Customer Reviews

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

5 star:		(101)
4 star:		(13)
3 star:		(6)
2 star:		(1)
1 star:		(4)

 

 

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!

I love giving copies of books I enjoy away, in hope that others will share what I've gain from them. For example, over the years, I have given many copies of "Life's Little Instructions" book. But when it comes to practical books that one can use, I think the Baby Bargain book is my favorite. I enjoyed the book so much that over the past 3 years I've given more than 10 copies of the books away to my co-workers, friends and family who are expecting babies, and every feedback I've received has been the same - it's awesome!

My daughter just turned 3, but before she was born, we were clueless about what to get. Whenever we go into a Babies R Us, we feel lost because of the vast choices available. We decided that we need a book that will guide us through the baby products maze like what the excellent "What to Expect" book did with my wife's pregnancy.

The Baby Bargain book had helped me, as well as 10 of my closed friends and family, through the exciting period of expecting our new babies, preparing the nursery, buying the clothes baby will need when he/she comes out of the hospital, diapers, baby monitors, clothes, and everything else that may (and WILL) be needed. After reading each section of the book, walking into Babies R Us is no longer a daunting task, because I know exactly what to look for.

I compared many baby product books, including the Consumer Reports book, and I must say that the Baby Bargain book won hands-down. However, you must know what it is and what it isn't. This book is more about what to get and what not to, as opposed to where to get them or who has the lowest prices. In today's almost friction-less economy, price shopping is as simple as hopping online. It's difficult to put anything pricing information in print without being outdated as soon as the book is published.

The amazing thing about this book, I found, is that it makes a very interest read for men and women alike. I have a friend who read the book I gave him, cover to cover, on a 5-hour flight from east to the west coast.

While I can't buy a book for each of you reading this review, I highly recommend that you purchase this book and read it for yourself. I promise that it's going to be one of the most rewarding and exciting books you'll ever read.

By the way, congradulation on the new addition to your family, and remember, your life will never be the same again.

I was about to buy this book (as it comes highly recommended), but discovered from their website (windsorpeak.com/babybargains/default.html) that the new edition will be out in 2 and a half weeks. The book is only updated every 2 years and the new edition adds 70 new pages. If you can wait, I'd recommend it.

I highly highly HIGHLY recommend picking up a copy of the book "Baby Bargains" - ESPECIALLY if you're a first-time parent-to-be. It is an essential guide to the overwhelming number of choices when it comes to "baby gear." The book provides guidance on what to look for in cribs, car seats, strollers, baby furniture, etc. as far as safety and ease of use. It clues you in to handy helpful items you probably have not thought, or heard, of. Provides an "A B C D" rating on lots of brands. Points out items that are probably a waste of money. Provides contact info on where you can find the stuff.

The first time I walked into Babies R Us I was absolutely overwhelmed. I knew I needed more guidance on what I really needed to buy and what to look for in order to make intelligent decisions and choices and avoid being sucked into the baby goods rip-off racket. "Baby Bargains" is turning out to be the perfect tool to help me select good-quality "stuff" that my baby really needs at reasonable prices. And to make intelligent decisions as to trade-offs between price and features without compromising safety.

Sorry to go on, but this book ROCKS and I would be lost without it. You will save the $...cost of the book MANY times over - in time, aggravation and money!

I love reading this book. It has many money saving recommendations, and I love all the websites, and places to buy inexpensive things. The only problem I have with this book is some of their recommendations. I highly recommend you do your own research on the web first. For example, I am currently researching twin strollers. The one that they HIGHLY recommend, and state is "the best" on the market, has poor reviews ... I recommend reading the ample reviews on amazon.com ... before making any purchase they recommend in haste. However, this book is a wonderful source of information, especially to the new mother, who is bombarded with a million different products, and doesn't have the time, energy or money to do tons of online researching.

Being a first-time mom, with no one local to help me out with purchases and not wanting to spend our retirement fund on the child, I saw this book and instantly purchased it.

First, the pluses. I love the pull-out checklist (it's the size of a large bookmark) in the back of the book. It summarizes all the key points of what to look for in shopping for cribs, strollers, car seats, what layette you really need, etc. And about that what layette you really need - that has got to be the most helpful chapter, at least for me, in the entire book! They do pay special attention to Canandian distributors, which can be a real lifesaver for those who live near the border and are on a budget. (A hint: if an item is labeled "Made in Canada", you don't have to pay duty on it!) Their "wastes of money" sections are valuable also.

Now, the minuses. Some of the things that they say are "essentials", I would argue with. Over [$] on maternity clothing? Half of which should be underwear? Come on now. They also tremendously undervalue the usefullness of online auctions. I also found the chapters did not flow well AT ALL. They jumped around a lot, and it was difficult to refer back to information, especially web sites.

My biggest gripe about the book, and the reason I did not give it 5 stars: they harp on their website. Check it out for this! Check it out for that! Well, I did, and it [stinks]! It's not been updated in over 7 months! Don't spend all your time touting a website, and then not maintain it. (It also is poorly constructed and difficult to navigate.)

Overall, it will save me money, mostly because I was clueless about the whole process. But if you are returning to motherhood, or have a large support network, then you can probably learn just as much by asking around.

This book is an invaluable tool for expectant parents, especially first-time parents like us. The reviews of products are so helpful, and in nearly every category they give "Good", "Better", and "Best" choices, so it's so easy to save money with the Fields' recommendations! The nice thing is that the Fields' definition of "Best" doesn't NOT always mean "most expensive"...AND you can always feel comfortable with their less expensive recommendations. The advice in this book is very practical and it's nice to know when products have proven to be low quality and therefore not worth the money you might save in the purchase if you're going to end up replacing it later because it broke, didn't work right, wasn't safe, wore out too soon, shrunk, etc. Also helpful are the links to online stores and resources, the lists of outlet stores, etc...AND the benefits don't disappear after you're done reading the book...you can watch the Fields' Baby Bargains Web site for updates, corrections, etc., sign up for their e-newsletter, and participate in the message boards as well. The Fields themselves participate on the message boards and are really quite interactive with their readers who contact them. Our baby is due in late August and so far we've bought our crib, car seats, infant carrier, stroller, and bedding and some clothing...and we estimate that thanks to the Fields we've most likely saved a few hundred dollars...and best of all we feel like we've made sound, informed choices that we can be very comfortable with once our baby is here with us. This book is the book that keeps on giving, as far as we're concerned!

this book helped me choose what my baby might need and what brands to look at. i know moms that went to set up their registries and came home crying. there is a lot of stuff out there for babies, and this can be a very useful tool for new moms. there is an updated version (6.1) that includes the newest info it can. even though it was printed in february 2006 i knew about it a few months ago because i am on the baby bargains email list. the only thing i didn't like about this book is the narrow pages, i guess they wanted the book to look thicker? trying to read a thick narrow book drove me nuts. if you are uncertain about buying it, check it out from the library. even if it's an older version of the book it will give you some ideas of what you need or want for your new bundle of joy.

I got this as a gift, and it has been invaluable to me as both a learning experience (what do I really need?) and as a reference as I go through each category of "stuff" in preparation for my first baby due this summer. It's also the only baby book that my husband would go near.

Each section follows a common format, so it's easy to find the type of information you need. Each section contains a list of the minimum you need in each category (e.g. layette) and various ways to save money.

This book is not about the cheapest baby gear on the market - it's about getting the best value for your money. They give several expensive stroller manufacturers their highest grade, even though similar strollers can be had at Target and the like, because of their products' quality and durability. This kind of advice is very hard to come by - Consumer Reports is often years (and several models) behind the current selection of baby gear.

Get this book before buying anything else baby-related, you will not be disappointed.

I received this book as a gift when I was pregnant and enjoyed reading the reviews and suggestions for saving money. However, I am a "pro" when it comes to saving money to begin with, so many of the suggestions were 'old news' to me. If you are not a natural at finding bargains, this is a great book for you. If you are good at saving money, you probably know most of the tricks they suggest. Also, keep in mind that many of the product reviews they give are the authors opinions--I felt differently about several products. For example, the authors hail over the Diaper Genie, and I really didn't care to use the Genie after a short period of time. Just something to keep in mind and know to take everything with a grain of salt.