Rating: 
Summary: A must have book!
Review: This book is a BEST BUY! I have dog-earred the entire book. I had no idea of what to buy, why or how many. This book has all that information. It even tells you the best place to buy the items. I feel so much more prepared after reading this book and it is a book I will recommend or give to all my expectant friends!
Rating: 
Summary: Few savings, but essential tips on what to buy
Review: I doubt this book will save us much money. Despite their claims, the authors seem to prefer most of the gadgety items and almost always the highest-priced items ($500 for 100% cotton bedding, versus $200 for cotton blends? Gee, that's not a tough decision for us budget-conscious new parents, even if the all-cotton sheets ARE nicer...). However, the book is most useful for its no-nonsense style in cutting through the baloney and telling you what you really need to buy, as opposed to what the baby store tells you you "really need" to buy. For this reason alone it is worth buying.
Rating:
Summary: An Incredible Must-Have Guideline for New Parents-to-Be
Review: I was so nervous walking into those baby superstores not having any clue what to begin to look at, especially since I didn't want to waste money. This book has helped tremendously! Now that I have an idea of what to shop for and HOW to shop, I'm looking forward to preparing for our first baby more than ever. With the ratings in this book and the suggestions on what to look for in products, I know I'll buy good quality products and not end up wasting money on something I'll never use. The authors writing style is easy to read and down-to-earth. You know they've been there - done that. This book is a must-have for anyone facing their first pregnancy -- whether you have thousands of dollars to spend or hundreds. You will not regret this purchase!
Rating: 
Summary: What a great resource especially for first time mom's!
Review: What a great resource for new mothers!When I was expecting our first child I needed so many things. Ultimately, I wanted to make sure that I was not only getting the best value for my money but, I also wanted a product that was efficient and useful.As a new mom how do you know if a product will be useful? This book was an outstanding reference tool to assist in finding products that were useful and efficient.The book also made suggestions on what items would be "must have for a first time mom" Also, the book guided me to the best places to find certain items at the best sale prices possible. For instance, in the Baby Bargains book it suggested to watch at certain stores for clearances on strollers at certain times of the year.Want to know the specifics...well, buy the book and you will find out for yourself. The book certainly made shopping easier for me and I hope it does for you too! My only issue with the book was that some of the suggested online references and telephone numbers for resources were no longer in service. I would sugeest that you check the online website as suggested in the book for further updates and the latest information as related to this book. Otherwise, I felt the book was a great resource and reference for anything that you will need for your baby.
Rating:
Summary: Great Overall Book
Review: This book is great if you are on a real tight budget or just looking to save some money. However, for us, it's best use was for the way it rated and ranked products. My wife and I found the sheer number of baby products available, overwhelming and confusing. This book simplifies the process and gives the reader choices based on safety, reliability and practicality. We used this book for all of the major and most minor purchases we made for our newborn. I think it's a must have for all parents-to-be. I've given it as gifts on three occasions since we used it. Buy it, now!
Rating:
Summary: Good Product Info, Could Go Farther On Savings
Review: Baby Bargains is one of the most valuable books I purchased during my pregnancy! The information contained within assisted us with almost all of our purchasing decisions guiding us towards things we needed and steering us away from things we didn't. However, like all good resources, improvements could definitely be made and more savings realized!Each chapter contains fairly complete information on your brand options, advantages and disadvantages of each brand, company contact and website info. Moreover, the authors guide you towards money saving mail order and website sources. Other reviewers critique the "best" rated brands as pricey and they are. However, the "best" rated brand may not be what is best for you and your family. You simply garner the information and make decisions based upon your needs and budget. Perhaps my greatest disappointment with the book is that the biggest savings are either overlooked or outright dismissed. Most dismaying was the lack of discussion on savings provided by breastfeeding, homemade baby food, cloth diapering, and homemade baby wipes. After all, we're talking about Baby Bargains and you'd be suprised how much these "repeat" necessities add up! All of these "cost savings" techniques are easier than you think, but the authors either never touch on the subject or if they do, they dismiss it. For example, homemade baby food is never touched upon. I'm not implying that we must all make all of our own baby food; however, there are some cost effective ways to decrease what you spend on baby food (i.e. mash single food ingredients instead of buying them premashed in baby food jars, etc. . .) An excellent book based on the subject is Super Baby Food by Ruth Yaron. It is based on the premise that you can spend as much or as little time making baby food. Moreover, it is clear from their tone ("Cloth diapers can't hold a candle to today's super-absorbent disposable diapers.") that the authors have never cloth diapered their children. The authors mention that Mother Ease has a following. Granted, they make some nice (and pricey) diapers, but they're not the only way to go (just like every family doesn't need a Peg Perego stroller). Many cloth diaper users use inexpensive Chinese prefolds, no pins, and snap or velcro wraps. The authors claim you'll spend more because of the various sizes . . . hogwash . . . most of us are able to safely skip sizes. I know, my son is comfortably wearing the same size cover at 7 months that he wore at 1 month. We invested approximately $100 7 months ago and are still going strong! Granted, cloth diapering is not for everyone, but it is easier and more convenient than most people think. Our biggest difficulty was the first couple of weeks . . . figuring out what diapers worked for us and how to care for them. Three dozen prefolds and an extra 2 loads of laundry a week. From the pail to the wash, I never realized how easy it could be. It's a shame the authors didn't try it themselves before dismissing it as "costing as much" as disposables and "most folks don't have the time or energy". It just isn't so! Finally, Baby Bargains totally misses the mark when it comes to coupons, particularly those available online. There are a plethora of sites dedicated to discounts, online coupon codes and rebates for the baby stores you're most likely to shop at. Had I known about these sites when we did our shopping last year, we'd have saved hundreds more than the initial savings we realized from Baby Bargains. Overall, I would recommend purchasing Baby Bargains. After all, it is a *really* good book for product information, what you need and what you don't. However, it could definitely go farther in saving you money with low cost alternatives and online coupon website recommendations!
Rating:
Summary: Taking the Guesswork out of baby items!
Review: This was an excellent book. It's a must have for new parents. The most valuable thing about this book is eliminating choices! Walking into a baby store as a new parent is overwhelming. There are so many choices and everything tends to look the same. This book told me what to look for and helped me narrow down all the choices. Now, I feel like I had make a quick, intelligent, and SAFE decision for my children when buying items.
Rating:
Summary: A gem - indispensable, readable, funny!
Review: My sister-in-law sent me this for my birthday and it has been an enormous help for us as first-time parents. The reviews before mine extol its virtues at length, so I won't repeat - I'll just add that this will be the first thing I give any pregnant friend, the MINUTE I find out, so that they will have it BEFORE they start having showers or buying stuff.
Rating:
Summary: Must-have for new parents!
Review: This book will do much more than save you money! It's a primer on food, clothing, care and safety of your new baby (not to mention all the additional "stuff" that comes along for the ride, like birth announcements, strollers, toys....) This is the Consumer Report for baby products. There are lots of baby books out there, but very few that you really need. Consider this one of the few!
Rating:
Summary: Baby Bargains
Review: Excellent guide to making all of your baby purchases. Beats Consumer Reports at their own game. Information from parents who have already made their choices, right or wrong, and learned along the way.
|
