One of the little details of having a baby that is sometimes forgotten is the cost. In this comprehensive guide, Denise and Alan Fields show how to keep these costs manageable. This newly revised, updated and illustrated edition covers such topics as how to avoid wasting money with baby clothes, and which brands are best; the truth about strollers, and which are the wisest choices; the ten best baby gifts (along with the five worst); name-brand reviews of toys, monitors, high chairs, latch car seats, and diapers; and much more. Baby Bargains is the best-selling guide to the very best deals on all of baby's needs. It includes everything necessary to turn bewildered, cash-crunched parents into savvy bargain hunters.
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Book Description
Editorial Reviews
About the Author
Denise Fields and Alan Fields write a monthly column for Baby Talk magazine. They have written several best-selling books, including Baby Bargains and Bridal Bargains. They live in Boulder, CO.
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Customer Reviews
Most Helpful Customer Reviews
141 of 147 people found the following review helpful
By A Customer
Format:Paperback
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.
11 of 11 people found the following review helpful
By kelly gill
Format:Paperback
As soon as I started looking through this book, I realized how valuable it would be to me and my husband. We take it with us whenever we go shopping for the baby because it is so helpful and objective. The "Wastes of Money" sections are great for our budget and while you can get details on the products throughout the chapters, you can also get succinct ratings on products at the end of each section. We registered with this book in hand and so far we feel like it has really been the most useful tool. The clerks at Babies 'R Us were impressed with our knowledge and could have conversations with us about the products without "upselling" to us. I think they knew we wouldn't go for anything the book didn't recommend! I'm am giving this to my friends when they get pregnant- it makes a great gift!
9 of 10 people found the following review helpful
Format:Paperback
...NOT just those people looking to save a few bucks! When my hubby and I were getting married, I bought the Fields' Wedding Bargains book and found that the best thing about it was the number of ideas and resources it gave me, when I had no idea where to start looking. I find the same to be true with this book, especially since this is our 1st child. Friends and family members can all give you advice but I find that 1) it is sometimes a bit outdated (and this can even be true of products just a few years old) and 2) is always biased. Now, having a "point-of-view" on a product is great, but I worry that parents who set out looking for the cheapest or most convenient baby product may not have done quite the research these authors have on things such as safety. The greatest thing is they take real-world use AND safety into consideration, and then compare it to lots and lots of brands (some you and your friends have never heard of but should not dismiss). They even review a companies customer service, something most of us don't think about while browsing in a store. I find often times that their rec's tend to match with the reviews on Amazon, but they offer additional advice that can put an overwhelmed new parents mind at ease. They also offer great tips and advice on lots of other baby and pregnancy topics, such as where to get great deals on maternity clothes, where the best garage sale deals are and most importantly WHAT NOT TO BORROW OR BUY SECONDHAND!!! Well-meaning friends and family may offer lots of things to you, which sounds great when you're on a budget, but risking a child's safety is never worth saving a few bucks. Instead, they tell you what the REAL value of an item is (if it lasts longer and comes with more, USEFUL features, it's cheaper in the long run than say a cheaply made basic model) and give you ways to save money in other areas that you can safely shop for bargains on. There is almost no topic left untouched in this book. You may think you can just find this all on the web but advertising and an overwhelming amount of unorganized info is enough to leave any parent-to-be confused and misinformed. I highly recommend the latest version of this book for any parent to be (start reading it ASAP!!!) and a visit to their website :)
Most Recent Customer Reviews
2.0 out of 5 stars
Helpful but Really outdated
This book is turning out to be very helpful, but I would wait until the new one is out- at this point it is worthless to get this edition almost because it talks about issues that... Read more
Published 1 month ago by T. Vinogradsky
5.0 out of 5 stars
Great condition
Book was great, although I should've checked to make sure that it was the most recent edition for the most relevant info. Read more
Published 9 months ago by Mary
5.0 out of 5 stars
Amazing book for new parents
Friend let me borrow the 8th edition. Amazing! So glad I finally read it at almost 4 months pregnant. So helpful to know what you really need, when you need it and what's the best. Read more
Published 16 months ago by H. Mommaerts
2.0 out of 5 stars
Excellent Resource -- However, updated version is available
I've found this book to provide invaluable guidance for the harrowing and uncertain process of getting the needed (and best) things we'll need for our first baby. Read more
Published on December 6, 2010 by new parent
3.0 out of 5 stars
never received it!!!
As of 8/15/2010, I have not received this book. I was notified that it shipped but it was never delivered and I had no way of contacting Amazon for help - when I plugged into... Read more
Published on August 15, 2010 by sailboat
5.0 out of 5 stars
Fantastic resource
If you have children or are going to have one soon, the initial costs of purchasing everything is pretty daunting. This book is a fantastic resource for the new parents. Read more
Published on April 27, 2010 by J. J. Marino
4.0 out of 5 stars
ATTENTION first time parents: Great resource (but not perfect)
We used Baby Bargains extensively. We had the 5th edition, technically the 2nd revision (Version 5.2), from 2004, and by the time we were done with it, it had many sections... Read more
Published on September 26, 2009 by Jason Kirkfield
5.0 out of 5 stars
Mother's (And Mother's To Be) Little Helper
In these times it has become a bit more of a concern to be able to work within budgets and cut some costs when needed. Read more
Published on June 30, 2009 by O. Canez
3.0 out of 5 stars
Great book for the 20th century. The 21st century killed this book!
This book is awesome, if we still relied on books for information. With the internet, you can find everything in this book, by googling or going to baby sites. Read more
Published on January 12, 2009 by Disney Teach
4.0 out of 5 stars
The book seems great, but watch which edition you are getting...
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. Read more
Published on November 1, 2008 by mama2mymonkey
Citations (learn more)
This book cites 9
books:
See all 9 books this book cites
- Safe and Sound: Complete Guide to First Aid and Emergency Treatment for Children and Young Adults by Linda Wolfe on page 129
- The Real World by Bruce Marshall on page 224
- John Lennon (Front Page News Book) by Ese California on page 131
- The Leading Lady: Dinah's Story by Betty White on page 510
- Getting Started: " Runner's World " Best by "Runner's World" in Front Matter
See all 9 books this book cites
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