Product Description

Wow! A baby book that actually answers the big question about having a baby: How am I going to afford all this?

With the average cost of a baby topping $7000 for just the first year alone, you need creative solutions and innovative ideas to navigate the consumer maze that confronts all parents-to-be. Baby Bargains is the answer! Inside, you'll discover:

• The best WEB SITES that offer the biggest discounts!
• NAME BRAND REVIEWS of car seats, bedding, strollers, high chairs, diapers and more!
• FIVE wastes of money with baby clothes and the best outlet bargains.
• NINE tips to saving money on cribs, plus in-depth reviews of crib brands.
• THE TRUTH ABOUT STROLLERS--and which brands work best in the real world.
• The SEVEN MOST RIDICULOUS BABY PRODUCTS.
• Dozens of safety tips to affordably baby proof your home.
• DETAILED CHARTS that compare brands of cribs, strollers, car seats and more!

Product Details

• Amazon Sales Rank: #722 in Books
• Published on: 2009-04-25
• Original language: English
• Number of items: 1
• Binding: Paperback
• 600 pages

Features

• ISBN13: 9781889392332
• Condition: New
• Notes: BUY WITH CONFIDENCE, Over one million books sold! 98% Positive feedback. Compare our books, prices and service to the competition. 100% Satisfaction Guaranteed

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

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

About the Author
Authors Denise and Alan Fields are consumer advocates who've been featured on Oprah, The Today Show, Good Morning America and Dateline NBC. Their books include the best-selling paperbacks Bridal Bargains, Baby 411 and Toddler 411. The Fields live in Boulder, CO with their sons, Ben and Jackson.

If you like Baby Bargains, check out the Fields' other books: Baby 411, Toddler 411 and, new this year, Expecting 411. The 411 books are co-authored by award-winning pediatrician Dr. Ari Brown and answer all your questions on health, sleep, discipline and more!

Learn more about their books at BabyBargains.com

Customer Reviews

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!

seasoned mom rethinks opinion on book
If I had reviewed this book during my pregnancy (as it appears many do), I would have given it 5 stars. The book was helpful in providing reviews of many products. When I was doing my pre-baby purchasing, this book was my "bible". I recommended it to several others.

However, post-baby, I found that many of the products even the authors said I "needed" were a big waste of money. I also strongly disagreed with them on a number of products, and ended up giving away or returning several highly-recommended products in exchange for others. Most of the book seems to be their opinion, and doesn't jive well with many seasoned parents that I know.

Furthermore, their tips for saving money are mainly common sense, or impractical. For instance, to save on maternity
clothes, they recommend getting ONE outfit with a skirt, pair of pants, and top, and switching them around... don't think most of us need a book for that.

If I had it to do over, I would buy a car seat, clothes, diapers, some baby wash , bassinet...and wait to see what else I'd really need and want til after baby was born. This book tends to promote unnecessary consumerism to vulnerable first-time parents.