The two things people mention most when they notice I’m having a baby are 1) don’t expect to sleep much and 2) raising kids is expensive. The latest government data says that a family with an average annual income of $59,300 will spend $197,700 on that child between birth and age 17! Since we’re only in the preparation stage, I’ll cross that bridge when I get to it.

Lately though, we’ve been saving every penny so I can take some time off work after the birth. But, since there’s now a never ending list of things to shop for it’s hard to save! Baby prep checklists include the crib and nursery furniture, car seat, stroller, highchair, clothes, toys and more. A friend said baby gear could cost up to $5,000! I feel like the billion-dollar-baby-products industry lurks around every corner waiting to reel me in.

Here’s what we’ve done so far to cut costs:

• Focused on our own baby spending values rather than what the baby industry says.
• No extravagant nursery theme. I’ll wait to decorate the room until our son gets a little older since we’ll keep his crib in our room at first.
• We’ll use the crib my sister slept in as a baby (yes, I checked, and it meets the crib safety standards set out by the CPSC). We will buy a new mattress, though.
• Instead of buying a dresser and changing table I’m using two dressers we already own. One will hold our son’s clothing and the other will have a changing pad on top.

Who knows, maybe by cutting these costs we’ll save enough money to start a 529 plan for our son. Since we’re on a budget I’d rather he get a college education than that $800 stroller I love but he’ll never remember.

I’d love to hear any tips you have on how you saved money when preparing for your newborn! Please leave your suggestions in the comments.

Wrong color.
It didn't fit.
I have two already.
I can't regift it.

There are a lot of reasons to head back to the mall this week to return the gifts that weren't quite right, and exchange them for something a little more "you." Before you go, here are some quick tips for making the trip successful.

First, double check to make sure you have all the packaging and instructions together if you're returning a boxed product and keep the tags attached if you're returning a piece of clothing. Stores are more apt to accept returns if the items look like they’re in unused condition.

Store return policies vary like crazy. Some will give only a store credit or a size or color exchange. Others are much more liberal in what they'll allow. To avoid surprises, check the store's return policy on their website before you go. If you have the sales receipt or gift receipt, you'll be in a better position to get a cash refund or store credit for the amount your gift giver paid. Without proof of the price actually paid for the item, you may just be able to get a refund or store credit for the amount the item is currently selling for. And if it's part of an after-holiday sale, that means you may be getting less than it was originally worth.

Unless your gift was purchased months ago, you don't even need to head out into the crowds this week to exchange the items you want to return. Most traditional stores allow you at least a few weeks to return things. If your gift was purchased online though, you may need to return or exchange items more quickly. Many online stores allow only a week or two for returns or exchanges.  And more and more stores, online or traditional, charge restocking fees on returned electronics or appliances. That can really eat into your cash refund or store credit!

If you're not satisfied with your exchange or return experience, it can't hurt to contact the seller by phone or send a complaint letter.  And if all else fails, you can always try to sell your unwanted gift on an online auction site or donate it to a charity. Or, go ahead and stage an ugly sweater contest at work.

What’s the oddest or most return-worthy gift you received this year for the holidays?

You did it, didn't you? You shopped til you dropped.

Literally.

Your feet. Your back. Your knees. And that pounding head. You fought the crowds, scored the prezzies and now you've got the battle wounds to prove it. Congratulations, and I'm sorry.

Seems to me that you, my friend, have earned a break. So put your tootsies up and take a tour with me through some government sites with great information on caring for those achy, breaky parts.

Head

I'm prone to headaches when I fight the crowds at the mall, and was interested in the National Institutes of Health Medline Plus online medical encyclopedia's information on the types of headaches and how to treat them. I get different kinds of headaches and never know which kind is which. This illustrated chart will help me tell quickly what type of headache I'm experiencing.

And Shoulders

My friend Sofie told me this morning that her biggest shopping pain this year was her shoulder. Sof tends to drag around a bag roughly half her size and weight but after a recent romp at the mall, she returned to the office wincing from the pain, and carrying a much more modest bag to give her shoulder a rest. She also recommended this booklet on shoulder problems.

After she shops, my mom really feels her back--a combination of arthritis and spinal stenosis, a narrowing of the spinal column that puts pressure on the nerves and spinal cord. I found some publications from the online home of the Consumer Information Catalog that I want to share with her about her back problems and arthritis. I'm especially interested in seeing if the exercises in the back pain publication will bring her some relief.

Knees

Do your knees feel as rusty as the Tin Man's after a lap around the shopping center? Old sports injury or not, knee problems are common, and can be really debilitating. Questions and Answers About Knee Problems explains the effects of different types of knee injuries and what medicine is doing to help people cope with knee pain.

And Toes

If those feet of yours are killing you after your day of shopping (and you were being good and didn't even wear cute shoes), I found some help for you--a terrific, basic guide to common foot problems, from a fact sheet from the state of Massachusetts. 

Thanks for taking your shopping break with me. Hope you get some relief from your shopping aches and pains. And the next time you venture to the store, may you find a parking space close to the entrance and short lines at the register.

Tired of the fighting the crowds yet? I still haven't been out shopping this holiday season, but I'll get around to it. Maybe. If I can shake this cold and if I can't find something online for everyone on my gift list.

Confined to my couch with a bag of cough drops and a carton of orange juice (which taste really nasty together), and needing to get my shopping under way, I've been poking around USA.gov's page devoted to government books, souvenirs and gift shops for unusual presents. Turns out some of them were no farther away than my very own office.

The Federal Citizen Information Center, where we Gov Gabbers work, started out back in the 70s as the place that distributed government booklets from Pueblo, Colorado. Even though FCIC has added all sorts of online services over the years, millions of people still clamor for those booklets from Pueblo. And it dawned on me that many of those booklets make good "go-withs" for larger holiday gifts. I'm going to tuck a couple of the online safety booklets into my mom's Christmas stocking to accompany the new computer she'll find under the tree.

Another gift idea that appealed to me was the collection of recordings from the Library of Congress American Folk Life Center on cassette  or CD. Work songs, blues, spirituals, cowboy ballads--this is the kind of thing that makes my heart go pitter pat because I love looking back at America's past and people through folk songs and storytelling. And a couple of my friends do too, so I can check two more names off my list.

Have a collector in your life? The government has lots of holiday ornaments, including favorites from the US Capitol and the White House Historical Association, which is featuring President Grover Cleveland's wedding on this year's annual ornament. And the US Postal Service's online store features an assortment of ornaments based on popular stamps, as well as collections of the stamps themselves and other gifts.

You can find cool stuff for adults and kids from NASA like a Space Shuttle flight suit for the child on your list who says he or she wants to grow up to be an astronaut. The National Zoo has gifts for animal lovers--especially fans of the zoo's panda bears. And the Smithsonian Institution's online store is full of collectibles, jewelry, toys and art, tied to various Smithsonian exhibits. My favorite Smithsonian store was located in the National Museum of American History which is closed until next summer for renovations. But the online store has a lot of the goodies I'd find there.

There are so many more gift ideas to tell you about. But my cold medicine is kicking in and before I start typing gibberish or make an online purchase I won't remember later when the cough suppressant wears off, I'll get offline and let you do some 'gov gift' exploring on your own.

Breaking up is hard to do.  And after 10 years, I’m about to call it quits with Charlie, my car.  Though we’ve had some good times and unforgettable road trips, it’s time that we go our separate ways.

But deciding on my new ride has been harder than I thought it would be.  Do I want a coupe or sedan? Or how about a hybrid?  Should it be automatic or manual?  And what about the engine size?  The choices are endless.  To help me narrow my search, I checked out Consumer Reports and Edmunds.com.

These two sites gave me a wealth of information from price and owner satisfaction to ratings and reviews for both new and used cars.  They also helped me prioritize what features were important to me:  reliability, safety, and fuel economy.

I’ve also started to compile a “wish list” of other features that I would like.  These include trunk space, leather interior, moonroof, alloy wheels, and of course, an MP3 player plug-in.  A girl must be able to jam out to her entire John Mayer discography while driving.

After all this shopping around, I think I have finally found a couple of different cars that meet my needs.  And so now I’m ready for the fun part…test driving.  The Better Business Bureau has put together this great test drive checklist that will help me be a little less clueless at the dealership.

I’ll have another post (hopefully soon) about my car buying and financing experience.  Meanwhile, I’ll be reading up on how to maintain control over the sales process starting with this post from The Consumerist.  And I’ll be also be deciding whether Charlie gets donated or traded-in.  Does anyone have some helpful advice they would like to share?