but who cares? I saved a few bucks in not buying cutesy things that I don't need that I once thought I did, but, more importantly, I learned a lot. I recommend that everyone expecting a baby buy this book. In fact, in a couple of years, when I hope to have another baby, I'll be buying the new edition.