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Are You
Spending Too Much Money on Baby Products?
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by:
Stephanie Gallagher
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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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