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Baby Poems for Saying What's On Your Heart
Baby poems and baby shower poems can express any sentiment. Whether sweet, funny, or loving, poems are an ideal way to say what’s on your heart. And if you need some help with what to say, online you can find everything you’re looking for having to...
Everything You Need To Know About Your Baby’s Teething Process
The teething process can be a difficult period for both the baby and the parents. The process starts at different ages depending on each baby but usually by age of 3 most infants have their primary teeth in place. If by one year your baby still has...
interesting Baby Facts... Strange But True!
* A baby is born every seven seconds. * Babies are born with very poor vision but can recognize their mothers almost right away. * Babies are always born with blue eyes, within a few moments of delivery their eye color can change. * Babies...
Sweep Away Colic Baby Crying with White Noise
It doesn’t make sense does it? You do everything possible as a new parent to keep your baby healthy and happy. So why is it, your baby decides to start screaming inconsolably right around dinner time? Just when you need it least. Ask yourself… ...
The 6 Key Points to Preparing Your Own Baby Food
Congratulations on taking the decision to prepare your own food for your baby! By doing so, you're treating him to two of life's greatest gifts -- good health and delicious food. Before you get started, here are some important points to keep in...
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Are You Spending Too Much Money on Baby Gear?
Did you waste $57 today? I hope not. Unfortunately, so many new parents pay much more than they have to for baby products, because they don’t know the secrets the insiders know.
Remember, just because you shop at so-called discount stores doesn’t mean you’ll get the lowest prices. The same is true for warehouse stores and online auction sites.
Even coupons that seem like great deals aren’t always a bargain. For example, one online retailer recently offered a promotion where you could buy one board game and get one free. But the games cost twice what they cost at a competitor. So it wasn’t really a deal at all.
What’s a bargain-hunting parent to do? It helps if you can find someone who’s done some research for you.
The Shopping Mom to the Rescue!
In an attempt to do a scientific, apples-to-apples comparison, I recently conducted a price test of six popular baby product web sites. I purchased a basket of common baby products from each site.
All of the sites I chose were well-established businesses, with reliable customer service, and a good selection of products. Many offered extra services, like reader reviews, shopping checklists and helpful tips. The sites were:
1. BabyCenter (http://www.babycenter.com)
2. Babies R Us (http://www.babiesrus.com)
3. Baby Universe (http://www.babyuniverse.com)
4. Baby Catalog (http://www.babycatalog.com)
5. Shopping.com (http://www.shopping.com)
6. Target.com (http://www.target.com)
Shopping.com isn't a retailer. It's a comparison shopping service. But I included it because it’s supposed to be able to find you the best deals online. I wanted to see if it lived up to its promise.
The Results
Remember the $57 I talked about wasting earlier? That was the difference in total cost between the cheapest site I
shopped and the most expensive. A pretty hefty chunk of change, considering my basket had just four items:
1. A Britax Roundabout car seat in Denim (the price can differ depending on the pattern)
2. The First Years On the Go booster seat
3. An Avent newborn starter set
4. A Boppy
I used my address in Maryland to calculate shipping and tax. Obviously, the cost to you will vary, depending on where you live.
And the Winner Is...
Coming in at a lean, mean $255.55: Baby Catalog offered the best deals. And this didn't include the extra discount you get by signing up for their Baby Club of America.
Shopping.com came in a close second at $257.34, making it a worthwhile stop for anyone in the market for baby gear. Plus, Shopping.com is integrated with Epinions.com, so you can get product reviews right there. I also liked the fact that Shopping.com calculated the total cost, including shipping and tax, in advance.
Baby Universe came in at $263.91. But keep in mind that Baby Universe offers a flat shipping rate of $6.95, no matter how many products you buy. So the more you buy, the better deal this site is.
Babies R Us was the most expensive, at $312.97, followed by Target at $300.74, and BabyCenter at $285.06. Interestingly, both Babies R Us and Target are under the Amazon.com umbrella, which means you should always comparison shop among the different stores on the Amazon site.
Keep in mind, too, that all of these retailers offer coupons and special deals from time to time. So it always pays to shop around.
About the Author
Stephanie Gallagher reveals her closely-guarded shopping secrets in her ezine, The Shopping Mom’s Weekly Tip. Get the eCookbooks Recipe Sampler Cookbook as a special gift when you subscribe. Send a blank email to: theshoppingmom@aweber.com
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