It’s that time of year again…when all the stores change out lawn equipment and pool toys for notebooks and pens, when all the bathing suits (happily for me) disappear and khakis take their place, and the smell of fall is in the air. OK – well, that last part isn’t actually true, at least in my corner of Texas, but the first part is and for me it’s an exciting time. I am an office supplies junkie (Sharpies! Note pads! Folders! Organization! Brilliance! Fulfillment!), so I have traditionally looked forward to this season.

But now I’m a Mom. Between the wallet crunch, pre-schooler anxiety, and not-too-distant memories of crazy mornings trying to get us out the door on time, the thought of going back to school is not all pleasant.

So while both I and my pre-schooler are craving a more structured routine, I am also a bit anxious about the coming few weeks. He is changing schools, so while we’ve already gone over the hump of daily separation, we’ll be facing a new school, new teacher, new kids, new parents, and new expectations. For me, worrying manifests itself in research, and now I’m going to share with you everything I learned when searching for the best way to prepare Jack (and the rest of our family) for school to start.

Here are Eight Steps to a Smooth Back-to-School Transition:

#1:  Introduce the Concept

This section is for younger children who are entering school for the first time. Moms, there is a reason there is such a wide selection of “going to school” books out there on the market. Simply, it helps young children know what to expect, and knowing what to expect makes them more confident and prepared. My personal favorites are: The Berenstain Bears Go to School, Froggy Goes to School, and Barney & Baby Bop Go to School. (Doubt you need all three, but I never say no to hand-me-down books!)

#2:  Introduce the Environment

This is where first-borns are really at a disadvantage to their younger siblings, who often get the chance to “tag along” to events, meetings, and functions at schools well in advance of their own enrollment. For kids who are just starting school, or (like mine or new middle school students) are changing schools, this is a critical element not to miss. Most schools have a registration day and/or an open house day where kids can come to walk the hallways, see their classroom, and even possibly meet their teacher. Definitely take advantage of these opportunities.

But don’t stop there: check with your school administrator to see if you might do a few visits over the course of the couple of weeks before school starts. With Jack, we take a route to drive right by his new school every morning, and I have been purposefully pointing out all the positives about the building/playground/outside and talking positively about his new school. And the school very graciously offered to allow us to come in a few times before the official Open House to quietly explore the library, the music room, and the playground. Because they only have a few students there during the summer, they’ve even allowed us into the actual classroom he’ll be in, so he’s been able to see where all the different items are kept, where the bathroom is, where the sink is, etc. I know this has made Jack feel a lot more comfortable with the change.

#3:  Get Your Head in the Game

Of course, all the experts say that throughout the summer, you should be having your kids keep their mental skills sharp by having them engage in a wide variety of mind-stretching activities. This could be a consistent schedule of reading, mathematically-based games like Suduko or numbers mazes, or choosing a subject they’re interested in and spending the summer learning about it. I have a good friend who even hired a tutor for her daughter who struggles in math to introduce her to the next grade’s math curriculum to give her a headstart (and more confidence). But what if you haven’t had your child in chess-camp for the summer? Here are some ideas you can try in the next couple of weeks:

• School-related crafts: Cook Children’s says that “crafts help children’s attention spans and their capacity to follow steps and instructions, which will have a positive effect on their academic learning.” Pairing the activity of crafts with the subject matter of back-to-school reinforces the positive association with school. There are some great ideas for back-to-school crafts at Family Fun and Kaboose, including these adorable backpack buddies.

• Word and Math-Related games: Spend some time with your kids over the next two weeks playing some word and math games. This could be as simple as word scrambles, seeing who can find the most words within a word, or playing checkers or Battleship. Some great sites to check out for kid games are: www.FunBrain.com, www.CoolMath4Kids.com, and the PBS Kids Zoom website.

#4:  Make a List

This is one of the most expensive times of the year for families as they fork over registration fees, stock up on school supplies, and outfit their kids with back-to-school clothes. One of the best ways to keep control of your spending is to make a list before you shop and stick to it.

• School Supplies – Most schools will provide a school supplies list by grade so you know what they will need to bring to class. Get it. This will take the guess-game out of at least one part of your shopping needs. Janet, mom to 21 year old triplets, suggests always carrying the supply list with you. You never know where you’ll find one of the items on sale. Also, try finding these at dollar stores versus grocery stores or mass merchants to really stretch your money. And one other word of advice: don’t buy more than what’s needed. This can be really hard for some of us (remember, I’m a school supply junkie), but save your money – something WILL come up later, but there’s no way to anticipate what it will be now.
• School Clothes - Go through last season’s clothes and decide what’s usable and what’s not (either outgrown or out-used). If you’re lucky, maybe your kids will even try them on for you so you can really assess needs. Then, take a look at your hand-me-downs or other sources of clothes to see what you can supply without shopping at all. After these two steps are complete, create your list of clothing needs.

#5:  Let Your Kids Make Choices

All the experts agree that by letting kids choose their own supplies and clothes, they get more engaged and excited about the back-to-school process. So while the items and quantities on your list shouldn’t change, you should allow your kids to have control over exactly what is purchased in each category. Of course, this is within limits….You are the parent, after all. But if you can provide parameters (e.g., any pair of jeans under this dollar amount with no holes or rips) or narrow down to allow them a choice from a few options, it can make you both happy.

Same goes with school supplies. Where you can, personalize them – or better yet, let your children personalize them. All kids love to have things with their names on them. Or, try one of the crafts above to let your kids’ individuality shine.

#6:  Reset Your Internal Clock

Possibly the hardest adjustment to back-to-school time for kids and parents is the morning wake up call. Don’t wait until the last minute to start getting back into a routine of earlier bedtime/earlier wake up than your summer has likely allowed. (In other words, if you haven’t already started setting the alarm for your kids when you’re reading this, do it NOW.)

What to do with the kids when you get them up this early? First option is to reconnect with kids your child may not have seen much of this summer but who will be back at school with him/her. Set up a playdate for around school start-time to give yourself an “appointment” you have to make. Another idea would be to have your neighbors meet at the bus-stop for a breakfast “party”…a great way for your kids to meet some of the neighborhood children who may be in the same grade or at least at the same school (if they don’t know them already) and for you to meet some of the parents.

#7:  Get Organized

For those of you who are just starting the school stage of life, you are about to be bombarded with event and practice dates, volunteer requests, donation requests, birthday parties, etc. You will want to create a system to keep all of this organized with minimal clutter.

• Create an “entry area”. I am exceptionally jealous of those of you who may have the Pottery Barn Brady Entryway Suite ($1229.99 per section, 2 sections pictured). I can only dream of such refined clutter control. My version is a Target entry bench ($200), with 4 coat hooks hung on the wall just below an 8″ deep shelf that holds a couple of baskets on the top. Doesn’t look nearly this nice, but it works, and at around $300 for everything, I’m pretty happy.

• Set up a family calendar. My personal favorite is the More Time Moms Calendar Organizer, $14.99. I’ve used this for the past three years and have bought it as a gift for my sisters and a few friends. It has the biggest squares I’ve found for writing in all the details on appointments for you and your family members. It comes with a lot of pretty stickers to highlight big days (e.g., doctor’s appt, birthdays parties), but I find I don’t have room for them because I write too much in the squares. This is really essential if you have multiple caregivers in the house (e.g., you/your spouse trade drop off/pick up duty or you have a frequent babysitter/nanny). If you’re really organized, you could go one step further and color-code the ink color for each family member (I tried it but gave up because I couldn’t keep track of which ink went with each person…but I aspire to be that organized.)
• Create a family documents central. One of the best ideas I’ve heard (that I plan to implement myself but haven’t had the chance to yet) is to buy a hanging magazine folder like the one pictured here to store documents for each child. (This 3-tier version came from www.OrganizeIt-Online.com for $39.99). Reminders, art work, permission slips, etc. can all be placed in the section pertaining to each child. That way, you won’t lose papers and you’ll be able to avoid a cluttered countertop in your kitchen.

#8:  Address Your Child’s Fears

Although it is easier to ignore some of the nervousness your child may be feeling about starting or going back to school, all experts agree that that is a bad strategy. Instead, arm your child with facts to quelch possible anxieties and let them know they are not alone if they feel nervous about this transition. Some tips:

• Keep your own attitude positive. Your child will pick up on any anxiety or fear you have – even if unspoken. So, be upbeat when talking with your child about school, and focus on all of the great things that will happen in the new school year (new friends! new puzzles! new books!).
• Run through the logistics with your child. Your child may be worried about things we take for granted, like drop off/pick up, snack times, etc. Describe to your child what the day will be like (ask the teacher at open house for a typical class schedule), what kind of snacks they can have, where their personal things will be kept, who will be there to pick him/her up and when, etc. Think about all the things you would want to know if you were visiting a foreign country, and then explain it in the simplest terms – like you’re talking to an elementary schooler.
• Let your child know that nervousness is normal, and that everyone has it. Your child may be able to express their nervousness to you, but if they can’t, look for signs of it (changed mood, appetite, asking a lot of questions, etc.). Tell them a story about your own first day jitters – and, of course, how it all turned out great. Choose some books (like those above) that describe how anxious the characters are before the BIG day, and then how much fun they have once they’ve started school. Don’t dismiss the fears, just focus on the positive and how much fun it will be.

I’m hopeful that by following these steps, you and your kids (and me and my Jack) will have a great back-to-school season!

For those of you who are not familiar with the Grocery Game, here is a brief overview.

“The Grocery Game was first established by Teri Gault for members in Southern California. It has since expanded to stores in 48 states. It professes to help people save money on groceries (including food products, baby and pet products, paper products, drug store items, and other toiletries) by using a database to track product prices and coupons and by giving a weekly list of which sales at your local grocery or drug store are truly ‘rock bottom’ prices.” (Courtesy of a wonderful article found here.)

The Grocery Game offers a 4-week trial and for just $1 you can receive access to Teri’s list for 28 days. For these 4 weeks you will receive “a weekly list of the lowest-priced products at your supermarket matched with manufacturers’ coupons and specials — advertised and unadvertised. Teri does all the hard work and research, and presents it to you in a straightforward format.” After the 4 week trial period, you will be enrolled in a full membership which costs $10/8 weeks for a single store’s list. To add lists to additional stores, you will be charged $5/8 weeks.

Paying this regular fee only makes economical sense if the savings will off-set the cost. Most people we spoke with say that they save about 25%-40% off their total monthly grocery bills playing the Grocery Game. However, the key to the Grocery Game is stockpiling, or purchasing things you will eventually use when they are on sale and not buying anything unless it is at an extremely reduced cost. Naturally, this takes time to do, so the longer you play, the more money you can save.

Different areas have different store options and it is not safe to assume that your neighborhood grocery store will have a list, even if someone else uses the same grocery store in a different city. Most of the North Dallas suburbs have lists to the following stores: Kroger, Tom Thumb, Albertsons, CVS, WalMart and Walgreens.

This is how you GET the list, but having the list is not the battle. Next you have to know what to DO with the list. To determine if this program is helpful for you, Wendy says the game works if you are willing to follow these simple rules:

1. You have coupons or are willing to get them.
2. You’re willing to organize and use your coupons.
3. You have room to stockpile the products you buy.
4. You’re willing to spend time getting ready to shop each week
5. You don’t know the rock bottom price for products or you don’t want to or have the time to keep track of them.
6. You know rock bottom prices, but you don’t have time to pour through the store sales flyers to identify the best deals of the week.
7. You can control yourself when a good sale is in your line of vision.

Ultimately, from what we heard this week, the Grocery Game is wonderful and saves you considerable money if you are willing to follow the outlined program without straying. However, there are a few watch-outs that other Moms have mentioned:

• Watch Out #1 - A common pit-fall that many coupon-clippers experience is the lure to purchase items you’d otherwise never think about simply because they are on deal. Grocery-gamer Erin says, “Though we tried to be careful to mostly buy only foods we probably would have bought anyways, we did find ourselves getting sucked in a few times to buying stuff we didn’t usually use just because it was so cheap. Many of the dirt-cheap sales centered around convenience food items that we could really do without.” (However, this could be considered a problem with all list and coupon centered shopping. Having a coupon for a product does not necessarily mean that you NEED the product, it just makes it more cost effective if you do!

• Watch Out #2 - Sticking to the game might not be worth it for some moms who already find joy in coupon cutting and bargain hunting. LJ prefers her own method of cutting coupons and looking for the best deal. “For me, my weekly couponing and list making is fun. I enjoy it, I really do. It is like a little hobby that happens to save me money, so using this program sort of takes that hobby away. Also, I find that a lot of the things on the list are not items I would purchase and they do not include all my local stores on the list, so I could be missing out on great deals if this was the only service I used.” LJ continues to say that the grocery game would be great for moms who need a little incentive, organization, and encouragement to save money while grocery shopping.

• Watch Out #3 - Furthermore, the Grocery Game centers around name-brand items rather than the often considerably less expensive store brands. If you are brand-loyal like Erin, the Grocery Game might not be for you. “I also started to get frustrated with switching around to so many different brands I don’t usually purchase just because of the list said to buy them. That’s just me…I like my routines I guess! But I had to wonder if I was really doing better on these name brand canned goods on sale, for example, than the store brands at WalMart.”

So, if you don’t think the Grocery Game is for you, what are your other options to save money on groceries?

If You’re Willing to Spend the Time but Want More “Creativity” or “Control” Over Your Purchase Decisions:

The Sisters of Savings provide workshops to teach families how to save up to 90% on their grocery bill. Workshops occur for two hours on a Saturday in Richardson and cost $45. These women are passionate about giving back to their community and making a difference in the world.

If You’re Willing to Spend a Little Time:

If you are just looking for coupons to help save money, eversave.com and shortcuts.com are great places to look. Specific brand manufacturers also offer coupons on their website. Most websites allow you to sign up to receive coupons and savings information via regular e-mails. Grocery store websites like Kroger and Albertson’s also allow you to view the weekly circular online before heading out to the store. This is helpful for meal planning and list making.

If You Don’t Have the Time or Inclination to Clip Coupons:

Re-read our blog: The Shopping Challenge: Costco/Target/Kroger, Where’s Your Best Buy? In a nutshell? Costco is pretty much always cheaper – 28% over Kroger and 20% over Target. (Of course, this didn’t include any possible coupon savings.) The only thing to be careful of are over-buying produce / perishable purchases at Costco, and a few items that you may want to comparison shop for (when we went, it was milk and toilet tissue). But if coupon clipping is realistically NOT something you’re going to do, save yourself the hassle and get that Costco membership.

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Overall, from what we read and heard, the Grocery Game seems like a great option for many (but not all!) moms. The $1 trial is a great way to check out the lists for all the stores in your area and see if you think the Grocery Game is a worthwhile investment for your family. Sisters of Savings has also gotten great reviews, but you’ll have to fork over some cash up front in order to learn how save considerable money. If you just need some new places to try for money saving coupons, eversave.com and shortcuts.com are good options. And don’t forget Costco for big purchases.

Good luck and happy shopping!

So, in our new financial situation, shopping has been on my mind a lot lately. At my Bunco group last week, fresh off another $200+ shopping trip to Costco by my husband to buy what was supposed to have been 5 items (a few more snuck in there), I asked the other Moms where they shopped to help control household expenditures. What I learned? There’s a lot of different – and even contradictory – perceptions out there about where to get the best deals on household goods.

• “I love Target, but I can’t get out of there for under $100.”
• “I go to Kroger. It’s easy, close, they’ve got good selection on groceries. For paper products and cleaners, I go to Target.”
• “I avoid Target, even though it’s probably cheaper, because there are too many impulse purchases. We go to Costco because I’m not as tempted.”
• “I avoid Costco because of the impulse purchases. I see some cool thing there every time I go and have to have it. I stick with Target.”

So, after posing the question, the only thing I for sure learned was that controlling impulse purchases was going to be important. This, I figure, is just going to have to be managed no matter what shopping venue. (And anytime I feel myself waning on this, I’ll just conjure up images of some past impulse purchases, like the outdoor shower I just had to have for my backyard – three houses ago – that is still in its box.)

But figuring out the facts on actual pricing – that’s a job for Moms Out Loud!

We went comparison shopping on 20 basic grocery and household items across Costco, Target, and Kroger. The details can be found in the blog entry of this same title, but labeled “Shopping Challenge Details”. For those of you who are in a hurry, with two screaming kids, a dog that has to go potty, and/or a smoking oven, here is the bottom line:

For the overall bundle, Costco was cheapest on a per unit basis.

To determine this, we added the price per unit for each product at each store. The total for Kroger without a Plus Card was: $20.77 and with a Plus card was: $18.50 – an 11% savings with the card. Target’s total price for the bundle was $17.14, saving 8% versus the Kroger Plus card. Costco’s winning price per unit was an incredible $13.45 – a 20% savings over Target and a 28% savings over Kroger Plus card bundle. Of course, you have to buy in bulk, carry heavy items into your home, find a place to store your great deals, and eat a LOT of baby carrots before they go bad – but overall, hands down, you will save money at Costco.

On 3 items, however, Target was cheaper.

For milk (store brand), boxed cereal (Cheerios brand), and toilet paper (Charmin), Target actually beat Costco by a few percentage points. Toilet paper?!? That was one item we were convinced Costco would win on. I personally am glad to know I don’t need to buy 30 rolls at a time anymore because each time I stock up I have toilet paper stacked in all sorts of odd places. They did, however, win in paper towels, so I will continue to have the Bounty man piled high in my pantry.

Even with the Kroger Plus Card discount, no items at Kroger cost less on a per unit basis than Target or Costco.

That fact was stunning to me. I had always assumed if you timed it right and bought on deal, Kroger (or other supermarkets) would provide significant savings to encourage you to stock up. BUT – for the three items that were on deal during out check at Kroger (pasta, lunch meat, cereal), their deal price per unit was anywhere from 3-7% higher than Target’s. Guess Every Day Low Prices is accurate.

For perishables like produce, be careful of “overstocking” from Costco.

My husband is a wonderful man and father, and one of his favorite things to do on the weekend is to take our three-year old to Costco. They generally come home with a trunkful of items, including pounds upon pounds of produce…half of which often ends up getting thrown away having gone bad before we could eat it all. I have had angst about doing this in the past just for the sheer waste of it, and now I have proof of the financial impact to us. With produce costing around 25% less per pound at Costco than Target, it is tempting to buy the big bags of carrots, grapes, etc. However, if you only eat a pound of the baby carrots you bought in a 3-lb bag for $3, they didn’t cost you $1/lb…they cost you $3/lb. So only buy what you truly will eat (at least most of). One of my Bunco buddies had the best advice on this: “I send my husband to Costco and let him pick no more than 2 fruits and 1 vegetable for the week and that’s what we eat.”

Now, ladies, you have the facts-at least as they were at these three stores on Monday, July 14. We hope this has at least inspired you to pay a little closer attention to what you’re paying where for what things (for those of you who are even partially oblivious). Additionally, there are a lot of elaborate coupon games and websites out there set up to help you save on grocery expenditures, perhaps one of you wants to write a review of one of them for our fellow Moms?

As for me, keeping up with two toddlers and getting a business off the ground is consuming all of my time, so armed with these basic facts, I’ll be sticking to Costco and Target for my shopping. But only 2 fruits and 1 veggie a week in bulk.

1. Laundry Detergent
2. Dishwasher Soap
3. Windex
4. box of Pasta
5. Cheese sticks
6. Loaf of Bread
7. Lunch meat
8. Milk
9. 2-Liter of Coke
10. Box of cereal
11. baby carrots
12. Ground beef
13. Bananas
14. Grapes
15. eggs
16. can of soup
17. bag of salad
18. Toilet paper
19. Paper towels
20. Shampoo

In an effort to be fair, we decided to stick with one brand across the three stores. For a thorough examination of the data collected, read below. If you have two screaming kids, a dog that has to go potty, and a smoking oven, here is the bottom line: Costco was cheapest. To determine this, we added the price per unit for each product at each store. The total for Kroger without a Plus Card was: $20.77 and with a Plus card was: $18.50. Target’s total price per unit was: $17.14, making Target the first runner up. Finally, Costco’s winning price per unit was: $13.65! Incredible! Of course, you have to buy in bulk, carry heavy items into your home, and find a place to store your great deals, but overall, you will save money at Costco. (At least according to our completely unofficial statistics!) A few other notes: all of these prices were accurate at the Kroger at Lebanon and Legacy in Frisco, the Target at Preston and Warren in Frisco, and the Costco at Park in Plano on Monday, July 14th, 2008.

Here’s the breakdown of what we found…

1. 2X Ultra Tide: For 100 oz, you will pay $12.8 at Target and $16.19 at Kroger. At Costco, of course you have to buy in bulk, and will spend $19.49 on 170 oz. By price per ounce, Target is $.13, Kroger is $.16 and Costco wins at $.11. Of course, then you have to lug 17 oz of Tide home with you!

2. Cascade Actionpacs: At Target you will spend $3.54 for a bag of 20 pouches or $.17/pouch. The same bag at Kroger will cost you $3.59 or $.18/pouch. At Costco you have to purchase the 90 pack bag, but it will only cost you $12.89 which is just $.14 a pouch.

3. Original Windex: If you have seen My Big Fat Greek Wedding, you know the fantastic uses of Windex. To purchase this 32.5 fl. oz. bottle at Target you will pay $2.33 or $.07 per ounce. At Kroger you will pay $3.39 or $.11/ounce. At Costco, you get the same 32.5 oz spray bottle, but you also get a 172 ounce refill bottle for $10.89 or $.05/ounce.

4. Barilla Penne Pasta: At Target you will pay $1.24 for a 16 oz. box of pasta ($.08/ounce). Kroger’s plus card will get you this same box for $1.29 (without the card you will pay $1.39 or $.08 and $.09/ounce respectively). Costco did not carry a non-organic box of pasta, so the only equivilant was 6 (1.1 lb. or 105.6 oz.) bags of organic pasta for $6.99 or $.06 per ounce.

5. Kraft String-ums: These are a staple in my house! For a 12 pack at Target you will pay $4.99. At Kroger, you will pay just $.20 cheaper at $4.79. Costco did not have Kraft, but their Precious Stringsters were $$9.65 for 48 sticks. This means Target’s price per stick is $.42, Kroger is $.40 and Costco is $.20.

6. Mrs. Baird’s Split Top wheat Bread: Everyone needs bread to make PB&J, toast, and turkey sandwiches. If you want to make the most cost-effective sandwich, you are going to want to get your bread at Costco! You have to purchase two loaves at a time, but per loaf you are only paying $1.75 at Costco. A loaf of Mrs. Baird’s will cost you $2.99 at both Kroger and Target.

7. Oscar Meyer Deli Fresh Turkey: After you buy a great loaf of bread, you will need turkey to make a sandwich! Kroger and Target were just pennies different in their price for turkey. You can purchase turkey lunch meat at both stores for about $.32 per ounce. (Without your Kroger card you will pay $.49/ounce!) At Costco you cannot purchase Oscar Meyer, but you can get Butterball turkey breast for just $.20/ounce. A great deal!

8. 2% Milk: If your house is like mine, you go through a lot of milk! Target was the cheapest place that we found to purchase milk at just $3.00/gallon of store-brand 2% milk. Costco was next at $3.19/gallon and Kroger was the most expensive at $3.99/gallon.

9. 2-liter of Coke: This one product had the power to completely destroy all of our data! Costco does not sell 2-liter soda, but sells cases of 16.9 oz. bottles. For this reason, Costco’s price per ounce was much higher than Kroger and Target so we removed this from the totals as it seemed unfair to include. But between Kroger and Target, Target was $.20 cheaper on a 2-liter of Coke. (Or diet coke!)

10. Cheerios: A 14 oz. box of Cheerios will cost you $1.75 at Target and $1.88 with your Kroger card ($3.30 without!). At Costco you must buy your cereal in two packs for $4.99. This clearly makes Costco the best choice for cereal…as long as you have somewhere to store it!

11. Baby Carrots: Buying carrots already peeled and sliced is fantastic and if you find a good deal, it’s worth it! At Target you will pay $1.33/lb while at Kroger these little carrots are $1.99/lb. At Costco you buy these carrots in 3 lb. bags, but your price per pound is only $.99! If your family can eat 3 lbs. of carrots before they go bad, Costco is definitely the economical choice.

12. 25% fat ground beef: For information on organic food, please read our other blog entry *****here*****. This is just your standard ground beef. Kroger wins the best place to purchase cheap ground meat because you can get a pound of meat for just $1.86 as compared to Target at $2.99 and Costco at $2.39.

13. Bananas: For this standard fruit you are going to want to go to Costco. At just $.39/lb. bananas are cheaper than Kroger ($.57) AND Target ($.54).

14. Green, seedless grapes: These refreshing summer snacks won’t break the bank if you know where to shop. Costco is the cheapest at just $1.49/lb. Kroger is exactly a dollar more, with Target falling in the middle at $1.99/lb.

15. White eggs: No matter where you buy eggs, you are going to pay about the same price. Each of the three stores we visited were selling regular white eggs (medium, large, or XL) for about $.12/egg. Don’t worry about shopping around for eggs; you’ll pay the same price no matter where you end up!

16. Progresso Chicken Noodle Soup: We know it is far too hot outside to think about soup, but we know you buy it during the year, so we thought we’d price it for you! At Target, a can of this soup will cost you $1.52. At Kroger, the same 19 oz. can is $2.19. Of course, at Costco you will get a deal, as long as you are willing to purchase 8 cans! If you are willing to store the extra cans, you will only pay $1.37/can at Costco.

17. Dole Greener Selections: For a salad-in-a-bag you will pay $2.49 at Target and Kroger both, but at Costco you will pay $2.19 for the same bag…times three. If you are going to eat a lot of salad, Costco is definitely the best choice!

18. Charmin Basic: This basic toilet paper was one of the only products that was cheapest at Target and NOT Costco! The price per roll at Target was $.49 while at Kroger and Costco each roll was $.63 each. Even buying 30 rolls at Costco doesn’t beat the deal you get at Target!

19. Bounty Paper Towels: While buying in bulk doesn’t get you the best deal in toilet paper, it will get you the best price on paper towels! At Costco you need to purchase 12 rolls to get the deal, but you will only pay $1.50/roll. The same rolls will cost you $1.94 at Target and $2.00 at Kroger.

20. Suave Professional Line Shampoo: We love this shampoo line at MomsOutLoud because it is inexpensive and works great! At Target and Kroger the cost for this 14.5 oz bottle was just $1.97 and $2.09 respectively. Costco does not carry this shampoo, but does have something similar called Kirkland Signature and comes in a large 80 oz bottle for $6.99. If you have extra storage space in your shower, Costco is definitely the way to go!

MomsOutLoud hopes that next time you are ready to go grocery shopping you think about this list and save your family some money!

Dill Potato Salad
1 cup Hellmann’s Real Mayonnaise
1⁄4 cup Hellmann’s Dijonnaise Creamy mustard blend (or 2 tablespoons Dijon mustard)
2 tablespoons vinegar
2 tablespoons chopped fresh dill or 1 tablespoon dried dill
1⁄2 teaspoon salt
1/4/ tsp pepper
2 lbs small red or white potatoes
1 cup diced celery
1⁄2 cup sliced green onions

Scrub potatoes, cube with skins on and boil in salted water (1 tablespoon) until done. Drain and cool.
Dice celery and slice green onions.
In large bowl, combine first group of ingredients. Stir. Add potatoes, celery and green onions, stir to coat.
Garnish with a shake of dill or few chopped green onions. Cover and refridgerate.
6-8 servings.

Asian Salad
1 Bok Choy lettuce (sometimes I use Napa lettuce too) – chopped
4 Green onions chopped
2 packages ramen noodles (Break up in small pieces)
1 stick butter
sesame seeds
slivered almonds (Sauté until brown)

Dressing (Shake well and put on salad right before serving)
1 cup oil
1 cup sugar
1/2 cup red wine vinegar
little bit of soy sauce

Mix all together and Voila!

Coleslaw

1 medium head cabbage
1 cup mayonnaise
2 to 3 tablespoons heavy cream
1/4 to 1/2 teaspoon celery seed
salt and pepper, to taste

Combine all ingredients, adding more mayonnaise if needed and just enough cream to make it creamy. Add seasonings. Taste and adjust seasonings. Refrigerate for at least 1 hour.

Serves 6 to 8.

Taco Dip
8 oz cream cheese (softened)
2 cups (16 oz) plain yogurt
1 pkg (1.25 oz) dry taco seasoning
1 (8 oz) Taco Sauce
1/2 head lettuce-shredded
2 tomatoes-chopped
1/2 cup sliced black olives
1/2 cup sliced scallions
1 cup (4 oz) finely shredded cheddar cheese

Beat together cream cheese, yogurt and taco seasoning. Chill at least one hour. Spread over bottom of platter (so it’s about an inch thick). Spread taco sauce over. Layer lettuce, tomatoes, olives, scallions, and cheese. Serve with tortilla chips.

Deviled Eggs
6 hard boiled eggs
1/4 cup mayonnaise
1 tsp vinegar
1 tsp prepared mustard
1/4 tsp dill weed
dash salt
dash of pepper

Cut eggs in half lengthwise. Carefully remove yolks and reserve whites. Blend all other ingredients with yolks until smooth. Fill egg whites with mixture. Use a decorator’s piping bag to make them fancy, if you wish.

Rice Salad
1 box chicken Rice A Roni
3-4 stalks of celery
4 scallions
1 large bell pepper
2 jars marinated artichoke hearts and the juice from ONE jar
1 tsp curry powder
1/3 cup mayonnaise

Chop vegetables. Cook Rice A Roni as directed on package. Mix mayonnaise and curry. Combine all ingredients and chill.

With several friends who are having their first (or second or third) babies soon, and because, to these new Moms at least, I’m considered an “expert” (after all, I’ve got two boys who are now almost-3 and almost-1 year old), I’m being asked a lot nowadays for advice on What to Buy for Baby. In a prior life (with more time on my hands than as an entrepreneur), I might have gone registry shopping with a friend, or spent time over lunch leisurely perusing a registry list and offering advice. But now, this advice becomes a blog entry, which will actually serve a triple purpose: helping my friends, the Moms Out Loud Mom community, and myself. Yes, Jim and I are officially trying for our third (the ovulation kit is on my shopping list for this weekend).

WHAT TO BUY FOR BABY

DIAPERING – My own simple calculation suggests that you will change just over 8000 diapers per baby from birth to potty-training (at age 3). That’s a lot. So you want to get this right.

1. Diaper Bag: I’m probably breaking some rule of blogging here, but I have to confess on this one: I don’t know the best answer. I bought a unisex-looking Eddie Bauer backpack for Jack, thinking this would be a great way for my husband or me to haul diapering supplies around. I hated it every day until the strap literally broke when he was just over 1 year old. (They no longer sell this, so maybe they figured out it was crap). For now, we are using (I’m blushing) literally the free Similac bag that we got at the hospital when Luke was born (for me) and a standard Jansport backpack (for Jim). Why are we using these? Other than me being a horrible shopper (why go find something else when you have something that works, even though it is ugly and made of the cheapest fake vinyl stuff), they’ve got the most pockets – and I’ve found organization is key in traveling with your baby. You need to be able to find wipes, hand sanitizer, tissues, extra diapers, extra clothes, etc. at a second’s notice. A friend of mine swears by her J.J. Cole System diaper bag ($56). Would love to hear your ideas, so please comment back!

2. Diapers: With a newborn who basically truly only eats, sleeps, and poops, diapers are an essential. The best I found are Pampers Swaddlers, although other Moms have told me that they also tried several and ended up with Huggies Gentle Care or even the Kirkland brand from Costco. You should have a pack at home for when the baby arrives (read my blog on “How Many Diapers a Day?” for an idea of quantities required, at least initially). Because both my babies were large (8+ lbs. each), we skipped the newborn size entirely and went with size 1. Plus, just like Momma likes her clothes a little baggy, I’m a fan of slightly bigger diapers than the size guide says.

3. Wipes: Due to quantity used (my record is seven in one diaper change) and the fact that I can’t tell a real difference between effectiveness of different brands, I stick with Kirkland brand from Costco. They’re a good size, so you can do simple changes with one wipe without feeling like you need a little more and also not feeling like you’re wasting anything and hurting the environment. My only complaint is the packaging; generally the plastic pack is OK, but because I keep a pack in every well-used room of my house and both cars, it would be nice to have a nice holder. (When will they come up with a wipes holder like they have for facial tissue? I can picture one with pink flowers or blue airplanes for the nursery, green/brown stripe for the mini-van, etc.)

4. Boudreaux Butt Paste: This is, quite simply, the best over-the-counter diaper rash cream I’ve (and my other Mom friends) have found. You will need Boudreaux in a large size for every changing station and a travel size for every diaper bag.

5. Changing Pad/Cover with Waterproof Pad: You will definitely need a set place to change the baby, that is not on the floor and not on the bed. Reason: you will want leverage (i.e., standing up) to change them, especially when they get squirmy around 5-6months. For both boys, we opted for a 3-drawer chest instead of the standard changing table for its height (it’s taller than standard changing tables) and because we wanted closed drawers instead of shelves. (Read my blog on Gravity if you wonder why this is important; less temptation the better.) You will want a two-side contoured changing pad with a changing pad cover that matches your nursery. Your registry list will tell you to buy more than one cover (which are $15-25 each), but skip that and just get three or four waterproof pads ($8.99 for 3, or $3 each) and throw them in the laundry as needed.

6. Wipes Warmer: The wipes warmer was an item I originally didn’t register for, and I wished I had. When your baby wakes up in the middle of the night for their feedings/diaper change, you want them to go back to sleep asap. For some reason, having those wipes warm seemed like it would allow them to slip back into dreamland a bit easier. We’ve gone through two Prince Lionhart Wipes Warmers, and I would recommend them to everyone.

7. Dimmer switch for a lamp: Again, in the middle of the night, you will want to keep the room as dark as possible when changing the baby. We opted for a standard lamp and added a lamp dimmer switch ($10.97) to it so we could control the amount of light and also how quickly the baby needs to adjust to it. If you are a real Sleep Nazi like me, you may even opt for a trick I found with my second baby – using a LED reading light for middle of the night changings (recommended only once you are a diapering expert).

NURSING/FEEDING: Whether breast or bottle, feeding will take up most of your time with your infant for the first few months. Investments (and a few tricks) here will pay off.

8. Boppy Pillow: A baby staple, this pillow is extremely useful for feedings, for helping your baby with tummy time, and for giving him a place to rest on his back with an improved vantage point that laying down flat. You probably already either have one or have registered for one. Smart.

9. A breastfeeding class: This was one class I took before having my first son that paid off. While I will never tell anyone that breastfeeding is easy, this class helped me. Hospitals in your area will offer these at multiple times; sign up for one. At the least, take advantage of the lactation consultant who will come by to see you during your hospital stay to get some instruction. And if you still don’t have the hang of it, find a good lactation consultant (hospitals have a list – so will Moms Out Loud when we go live!).

10. Lansinoh cream: A friend of mine from college sent me one item when she heard I was pregnant: Lansinoh cream. When I got it (at 7 months pregnant), I didn’t quite know why she thought it was so important to send this one item, in quite a large size. After two days of trying to breastfeed, I understood. I went through that value-size plus several more during the 12 weeks I breast fed Jack. You will need this, even with good eaters.

11. Nursing bra: While I did not buy a lot of nursing tops because I found I spent most days in T-shirts or my husband’s button down shirts, my search for a good nursing bra ended with one I wore almost all the time (a $12 cotton bra from Motherhood Maternity) and several I pulled out when my favorite was in the wash, including more expensive options. At night, I slept in the basic sleeping nurse bra ($14.98), again from Motherhood Maternity.

12. A selection of bottles and nipples: A big mistake I made with Jack was registering for a “starter pack” of Dr. Brown’s bottles because that was the bottle in vogue at the time. And I got it. And then, those bottles became our measuring devices (they’ve got great labeling on the sides) for the water we then poured into our Playtex nursing drop-ins (by the way, the Target private label drop ins work just as well, but NOT the Wal-Mart Parent’s Choice ones of which I used two and threw the rest of the box away). My point: your baby will have to tell you what bottle/nipple system is right for them. Try a few and see what works best.

13. Breast Pump: DON’T buy a breast pump until after you know for sure you will be breastfeeding and pumping. With Jack, I pumped a few times a day because he had a very weak suck and was not making me produce enough milk, so I pumped to get my production up. With Luke, I pumped once during the entire 10 weeks I breast fed. The Medela Pump In Style was a good choice for me, but honestly I would have come out ahead if we had rented a pump (you can do so at lactationconnection.com). Or, just borrow a pump from a friend and bring home the plastic parts that the hospital will give you with their breast pump. It really works fine.

14. Breast Pump Bra: A product I heard about at a recent baby shower is a hands-free breast pumping bra. There are different types out there, but one is the Easy Expression Bustier – Hands Free Nursing Bra ($29.95 – $42.00). Basically, it holds the suction cups on your breast pump in place so that your hands are free to do other things while pumping – giving you back at least 20 min per pumping session. BUT – an even better idea is to take a sports bra and cut out small holes over the nipple area. Works the same way and you can save $15-20+. Maybe I would have pumped more with Luke had I known about this trick!

15. Nursing Pads: I heard about the Lily Padz when my second son was born, and ordered them right away. When I first tried the Lily Padz, I thought I had scored big. They were comfortable, breathable, felt great, and were supposed to be constantly reusable. But…they lasted about 2 weeks. I thought I had followed the usage and washing instructions, tried everything I could to get the “suction” back, but it didn’t work. Out they went. Back in came my standard washable cotton nursing pads, a bit more expensive (4/$4.90) than disposable but easy to wash (you’re doing laundry all the time anyway) and much more comfortable than the throwaways due to better breathability.

16. Gerber Breast Milk Bags: If you do pump, you will need to store your milk at some point. Don’t buy the plastic storage bottles; they’re too expensive and you will likely need to many of them if you plan to freeze any of your milk. The best bags I found are the Gerber Seal ‘n Go bags (25/$5.99) they actually do stand up after you fill them, which makes storage a lot easier. They are a little more expensive than the Lansinoh option (50/$9.99) but worth it.

TRANSPORTING: You spend a lot of time on-the-go, so your baby will, too. Here are a couple of things I learned along the way with my two little-ones.

17. Check car compatability. Not every car seat fits in every car. Check out www.CarSeatData.org to search your vehicle compatability with different car seats that you have in mind. This is web forum where users (like you!) enter compatability scores, so it’s not perfect. If you can’t find the information you need, check the car seat in your car before you buy. When you get serious about a certain style, your retailer should allow you the chance to test fit before you buy.

18. Test the feel of lot of different kinds. Do as I say, not as I did – which was basically to pick an infant car seat based on how well it matched my car by color of car seat cover. Bad idea. Test several for feel carrying, ease of getting in/out of stroller base and car seat base, etc.

19. Research the latest technology. I won’t pretend to know the best car seat/stroller. After all, I purchased mine almost three years ago – and even in that short amount of time things have changed dramatically. A quick trip to Lone Star Baby & Kids had my head spinning as I watched a very helpful sales associate demonstrate a car seat/stroller combination option to an expectant mother. A floor display on a new car seat/stroller called Teutonia gave me the impression of buying a customized couch, not a car seat. What I did decide is that when we do have our third, we’ll be getting a new infant seat/stroller.

SLEEPING: My first encounter with sleep deprivation was with my my first son, and almost pushed me over the edge. I went back to work at 11 weeks and was a basketcase by 16 weeks due to lack of sleep. Lots of lessons learned here; you get to benefit from them.

20. Moses basket: When my former employer sent a Moses basket to my hospital room the day I delivered my first son, I had to ask the nurse what it was for. Quickly, I learned, and it became both son’s sleeping spot until they literally grew out of it by two months old. In the early days, when they can sleep anywhere and everywhere, it was wonderful because you could bring them around room to room with you as you went about your daily activities. At night, we had them sleep in the Moses basket that we put in our hand-me-down bassinet because it seemed so much cozier. When we decided it was time to have the boys sleep in the nursery instead of our room, we introduced them to the crib by placing them in the Moses basket in the crib initially. There are a lot of options out there now, including these from Lilly Bean Designs and The Nursery Window.

21. Baby Swing: Another book I highly recommend is The Happiest Baby on the Block, by Dr. Harvey Karp. But – don’t buy it, just borrow your friend’s or the library’s, because once you learn the 5 S’s from the book, you’re golden. Another friend I know of says 20 minutes of the video is all you need. One of his “S’s” is Swinging, and since it was the only thing that would calm Jack down at the “witching hours” late in the day right around dinner, I have to say I’m a convert. The best swing I’ve seen (sadly, not mine) is this one from Graco, the Lovin’ Hug Swing ($130).

22. Healthy Sleep Habits/Happy Child: When I had Jack, encountering sleep deprivation for the first time in my life literally sent me almost off the deep end. I read every book out there on the market on infant sleep and made color coded Excel-based sleep charts so I could track every moment of sleep. The only book out there on sleep worth its salt (in my opinion) is Healthy Sleep Habits, Happy Child, by Marc Weissbluth. I didn’t find it particularly well-written, but he gives good practical advice in his vignettes and there are several fundamental premises he bases his sleep training on which I identified with. I now have two great sleepers – Jack from 4 months on and Luke from about 6 months on.

23. Video Monitor: I remember seeing these in the store when Jim and I were registering and making the comment: “Wow. Who would need that? Isn’t that overkill?” Seven weeks later, we were back in the store, buying one because as we were trying to get Jack to fall asleep on his own, I couldn’t handle just hearing him and needed to also see him. (Please see my blog “Judge Not…” if I’ve just offended you; I’ve learned my lessons!) We are on our second type now; the first one we bought, the Safety First Sights & Sounds Video Monitor ($144) stopped working at 11 months (which, according to reviews we’ve now seen online is not unusual and in fact is almost like clock-work). Our second, this Summer Infant Baby Quiet Sounds Color Handheld Monitor ($181), has been going strong for two years and we also have added another camera (available on the Summer website for $100) to it so that we can switch between views of Jack’s room and Luke’s room.

24. Swaddle blanket: I am a firm believer in swaddling babies, especially until they’ve outgrown their startle reflex (around 3 months or older). (This is another one of the Happiest Baby S’s – Swaddle.) Receiving blankets might work for the first week or so, but your baby will quickly outgrow them. The Miracle Blanket ($29.95) was the only one that worked for us; both boys were far to strong (and big) for The Swaddle Me by Kiddopotamus ($10-$13) or the Boppy swaddle blanket ($10). I’ve also heard from some Moms that the SwaddleDesigns Ultimate Receiving Blanket ($24.99) works great – at 40×40, it’s a generous size for swaddling (though you’ll have to learn how yourself versus “wrapping” your child up like a burrito like the Miracle Blanket).

25. Pacifier: I had grand plans of not giving my babies pacifiers…until I actually had children and knew what the term “strong need to suck” actually meant. Once I figured out that “feeding on demand” for Jack was actually a form of using me as a human pacifier, we quickly bought several different types of pacifiers for him to try. The one he and Luke both settled on was the Mam paci, available everywhere. (This is actually also one of the S’s from the Happiest Baby book – Sucking.)

26. Noise machine: White noise can also help babies sleep, blocking out some of the noise of the household. You can buy these anywhere, including this Conair model at Target ($19.99). (You guessed it – another one of the S’s – Shushing.)

27. Heartbeat CD: I learned a hard lesson about rocking your babies to sleep with Jack. Simply put, the lesson is: DON’T. You will be tempted, but don’t do it. The crying later as you try to train them to sleep on their own is not worth it. What I did like from those rocking sessions is this CD: Jesus Loves Me Fast Asleep (Amazon, $14.99). It has your favorite songs from Vacation Bible School with heartbeats playing in the backdrop. I used it at various times with my boys and just loved it, though it will not magically make your child fall asleep (as it claims).

28. Ocean Wonders Aquarium: What did help Jack sleep (besides the paci) was the Ocean Wonders Aquarium ($37) that we hung on his crib. By four months old, he could kick it to turn it back on, so we would hear him in the middle of the night kick it back on to hear “Brahm’s Lullaby” if he woke up.

29. Room-darkening curtains: One thing I strongly believe in is that giving your child a set place to sleep (as much as you can, which can be hard when you have older kids with their own schedules and activities) can help them learn how to fall asleep and stay asleep on their own. For good naps, room-darkening curtains are key (especially in this bright Texas summer sun). Here’s a set you can use behind any standard curtains that match your nursery. (By the way, for those of you paying attention and thinking that the other S might be “shade?”. Nope – it’s side/stomach. Read more here.)

BATHING: For both my boys, bathing was a fun ritual from the start and remains so today. Enjoy this time with them; it just might be your favorite part of the day.

30. Infant tub: We tried, no kidding, four different baby tubs with Jack. Nothing worked well, but I had settled for our third choice – until my sister came in and announced I needed the “blue one”. She went to the store for me and came home with the First Years Sure Comfort Deluxe Newborn to Toddler Tub ($17.99). Sure enough, she was right. The green hammock is great for when they are infants (even when you can only do sponge baths), and the tub itself worked for the boys until they were ~6 months. It’s now my standard baby gift basket for my new Mom friends.

31. Aveeno bath wash: I figure bathing our boys in the Baby Aveeno Wash & Shampoo ($4.29/8oz) is splurging on them like buying myself the Bath & Body Works Sensual Amber Body Splash. Although it costs 15X more per ounce than my own personal shampoo (yes, I buy the good old standard Suave for me), it’s worth it when I smell their yummy clean hair when we’re reading books before bed. The Aveeno Lavendar lotion ($4) is also great for keeping their buttery soft skin buttery soft.

PLAYING: The lack of play my boys engaged in early on was actually a surprise for me. I don’t know what I expected – or that I even had any expectations, in fact – but I guess when people said all babies do are “eat, sleep, poop”, I didn’t quite believe them. I do now. But – I did find a few things that kept them engaged during those awake play times.

32. Play Mat: From almost day 1, we had both Jack and Luke playing on their mats. Who knows if they got anything out of it, but we felt like we were good parents for giving them lots of interesting things to look at. Eventually they learned to kick the music on and touch the different parts of the mat to make different sounds. Our favorite, and that of many of our friends, is the Infantino play gym ($60), although several less expensive options are available.

33. Bouncer chair: Another essential; we bought one of the lower-end options and have been very pleased with it. Luke spent more time in it than he probably should have (as evidenced by his late crawling at 11 months), but it kept him happy. It’s the Bright Starts Bouncing Buddies Bouncer ($20).

34. Mirror: This was the only thing that would keep Jack or Luke on tummy time – being able to look at the “baby” in the mirror. A cheap, fun toy option is the Sassy Me in the Mirror ($12.99).

CLOTHING: Obviously, there’s an endless variety out there. Here are just a couple of suggestions.

35. Onesies: Unless you are a much more efficient diaper-er than I am, or your baby is the first baby in the world not to spit up a lot, you will likely go through 2-3 onesies/outfits per day, especially in the first few months. You will need a variety of different options. As much as I love Target, the onesies that come in a pack of 5 are only worth the money if you wear them under other things. In my experience, spending a little more for some thicker, more substantial onesies is the best option if your baby will wear them alone (like summer babies). Try these from Old Navy and The Children’s Place, or if you want to spend a little more (though, honestly, why?) Baby Gap has some good ones that are ultra-cute.

36. Pants: With my first son, I dressed him in one-piece play rompers consistently, until he was around 9 months old. Then I discovered pants. His bottom rarely saw another romper, and his brother only wore them on the occasions where we had run out of pants and we were backed up on laundry. My point: Pants are better than rompers. It’s the same principle for why, as a tall woman, I prefer tankinis over 1 piece swimsuits (even “long torso” ones) – having a top + a pant fits a wider variety of babies and you don’t have to worry about longer torsos/longer legs/etc. (Yes, one size does not fit all with babies, either.) My favorites, once again, were from Old Navy and The Children’s Place – great staples that look good and have lasted through two boys now.