shoppingonabudget

If you are a parent or in need of a Christmas gift for a child, you will find many options. Unfortunately, toys for kids can be expensive. If you are shopping on a budget, you may wonder how to proceed. Aside from looking for the best deals, I recommend checking out alternatives.

For example, my daughter is 4 ½ and loves playing with Barbie dolls. Unfortunately, they can get pretty costly. So, I started looking for alternatives. You would be surprised how many fashion dolls there are available for sale. I found a collection of Cheetah Girls dolls (from their fashion collection) on sale at KB Toys. The selling price was $7.99, which is much cheaper than $14 and up for a Barbie. Since shipping was free, I thought I was getting a great deal. That was until I made it to the checkout and….

I realized I was getting an AMAZING deal! Apparently, the Cheetah Girls dolls were buy one and get one free. So, I ended up with four great alternatives to Barbie dolls for only $16.

Since there are many children toys available for sale, try looking for an alternative. You may not only find a better price, but an amazing deal.

By the way, this buy one get and one free on select Cheetah Girls dolls sale, as well as other similar offers are still happening on the KB Toys website. Their website says the sales go until October 27, 2008.

A few posts ago, I highlighted a few ways that you can save money on needed baby supplies. If you are a fan of Johnson’s baby products, I recommend visiting their website. You can do so here.

Along the far right side, you will see moneysaving coupons. These are printable baby coupons.

As of October 20, 3008, these were the coupons available for printing:

Save $3 on Johnson’s Gift Sets
Save $1 on Johnson’s Head-to-Toe Baby Wash
Save $1 on Johnson’s Moisture Care Wash or Cream
Save $2 on 2 Johnson’s Bedtime Products
Save $1 on Desitin Ointments
Save $1 on Johnson’s Baby Oil
Save $1 on Johnson’s Take Along Pack Gift Set
Save $1 on Any Johnson’s Shampoo

Remember, it is also important to choose your store wisely. You can save even more money with these moneysaving coupons by shopping at a discount retailer.

If you are a coffee drinker, you may want to checkout the links to moneysaving coupons below.

Save $1 on Folgers Gourmet Selections Coffee

Save $1 on Coffee-Mate

If you use Pert Plus Shampoo and Conditioner and want to save money on your purchases, please click on the link below. There, you will find a coupon for $1 off Pert Plus Shampoo and Conditioner.

Save $1 on Pert Plus (Shampoo and Conditioner)

This shampoo coupon was online and available as of October 19, 2008; however, its availability it subject to change.

I know that I have said before that the Betty Crocker website is a great place to be, as they have a number of moneysaving coupons and good recipes. If you have yet to register for a free account or their newsletter, I recommend doing so at this link.

There, you will find a number of options and rewards. As of October 19, 2008, you can receive a free sample of Betty Crocker Pouch Potatoes or a free online cookbook from Gold Medal Whole Wheat or a free $10 coupon booklet.

By clicking on the link above, you can find and select which offer you want to take advantage of. You must be a new member or subscriber to benefit from these great free Betty Crocker offers.

Are you pregnant or a new mom? If so, you may be looking for ways to save money. As joyous as motherhood is, it can also be expensive. The good news is that if you are on a budget, you can still provide your baby with the best. As for how you can do so:

Request Free Product Samples

Free samples are easy to find online, but they aren’t your only option. Many hospitals and doctors offices have free samples to hand out to new moms. You may have to ask, but most do have samples available. You can also visit the online websites of your favorite product manufacturers to see if free baby samples are available.

Find Free Baby Coupons

Moneysaving coupons are a great way to save money. They are also easy to find online. Visit online coupon websites or the websites of your favorite product manufacturers, as some may have coupons posted.

On occasion, you may also find baby coupons in weekend newspaper inserts.

Shop at Affordable Stores

Unfortunately, not all retailers charge the same amount of money. This is important to remember when shopping for baby supplies, such as formula and diaper. For example, I have found that could easily pay $3 or more for a can of formula by shopping at a drug store as opposed to Wal-Mart.

So, I am an avid bottled water drinker. Yes, it is bad I know. I am trying to change my ways. I have started using those flavored Crystal Light packets to add flavor to our tap water. I have been pretty good about alternating between the two.

With that said, due to two new coupons I found online tonight, I may change my approach. I may purchase a small household water filtration system. Below are two moneysaving coupons, if you want to try doing the same.

My thinking is by eliminating bottled water, I can save money and help the environment.

Save Up to $7 on Pur Flavor Options (Water Filtration System)
Save $5 on Brita – The Process is Kind of Long

Do you want to save money on some of your favorite brands, such as Cascade, Febreze, Dawn, and Swiffer? If so, click on the link below to receive a free booklet of coupons!

Booklet for over $27 in Savings from Cascade, Dawn, Febreze, Mr. Clean and Swiffer

Do you want to save money on household cleaning products? If so, I have a few coupon links for SC Johnson products. Below you will find moneysaving coupons for Glade, Ziploc, Scrubbing Bubbles, and Windex.

Buy One Glade Plugins Gel Warmer, Get One Free

Buy One Ziploc Brand Big Bags and Get Another Size Free

Multiple Coupons for Scrubbing Bubbles Products

Save $1 on any Windex

Do you need to buy Christmas gifts for a small child, tween, or a family in general? If so, I recommend visiting the Amazon.com website. By clicking on the “Toys and Games,” department you will see that select Hasbro games are up to 60% off. According to the Amazon website, this sale goes until October 17, 2008.

As great as it is to hear that select games are on sale, why should you buy them as Christmas gifts? Board games make great gifts. Speaking from the perspective of a parent, they are something you can’t go wrong with. Most are fun and educational. My only recommendation is to first review the recommended age range.

Today, I purchased the new Twister Hopscotch and Mousetrap games for my daughter as Christmas gifts.