Rating: 
Summary: Some products are not so hot, but the authors like them
Review: 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.
Rating: 
Summary: No so many "bargains"
Review: A quick note of criticism for this book which seems to get wonderful ratings from other readers: While the product descriptions included are informative, a majority of the recommendations are for expensive baby products. What I was hoping for were bargains, but the message of "Baby Bargains" is ultimately "You get what you pay for". While this may be true, most people don't need to buy a book to learn this lesson. I'm still searching for the "bargains" in this book that some other reviewers were raving about...
Rating: 
Summary: A great gift for first time parents.
Review: I read this book cover to cover. I loved all the detailed purchasing advice, even though I went ahead and bought practicaly every piece of baby equipment on the the market, when I was pregnant with my first child. This guide is very helpful if you want to limit(my husband is wishing I would have) the amount of "must have" items that you see in the baby stores.
Rating:
Summary: 6 Stars: Wish I'd known about this book since we're pregnant
Review: In a matter of minutes after grabbing this book, I already figured how we can save ourselves some $... we were getting ready to spend (on a bassinet). We're already in our eighth month, so we've already done a lot of the buying (and baby showers) for the baby. In many items, we got to some of the same conclusions included in the buying tips. But there are some things that only an "insider" can share with you, and the lists that the Fields provide (for options of stores, brands, catalogs, etc.) are tough to assemble without someone's expertise (like theirs) or a LOT of research time invested. These are the tips and insights that make this book pay for itself in a few minutes! I can't believe we weren't recommended this book, just like we were told about the 'classic' "What to expect..." After all, the ability to save in the face of greater expenses (due to the baby's arrival) is something to take into account as well.
Rating:
Summary: Great resource for new parents
Review: Down-to-earth consumer advocates Denise & Alan Fields pull together an amazing wealth of information for expectant parents confronted with an endless list of things to buy and an endless parade of suppliers ready to persuade them they need more than they actually do.Besides helping you save money (for instance, by buying crib sheets separately rather than springing for a crib bedding set packed with useless & sometimes dangerous extras), this book also contains valuable information on the safety and reliability of baby products. Most of all, this book has been my organizer in the perplexing world of buying for baby. The "sample registry" in the appendix kept me from simply being paralyzed in the baby product store, not knowing where to start. And detailed sections on each item help new parents who don't know yet what features they want in a stroller, whether they can trust a bargain crib, or what the *^%&! a "layette" is, anyway. A great saver of sanity at a crazy time!
Rating:
Summary: Use it more to select quality items than save money
Review: Despite the title, we didn't use it so much to save money but to make sure we picked the right baby products. The frequent costs analysis were helpful, but the reviews of individual brands and products and bottom-line best picks were even more valuable. We never went shopping without it.
Rating:
Summary: MUST Have!
Review: After buying just about every baby book on the shelf, a friend gave me this one and it's the only book I've needed. The others haven't been off of the bookshelf since we started reading this. It's not only informative, but entertaining as well. Unlike the other books, the humor keeps you reading, but the book is also written so you can use it as a quick reference in the stores. You can't go to any baby store in the Washington, DC area without seeing couples consulting this book. It's been our "baby bible"!
Rating:
Summary: Great help when it comes to choosing baby products!
Review: I bought the Fields' "Bridal Bargains" book when I got married several years ago, and so when I became pregnant I purchased this book since "Bridal Bargains" had been such a great help during my wedding. This book has been an absolute huge help for my husband and I, as this is our first child and we knew very little about buying baby products. It's been extremely helpful in determining what items we need to buy, the manufacturers to buy them from, and where to buy them. Yes, this book includes the author's opinions, but they also have gathered the opinions of many parents as well which makes the reviews and information in here valuable to me. It's been great in determining which products are good, and which are just pieces of junk. While they definitely want to help you save money with this book, they also want to make sure you know what are quality items and what aren't. In other words, just because it's cheap doesn't necessarily make it a good buy, and just because it's expensive doesn't make it one either. I really feel like we made some good choices with the items we've bought and don't feel like we've spent too much money either. Along with the message boards that go with this book that you can access via their website, I really feel as though we've made some well informed choices and I was easily able to research things to my satisfaction. This book has a ton of information, and if you don't find it there the message boards that go with it are a huge help. I would definitely recommend purchasing this book and using it in conjunction with the message boards on their website. There's just so much useful information in this book that it's really not something to be passed up.
Rating:
Summary: Best purchase especially for new moms!!
Review: This book is worth every penny!! As a new mom-to-be I am researching things left and right and I will take this book with me shopping. Every product I thought of buying is reviewed in this book, it even covers maternity clothes and introducing your baby to your pet!! This book covers every aspect and lists the essentials you will need. It even compares it's ratings to consumer reports. This is an absolute MUST HAVE!! Amazon sometimes lists this book with the Consumer Reports baby book. Do yourself a favor and do not buy the Consumer Reports baby book it has a dismal 10 pages dedicated to reviewing a scant few Infant seats, Convertible Car Seats, Toddler Boosters, Boosters, Travel Systems, Play Yards and Soft Carriers. I bought it and will be returning it promptly!! Best Idea.. buy Baby Bargains you will definately use it, then if you still want consumer reports product ratings as a comparison join their website for a the shortest time possible print your research and stick it in your Baby Bargains book to take shopping with you. Thanks Denise and Alan Fields.. I used Bridal Bargains for my wedding and now Baby Bargains for our first child!!
Rating: 
Summary: A Place to Start
Review: As a first-time mom, I found this book to be helpful. I knew nothing about brands of cribs, bedding, etc. It was useful to have a list of what is available, although their lists are not all-inclusive. I think some of their advice is off-base and favors more expensive brands, but that's just my opinion. If readers remember that this book is just the authors' opinions and take what is written with that in mind, the book will be useful. I recommend also talking with other moms and looking at opinions on amazon.com... in addition to checking things out for yourself at the store. This book is a reasonable introduction to the world of baby gear.
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