Getting ancy to shop

magoo1331

I'm all fired up to buy stuff for the nursery but I am over whelmed by it all. I was curious, does it matter where you get it from, Target or Babies-R-Us?  This is our first and I have no clue where I should start a registery or who has the best selection.  I want good/decent stuff, it doesn't have to be God-awful expensive. I just want it safe and durable.  Also, do any of you know if either of these stores have a "must get"list?

mlamping

Target prices are good. I wound not get furniture there. You will find better selection else where. Babies are R is expensive. Pretty much everything you can find cheaper else where. What I did is do a registry on Amazon so you learn the prices. Always check prices there. You will learn what is cheap and not very fast. Amazon has tons of choices and you will find almost anything as a price comparison. Then you can go and buy it at the local store. I recommend not to spend too much on furniture. We got really price set for my first dd that was not needed. I am now getting a crib for under 200, that will do just as well for the second. Also Pottery barn and land of nod are really expensive. Check out Lucie's list and baby bargains book for list of items and product selection. I found both really helpful. Also ask your friends with kids, what did they like, not buy and buy again. You can get a lot of the gear, swings, jumpers and bouncers used. I shop at yard sales and consignment stores a lot. I get baby clothes used too. They are so expensive otherwise. Do not get too much clothes, because your family and friends will get you clothes too. Do get bibs, and receiving blankets and such and a lot of them. Try amazon mom for discounts on diapers. Remember paying more that five cents a diaper is too much. Target brand diapers work well and so do Walmarts. If you have Cosco or other discount warehouse shop diapers there. Wipes get in bulk too, it is cheaper. 

I know that is a lot of info, but if you have questions ask. 

Good luck and do not stress. 

mlamping

Also I forgot to mention, furniture delivery takes time, so plan to buy early. Mine took over 14 weeks. 

Guennie

I am doing a registry with both Target and Amazon.com, mostly registering for the basics at Target like diapers and such. I have found clothes at consignment stores, our local Goodwill is awesome, and I check Craigslist every day for good deals. You can find some good furniture on Craigslist sometimes. Babies R Us does have good clearance deals now and then, I found my crib that way. I recommend you start early and look around rather than wait, that's what I've done and I'm so glad I didn't leave it to do all at once. I get a little here, a little there and I don't get overwhelmed that way. I know both Target and Amazon have articles with recommendations online. Not everything is necessary though. Some suggestions are just not needed, like a wipes warmer. I recommend you check out the Nursery and Baby Gear board. There are some good threads about what people were glad they got and what they ended up not using.

psychgalbride

I am a bargain shopper and refused to pay full price for anything for the nursery for our first.  

If you haven't already picked up a copy, I highly recommend this book for weeding out what you actually need and what brands are worth spending a little more.  And safety ratings!  https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1889392146/ref=olp_product_details?ie=UTF8&me=&seller=  

Do not spend a ton of money on bedding.  I found my set (and matching accessories) at TJ Maxx for a fraction of the price.  The Baby Bargains book I mentioned tells you about the thread count of the sheets and whether they have elastic all the way around.  

Furniture:  order early.  Shop around.  We scored our dresser and armoire for less than half price since they were display models.  

BRU is almost always a rip off.  We registered at BRU, Target, and Amazon.  Honestly only one person bought from BRU- the Target and Amazon registries were almost completely fulfilled.  

Target has excellent baby clearance- they cycle out old inventory quickly.  Check the clearance aisle frequently.  I got my bouncer, boppy pillow, extra crib sheets, diaper bag all 50-70% off.  

Clothing:  do not over buy.  You will most likely get a ton for your shower.  People especially love to buy baby girl clothing. All your kid will wear for the first few months are sleepers and onesies anyways.  

If you are bargain shopper, stores like TJ Maxx, Marshalls, Ross Dress for Less, can be gold mines!  

Happy shopping and registering!  

magoo1331

THANK YOU all for the info!! We find out the sex, hopefully, on Wednesday. I have found the crib I want and will order that this week. I live minutes from Goodwill, I will def check there for items.

LucyRicardo3

A little late to the party here, but I just wanted to share my past registry experiences with Target.

Don't get me wrong, they have great deals and really cute things. But pay attention to seasonal things, like crib sets and outfits, because they do cycle through clearance quickly and before you know it, your item is no longer available if you're not lucky enough to snag a good deal. Check your registry every couple of weeks or so for anything that is no longer available and update it.

Target was a pain in the neck with gift returns/exchanges if you don't have a gift receipt. Target will not allow you to return items from their store without a receipt more than 2 or 3 times. I had a few problems with this; even though I had a registry there, some of our friends did not follow it and purchased receiving blankets and newborn diapers that I already had plenty of, and they did not include their gift receipts. So a word of advice: if you get one or two items without a gift receipt, you may want to wait and see if you get anything else (w/o the receipts) to combine them with, before you make an exchange or you may find yourself up a creek later on.