How Do I Get “Baby Bargains for Clothes, Furniture, Toys and More?

Yesterday we discussed the first 5 ways of  “10 Ways to save Big on Baby Stuff”. Today we will finish the list beginning with…

6. Negotiating Baby Bargains
You’ve heard it said before…”Everything’s negotiable!” Well, in the case of baby bargains it’s true. You will NEVER have to pay full price for any of the baby stuff you need if you do it right. If you choose to do so that is your option, but there is always room for negotiation. For some reason, American are timid when it comes to this. Most other cultures around the world find negotiation to be a normal part of life. For some helpful tips to get you started negotiating consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

7. Ask yourself – do I really need to get this item brand new?
In most cases the answer is a resounding no.  The only two things that come to mind for buying new would be a breast pump (for hygiene reasons) and a car seat (based on expert recommendations as to the unknown history of a used car seat and its subsequent safety should it be involved in an accident). Everything else is perfectly fine being used. Clothes and toys are two of my biggest pet peeves. DO NOT waste your money buying brand new clothes your baby will only wear a few times before outgrowing. Used for the first year is essential in my opinion. DO NOT waste your money buying the latest baby toys that your baby will grow tired of in a matter of minutes if she even plays with it at all. Accept the toys you get as gifts and the rest you can fill in with household items like pots, pans, bowls, spoons, etc that your baby will find fascinating. For a a tremendous resource on finding used items consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

8. We furnished our nursery for less than $100 – You can too!
Furniture is what of the single largest expenses. If you buy a crib, dresser, changing table glider/rocker with matching ottoman – watch out! One strategy is go minimal and just skip some of these pieces you can really live without. The other, and my preferred strategy, is to find all the secret locations in your area to get bargains on used baby furniture. We got all of that for less than $100 including painting and decorating. You can create your own plan when you consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

9. Look at the big picture.
Is this your first baby? Do you plan to have more? Here is one example…Maybe that convertible crib you are looking into isn’t really that great of a deal because you are going to have to go out and buy another crib with your next child.  Do you even really need a “toddler bed”? We say no. Go straight from the crib to a twin bed. All you need is a safety rail on one side and the wall on the other and you can skip the extra expense of a toddler bed altogether. Keep this in mind as you look at all your purchases. How will they be used today, next month, next year?

10. Don’t forget about baby showers.
Hopefully you will be fortunate enough to have a close friend, family member, co-worker, and/or church member throw you a shower or two. It is OK to put a couple of high-priced items on your baby registry because some may like to spend a little more or go in together on a big item, but for the most part try to keep items in the $15-$30 range as a good gift average. Include some little items for those that need to spend a little extra to meet what they like to spend on a gift. But the great thing is you don’t have to buy everything. You will get a large number of gifts from these showers. If you have a friend say that would love to throw you a shower, but don’t know where to start…you will receive as a bonus to the Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide Platinum Package the Ultimate Baby Shower Guide. Feel free to share this with your friend to get them started in the right direction.

You can purchase the Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide here.

Tags: Baby Bargains, baby shower, negotation, save money
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Are you pregnant? Thinking of getting pregnant?…but scared to death of the overwhelming expense of all the STUFF you need to get for your baby. Well, never fear, MommyDaddySavers.com is here!

1. Need vs. Want
Learn the difference between what you need and what you want. You know all those lists you see floating around the Internet for everything you need for your baby? Well forget them. Most have tons of useless stuff or stuff you won’t need for months and months down the road. For help sorting out what is what ask friends and family what they used or could have done without or consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

2. Start shopping early
I saw a list recently that said to hold off on shopping as long as you can because if you start early you’ll spend more money. Awful advice! Waiting until the last minute only adds stress and then you are stuck paying full price for something you need now! Start early, create a plan, and stick to it. By starting early you will have time to monitor price levels and search out the very best deals.  If you don’t know where to find the best deals for baby stuff consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

3. Don’t let new baby fever take hold!
It can be very dangerous shopping when you have new baby fever.  Generally either mom or dad catches the baby fever while the other one sees the dollar signs involved. Make sure the one with baby fever doesn’t go shopping alone. Additionally, work on creating a bargain mindset before you ever set foot in a store. For tips on having a bargain mindset consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide. (Do you see the recurring theme here…ha!)

4. Don’t be a sales clerk victim.
Unfortunately or fortunately, depending on how you look at it, places like Wal-Mart generally have awful customer service so you are not in any danger of being upsold there. But when you get into the specialty baby stores you get better service…which often results in more $$ leaving your hand and flowing into the store. Know what you want before you go so you don’t need to ask for help. How do you know what you need? Simply consult a well-written guide (hint…hint) like our Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide.

5. Study All Your Options…
Is the bargain option truly a bargain? In most cases yes, but in some cases no so look carefully before buying. It could be that the bargain item ends up costing more due to replacement parts every few months. Or it could be that the package includes everything you need whereas the bargain item, by the time you add the additional add-on items, ends up costing you more. Study the options available to you and make the best choice.

We will continue these thoughts tomorrow. Until then, all the best. And if you want to go ahead and purchase the Ultimate Baby Bargain Guide you may do so by clicking here.

Tags: Baby Bargains, save money, top 10
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When you bring that baby home from the hospital neither you or your husband will feel like cooking – I can almost guarantee it. We had several people from church and several family members that volunteered to bring meals over. My first reaction when they offered was a polite thank you and a smile. I thought it sounded very nice, but I could not understand why people felt the need to do this. It wasn’t a funeral where the church needed to prepare meals. Was it just an excuse to come see the new baby? I didn’t fully comprehend how tired and useless we would be the first few days. The days we did not have meals prepared for us, it was soooo easy just to run out and grab something and bring it back home. Well, if you do that too many times in a row not only is it unhealthy for your body, but your budget too.

One of the best baby bargains you can get is to prepare your own meals. With so many variables and interruptions with nursing, sleep, and dirty diapers, there is no telling when you might have time to sit down and eat. That is why crock-pot meals are so great. During a lull in the morning schedule you can throw a whole chicken or roast with some seasoning into a crock-pot and let it cook all day. When you are too tired later to cook you don’t have to run out for fast food. Or when you have a lull in the evening schedule instead of using that time to prepare a meal only to have to sit down and feed the baby about the time your meal is ready to eat – you can actually sit down and eat…and it will still be hot! No setting your plate on the table and letting it get cold after another session of some sort with your baby. Crock-pot meals should be used at least once a week, if not daily in the beginning. If you are thinking, how many chickens can you eat in a week…well, there is more to chicken and roast in the crockpot. Check out http://crockpot365.blogspot.com where Stephanie O’Dea made a New Year’s resolution to cook with her crock-pot every day for the entire year of 2008! She posts what she made every day so you have no excuses for not using this tool a time or two a week or even every day for a couple of weeks.

Oftentimes, we only think of crock-pot meals in the winter, but it doesn’t have to be winter for you to bring out the crock-pot. Utilize this marvelous kitchen tool when baby comes.

NOTE: Now that it is winter and you might be hosting visitors and family dropping by, staying late to finish up some last minute things at work in preparation for time off for the holidays, shopping excursions, Christmas parties – all of which can lead to the realization that you got caught up in everything, now it is time to eat and nothing is cooked so you need to go out to eat. If you know ahead of time this is a great chance to prepare a crock-pot meal.

If you want to be notified when our Ultimate Guide to the Best Baby Bargains is available please send an email to josh@mommydaddysavers.com

Tags: Baby Bargains, crockpot, Food, save money, save time
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