Just in case you were all wondering...
I did bite the bullet and purchase both the carseat & the stroller I mentioned in that previous, ripe-with-indecision, blog post.
I spent considerable time shopping online to find the best "bargains" for both, and when I had several people immediately interested in my old stroller, I decided I could justify the purchase(s). After all - can you really put a price tag on your child's safety? I just couldn't get the "what ifs" out of my head.
I've had a few people ask me about what models/brands the products I was talking about were...
The infant bucket car seat is the Peg Perego Primo Viaggio SIP (the one I purchased is a 2010 model, which is one of the reasons why I was able to find it for such a "good deal" - the other reason is probably the slightly obnoxious colour & pattern of the cloth). It remains one of the most popular infant bucket seats and is considered to be one of the best built and safe in the industry...my "expired" one is the same brand.
The stroller is the Baby Jogger City Select. I loved the flexibility of this one, as I was danged if I was spending another gazillion dollars on a stroller to be "locked into" just one or two options for use. I love that I can use this as a double OR single stroller, with the toddler seat, bassinet, infant car seat or any combination thereof. I know several people that have this stroller and really like it...so decided to just go with it. Again, I was able to find a 2010 model so it greatly reduced the purchase price. I purchased it online in the US. Now - before you go and persecute me on this decision, let me explain why I did so (as I truly do like to support our Canadian economy as much as possible). With strollers, there are no differing safety regulations like that for car seats between countries. In the US, there are many more retailers offering the product. In the US, prices on average are $100 - 150 less expensive (and when you factor how strong the Canadian dollar is compared to the US dollar at this point in time, the savings is significant). In the US, the majority of retailers offer FREE shipping (Canadian retailers, in general, seem to charge a HEFTY shipping fee). I managed to buy this stroller with all the accessories that I desired for around $350 - 400 less than what I would have paid walking into a Canadian retail center for the same product. Money talks...
Hope that helps answer some questions. Here are some tips that I can offer about this shopping experience!
1. It PAYS to shop around people...if you find one retailer with a particular policy that "beats" or outshines that of the cheaper retailers', consider calling and asking for a price match. It worked for me - saved me an additional $25!
2. Don't purchase without knowing shipping charges (one website wouldn't calculate until you had actually clicked "buy" - yikes! When I called, the shipping would have been almost $80! Add that into the purchase price and it wasn't such a good deal anymore).
3. Consider purchasing last years' model. Saved me hundreds over both purchases!
Happy shopping :)
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