Some would say any shopping is hindering your saving efforts. But, if you need something, saving while you shop is the best way. We are expecting our first baby this July, so we will HAVE to do some shopping to prepare. So many things we need - nursery furniture, car seat and stroller, clothes, diapers, etc. I think we will try to minimize on the contraptions that first-time-parents think they need but really don't. We'll take advice from blogs and other parents that have the scoop on what you really need and don't need for baby.
We are having a boy. The first one in our family in 22 years so we can't really count on hand-me-downs at this point. Starting from scratch on clothes and toys will be expensive but I think we can get creative to save money. This past weekend I went to Baby Gap with my amazing friend @Kim O'Laughlin who is always raving about the sales she finds at Gap. **I am now a believer! To my delight, the clearance section of Baby Gap had some awesome finds and on top of the already clearance price, everything was another 25% off. So I got some items for as little as $2....from GAP!!
They are famous for their zipper pajamas since parents hate fussing with buttons/snaps during middle of the night changings. I found three pairs for about $4 each, orginally $25. Most of the clearance stuff was for winter so I bought 6 month size, which is just what we'll need when "winter" rolls back around in Florida. My total bill was $62.40 for: 3 pairs of pajamas, 2 long-sleeve/pants sweater onsies, 2 Halloween outfits, a striped long-sleeve onsie, and a corduroy jacket. I went back through the items and calculated what I would have spent if I bought these items at full price. Want to take a guess before I tell you and you have a stroke? $257.10! That is two-hundred and fifty-seven dollars and ten cents folks. No joke. 
