Review: A quick visit to Target (Square One, Mississauga)

So I finally checked out Target at Square One in Mississauga last night. I only had a bit of time as I had to run other errands, but this is what I thought: Meh... nothing to get excited about.

A few things I noticed:

• For baby and toddler clothes, Walmart is still cheaper. Walmart has tops and bottoms starting at $3 - Target's start at $5. 
• Toy selection at Target isn't fab. It's actually pretty small and pricey.
• On the lower level at the mall entrance, they have four or five self-checkouts. Well, they had staff helping people at the checkouts because customers weren't sure how to use them. Plus half of the self-checkouts broke down.
• Their house brand of diapers are very cheap - cheaper than Costco, Walmart and Real Canadian Superstore. But here's the thing: I have no idea what their brand of diapers and wipes are like. Sure they say "leak-proof" but are they really? I'd rather spend the extra money on Pampers because I know they work.

So my final thoughts? I'll stick to Walmart and the Real Canadian Superstore. Although Target price-matches, I'd rather go somewhere else to price-match because Target doesn't have fresh produce.

Thoughts?

Pampers on sale

I just got back from the Real Canadian Superstore - great, awesome, amazing sale on Pampers! I got a box of 176 (size 4) Baby Dry for $29.97. I also had a $1 coupon, so I actually paid $28.97 ... which means I paid 16 cents per diaper. 

Quick tip you should know:  I've noticed that Costco's increased their prices on Huggies. For size 4, it would cost about 20 or 21 cents per diaper. So if you think Costco is cheaper, that's not always the case.

Baby wipes review

Someone just asked me what I thought about Kirkland baby wipes. Immediately, I thought of my top wipes:

1. Pampers
2. Kirkland
3. Teddy's
4. Huggies

So here are my thoughts: Pampers, I love, love, love because they are super moist. (I dunno, maybe I feel like the wetter they are, the more they clean.) And when I take a Pampers wipe out of a container, it doesn't stick to other wipes. 

Kirkland wipes (available at Costco, if you aren't familiar with the brand) are already packaged for on-the-go moments, so you don't have to worry about putting wipes in your own containers. They aren't as moist as Pampers, but they are pretty durable. Kirkland wipes are a permanent fixture on my kitchen table. They don't take up much room because of their handy packaging.

When it comes to saving a few bucks, if I cannot find Pampers wipes on sale (at about two cents a wipe), then usually Kirkland is my go-to brand.

As for Teddy's, I tried that brand once because I got it for free at a Superstore. (It rang in at the wrong price, yay!) Well, good thing I didn't pay for them because they weren't that moist and felt pretty thin.

And Huggies ... don't get me started. They stick to each other all the time. If I wanted just one wipe, I'd end up getting four – what a flippin' waste.

But hey, these are just my opinions. Everyone has their preferences. Like I said in my last post, go with what works for you. If there's a sale on Pampers wipes and you can't stand using them, don't bother with the deal.

Rewards points are paying off

So I finally swapped my collection of Pampers points for a prize: The Manhattan Toy Maya Mermaid & Deliliah Dolphin. And it arrived! 

I've noticed that the prizes change on and off on the Pampers site, which is why I stopped collecting points for a big prize, like a stroller. (And besides, by the time I get the stroller, my daughter will probably be too old for it!) 

The same goes for the Huggies site — the prizes frequently change. I finally earned enough points for a decent prize. (Is it me or is it harder to collect Huggies points?) In a few weeks I should be receiving the Winnie the Pooh Folding Travel Potty Seat, which I figure will be useful by the time it gets in my hands. 

So lesson here is ... think ahead with your Pampers and Huggies points. If you're saving up for something really big, ask yourself these questions: How long will it take to collect that amount of points? By the time I get enough points, will my kid want to bother with the prize? And what's the likelihood of Pampers and Huggies removing the item? 

Summer Savings!

I've come across a few summer savings for baby and tot. Check these out!

Coppertone Coupon
Coppertone has a coupon available for $1 off. Even if you're unsure of which sunscreen you want to use on your baby, maybe keep this saving on hand. It's through GoCoupon.ca, so you need to have a login. (NOTE: According to Health Canada, babies need to be six months old to wear sunscreen. However, in the Spring/Summer 2012 issue of Baby&Toddler: Today's Parent Guide, they say "it's now considered safe in small amounts" for younger babies. Talk to your doctor to be on the safe side.)



 


Pampers/Huggies Swimming Diapers
Walmart has these on sale (two packages of Pampers or Huggies swimming diapers for $20). And if you have coupons for Pampers or Huggies that do not have restrictions on them (i.e. $2 off ANY package of diapers), use them on the swimmers! I did and for Huggies swimming diapers, I ended up paying $17 for two packages. And if you need a recap on how to calculate diaper savings/price matching, check out my entry from earlier this year.



Surely I must be missing out on other savings. If so, feel free to share!

Where to find coupons

I am an avid couponer, though not crazy enough to be on Extreme Couponing! Really, in Canada, you can't practice couponing as freely as those in the U.S. (But if you know a way, PLEASE let me know!). However, I try my best to use coupons when the time calls for it. Wondering where I find my coupons? Here's a quick list of links for your reference:

-Pampers
-Huggies
-Think Coupons
-Websaver
-Save.ca
-Go Coupons
-P&G Brandsaver
-Heinz Baby
-Nestle

You'll have to join their mailing lists or make an account to get coupons/choose coupons, but it's not a big deal. Where do you find your coupons? Let me know!

P.S. Yes, I do have a coupon book! Best places to find coupon books? Dollar stores, baby!

Diaper discussion

When I buy diapers, I NEVER purchase them without coupons. This is what I do: I go through all of the flyers in my local paper and check which store has Pampers or Huggies on sale (these diapers seem to work the best, in my experience. The stupid Seventh Generation ones rip and leak!). Then I price them per diaper using the sale price AND a coupon on top of the sale price. The most I've ever paid for a size-3 package is $0.16 per diaper.

So here's a little demo "case study": I have flyers from Walmart and Superstore. Walmart has a 222-pack of size-3 Pampers on sale for $32.99; Superstore has Pampers in a 172 pack for $28.99. I have a $2-off coupon. You'd think Superstore would be cheaper, but guess again.  According to my calculations, I would choose Walmart, as the package would be $0.13 per diaper. (If I were to go with Superstore AND use my coupon, it would be more expensive, as I would be paying $0.15 per diaper.) Many would think that my shopping technique is too frugal, BUT saving here and there goes a long way.

In my opinion, stocking up on diapers is a no-no. Here's why: babies grow FAST. You don't know how big they'll get. I used to think people said this to make conversation, but after having my own, I've realized that it actually means something! Babies tend to double their weight by the time they reach four months. So if your baby is only wearing size 2 for about a month and you've bought that size in bulk, you've wasted your money (and the diapers take up space!). I found purchasing NB diapers in bulk was a huge disadvantage: Although my daughter could have more than comfortably fit into size 1, I squeezed her little bottom into NB diapers because I had too many stored away. (Sorry, babes!) Generally speaking, today I purchase two boxes MAX in the diaper inventory.

Thoughts? Comments from lovers and haters are welcome! Bring it, biatch!