Top 5 Baby Sites

Top 5 Baby Sites

If you have young children of your own, I'm sure you can sympathize when I say that shopping with a baby (or toddler) can be so difficult sometimes. I only have about 30 minutes before my 2 year old starts freaking out - I can't imagine how hard things will be when baby #2 comes along.

Since shopping with children has been quite challenging for me, I try to do as much online shopping as possible. Of course, groceries is not really something I want to purchase online, but everything else is fair game - clothing, toys, etc.

Below is a list of stores that I find are the best in terms of children's items.

 

Old Navy Canada

I've found that the prices of children's clothing at Old Navy are very reasonable, and the quality is quite nice as well (for most things). There are times when I come across a pair of jeans or a sweater for $50 (seriously - who spends that much on children's clothing?!), but for the most part, they seem to have great prices.

On top of their low-cost items, Old Navy Canada offers many sales and coupons on a regular basis. Sometimes you can combine a great price with a sale AND an Old Navy coupon. Mega savings right there! [Old Navy deals on Bargainmoose]

Please Mum Canada

You will often find fantastic clothing deals at Please Mum Canada (especially online). Their prices are a bit high to begin with, so don't expect to find t-shirts for $2, pants for $3 or winter coats for an amazing $5. However, the quality of clothing at Please Mum more than makes up for the extra cash you will have to shell out.

I've seen discounts for as much as 80% off at Please Mum Canada. They really do have some of the best sales on children's clothing! [Please Mum deals on Bargainmoose]

Children's Place Canada

Like Please Mum, the Children's Place has quite a few sales every year. You can almost always find some type of 50% off (or more) sale in store and online (usually for clothing that it is going out of season).

Their online shopping site is fairly new and it has shown some great sales as well. If you sign up to their mailing list, they will regularly send you discount coupons that you can use both online and in stores.

Another great thing about the Children's Place Canada is that it has flat rate shipping of $8. [Children's Place deals on Bargainmoose]

Chapters/Indigo Canada

I know it seems odd that you would be able to find great kids items at a book store like Chapters, but they do sell more than books... much more! Kids toys, plush items, infant care and even nursery decor.

If you look under the SALE section of the website, you will see a list of categories from which you can look through all of the sale items. Toys are often included here. Board games, puzzles, wooden toys and even Crayola products!

Chapters is really good about offering discounts for online (and in store) purchases, such as this Chapters coupon which gives a $5 discount. Signing up to their mailing list is a good idea if you want to make sure you are the first to know about their latest sales and coupon offers. [Chapters deals on Bargainmoose]

Babies R Us Canada

You can easily order baby essentials online through the Babies R Us website. Strollers, car seats, potty seats, clothing - you can even buy maternity clothing through Thyme Maternity!

Pay close attention to their online clearance section, as this is updated on a regular basis with all kind of great deals. I was recently able to purchase a baby bath tub and diaper bag for only $32 (including shipping & tax)!

Although coupon codes for Babies R Us aren't offered as often as they are for other stores, they are distributed occasionally (usually through email, but sometimes they give them out in store as well). [Babies R Us deals on Bargainmoose]

Conclusion

Having children can be expensive when you add up the cost of all of the gear they need, diapers, formula, and who can forget all of the clothing that they seem to outgrow overnight!

In order to avoid over-spending on baby items, be sure to do your research and shop only at stores that offer great deals and promotions for their customers.

You will find the best deals (especially on clothing) right at the end of a season, so try to do your shopping then, if possible. Many stores still offer great savings throughout the entire year, though - just do a bit of research before you go shopping.

This was a guest post from Cassie Howard, who is a work at home mom living in Mississauga, Ontario. She writes daily on her personal finance blog, MrsJanuary.com – a website dedicated to frugal living. She’s what many would call an extreme couponer and saves a minimum of 50% off her grocery bill every week by using coupons. [Anna]

Comments

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  • MF
    It is SO depressing how much more things cost in Canada. I am from Chicago and live in the GTA now and I cannot get over how some things are over double the price! A few bucks here and there, fine. But often something that is 13 bucks at Target or even the US site for Babiesrus can be over 40 bucks on the Canadian Babiesrus site. And then I read the comments/reviews on the Canadian sites for certain products: "Not worth the money." Or "Great product but too expensive to bother." All I can think is, "Of course you think it's too expensive! That isn't what the price should be!!" Sure I can go on Craigslist and find great things for less, but since everything is so much more here, the "used" price is just as much or just a bit less than the "new" price in the US (or the UK for that matter) It is sad to me that all of us hard working Canadian moms are getting ripped off day in and day out. I get the need for things to be a little more expensive here... but wow, sometimes it is like borderline abusive.
    • Chrissy
      I'm from Chicago too, but in Windsor now! Which part of Chicago? Luckily my whole family lives there still, so I ship to my mom's! Have you heard of mama bargains? They ship to Canada!
      • Avigayil
        The economics involved in this is that the Canadian population is much more spread out, Canada is a bigger country, and we don't have the population to support having large warehouses for companies to conveniently have the products shipped from the factories to Canada. Generally they would go through the US, and smaller orders shipped up to stock Canadian stores. You are then dealing with extra travel time, extra travel costs, and either more frequent deliveries or more warehouse space taken up (which costs money) to keep delivery needs as minimum as possible. We are a large country without the population nor population centres to support a lot of the luxuries we expect to be at our fingertips... exactly like in the US. The problem is we are not the US. It is a supply vs. demand problem. I do not deny there is markup... of course there is markup. But at the same time we cannot expect to have things cost the same in Canada as they do in the US.
      • Lisa
        I find Babies R Us is consistently overpriced.
        • Erynne
          Nice article! If I am buying new clothing for my kids these days, I tend to shop Old Navy and watch for the sales. Normally though, I buy second hand because often the sale prices are too much. Kids grow too fast!
          • Alicia
            I LOVE babies r us , great products and they have everything there and i mean yes its pricy but thats WHY i coupon so i have the extra to spend the money on fun and sometimes exspensive baby items that i dont always need but what for my daughter to have and i have spent $50 + on an outfit for my daughter.. for the simple reason is ... i save money with couponing and thats how i wish to spend it :)
            • Krista
              Great post and very helpful for us parents that want to save some money! Thanks!
              • Me
                I agree - BRU is very much overpriced. I also disagree with Please Mum. I find that the quality of clothing is below par and that their sales are a joke with so many exclusions that it's amazing to actually find a decent bargain. Perhaps I'm bitter though, because I was gifted a $100 gift that was purchased two weeks before their "restructuring" (ie. store closures) and when I contacted the company, the customer service rep had an attitude of so-sad, too-bad. They won't accept them at the stores! AWFUL! Gymboree is a MUCH better clothing store. I just purchased my son's entire wardrobe for the summer a few weeks ago during their red balloon sale. Shorts and tshirts made of amazing quality were $3.99 to $6.99! My two cents are always free!
                • Amie
                  You didn't mention Gymboree! Ok - Gymboree is really expensive until you learn how to shop there! *Shop when they offer gymbucks (Spend $50 and get $25 off a $50 purchase during Gymbucks). *Shop the clearance racks *Sign up for their email (you will receive 10% off of everything, including other promos) I have purchased so many different things from my son there and I have NEVER paid more than 40% of what it originally sold for. I try to make it so I only pay about 25%. They have the cutest little outfits. Like the skunk, giraffe or moose!! :))
                  • Maggie
                    Another mom who disagrees about Please Mum. The quality is just not there, IMO. I love Gymboree, and if you go at the right time, you can find amazing deals, and then Gymbucks make it even better. I'd rather pay $6 for a good Gymboree shirt than $2.99 for an Old Navy one that's only going to last through one kid, if that. And does Children's Place really have free shipping? Every time I go, it tells me there's an $8 flat rate for Cdn orders. Weird.
                    • joy
                      I agree with the other posters about Please Mum. I have tried to like them but the quality is just not there. I have purchased a handful of items there but will never go back because, the colours fade quickly, the items fell apart after a few washes, the pictures peeled offand best of all, gloves split open after 1 wear! Unless you get a really great sale there, the prices are too high for their poor quality.
                    • Cassie H.
                      @Lisa: I think it depends on what you are purchasing. I find it to be the best store for car seats, strollers, etc. (but I am after certain brands that you can't really find elsewhere). Their clothing is definitely overpriced though (for the most part). @Amie: I have never had much luck with Gymboree. :( @Maggie: You are right about the shipping charge. I'm so sorry for the confusion, that should have been added to the post.