By Wendy Mihm | February 15, 2011
I’ve scoured the internet, spoken with my Mom friends and compiled a list of the best bargain spots for Moms. Because Moms tend to make the majority of purchases for many households – from food, clothing, and equipment to décor, durable goods, games, electronics, toys and gifts, these can be any sorts of bargains.
You’ll see that the list below includes a wide range of best bargain spots for Moms. With one exception, they all have this in common: each consistently offers solid pricing to their customers.
I have included the following information about each retailer.
Who: the name (which is clickable to the retailer’s website).
What: a short definition of the retailer and what they have to offer.
Specialty: what that retailer is most well known for.
Moms Love: what the Moms I spoke with or read about seem to like best.
They are not listed in any particular order.
Who: Costco
What: “Big box” brick and mortar and online retailer.
Specialty: Low prices on bulk items.
Moms Love: They can count on Costco for staple items like diapers, wipes and formula in bulk at rock-bottom prices. They also love to search for Costco treasures because Costco rotates items in and out relatively quickly – what you see on the shelf in one trip may not be there the next time you go, especially if it is a seasonal item.
Who: Zulily.com
What: Online “daily deals for moms, babies and kids” by membership only. You must sign up to have access to these deals on apparel and baby and toddler gifts.
Specialty: Discounts on unique, upscale designer brands.
Moms Love: They gain access to upscale designer brands that might otherwise be out of reach due to the price. Daily emails notify them of sales that come and go quickly, but you must act fast because the most beautiful items go out of stock sometimes literally within an hour.
Who: Diapers.com
What: Online retailer for maternity, baby and toddler items.
Specialty: One-stop shopping for everything you could possibly want related to your pregnancy, baby or toddler.
Moms Love: Fast, free shipping on any order over $49. This site is connected with sister sites Soap.com and BeautyBar.com. If you combine your purchases with either of these other sites, you get free shipping with orders of $25 or less. Free returns. Great customer service.
Who: ShopItToMe.com
What: Online automated personal shopper by membership only.
Specialty: Identifies sales on your favorite brands of apparel, in your specific size, and emails you when they become available.
Moms Love: You can choose the brands you want to hear about, and how often you want to receive emails. Then, when a brand you love is marked down in your size (or your child’s size), you hear about it when you want to. It’s also easy to add or delete designers or change email frequency any time.
Who: RetailMeNot.com
What: Online coupon code warehouse.
Specialty: Lists top coupon codes.
Moms Love: The coupon code is listed front and center so you can either copy and paste it back into the site you were already in, or you can click on the code and go use it from their site. In many cases, they also list the expiration date up front as well.
Who: The Right Start
What: Brick and mortar and online retailer of infant and toddler products
Specialty: Narrows down the field to the top choices.
Moms Love: That some of the work has been done for them. The Right Start does not offer every baby and toddler product ever made. They cull through and offer what they find to be the top products and eliminate the rest.
Who: Target
What: Brick and mortar and online retailer. Offers some “big box” items
Specialty: Upscale feel for downscale prices.
Moms Love: One stop shopping, reasonable prices on clothing for kids and even a fun purchase or two for themselves. Note this phenomenon: a Mom at a park might compliment another Mom on her scarf or other item of clothing. To which the receiver of the compliment might respond “Thanks!” And then in a hushed, but proud tone “I got it at Target!” I have heard this exchange at least a half dozen times. I have never heard the exchange when the store mentioned was Wal Mart or Costco. Have you?
Who: Zappos.com
What: Online shoe retailer that has expanded to apparel, bags, housewares, accessories and more.
Specialty: Shoes, shoes and more shoes. They have an incredible selection.
What Moms Love: Free shipping and returns – no questions asked, plus a 365 day return policy lets you choose your purchases without fear that you won’t like them.
Who: MomFinds.com
What: Website/Blog featuring top picks for trendy maternity, baby and toddler apparel. There is also a subscription function that sends alerts to your inbox.
Specialty: Not a bargain site, MomFinds.com focuses instead on stylish and trendy clothes, often modeled after celebrities and their babies. They do, however, break down their listings by price.
What Moms Love: The dishy delivery, the gorgeous finds, and the ability to find out where to get the t-shirt you saw Halle Barry’s kid wearing in People Magazine.
Who: CouponMom.com
What: Online coupon warehouse accessible by membership only.
Specialty: Tailored coupons by geographic area and restaurant coupons.
Moms Love: The ability to select the type of coupons, such as free samples, restaurant coupons, drugstore deals, etc.
So that’s our list of best bargain spots for Moms! Hope you got some fresh ideas and inspiration from the list.
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All my friends use Zappos. I just don’t know if I could buy shoes without trying them on first. They just look different on my feet than they do when they are on display. That’s why I try on like 50 shoes every time I shop just to buy one pair. Would it be wrong to go to a shoe store, try on lots of shoes, find the one you want but buy it on Zappos instead? My gut feeling is “yes” but I love shoes and I love saving money.
Aaahhh, I say go for it! That’s the beauty of Zappos—shipping is free in both directions, so you have nothing to lose. And there is really nothing wrong with trying on shoes locally and then buying at Zappos. Whichever retailer offers you the best price and customer service has earned the sale.
Thanks for the comment, Renee!
-Wendy
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