Sunday, September 28, 2008

Carseat Deal

Last week, while in town to pick up a fifty gallon water heater, I decided to get the ironing board I'd been needing, since I was hauling the Green Monster and all. Now, before you jump to conclusions, no, I don't iron. Except when I'm sewing. Which I've been.

I went to Costco, to get the iron I'd been drooling over as well, which, of course, they were out of. So I bought the cheap but still-way-better-than-the-$5-one-I-bought-for-college-12-years-ago Sunbeam iron. Right next to the iron were the carseats, one of which I'd been passing by every week with a slow pace and lingering glance. It's the Cosco Alpha Omega seat, which can be rear-facing for little babes, a regular carseat for toddlers, and a belt-positioning booster for the big 'uns.

We already have one of these, but, well, I bought it used, off Ebay (about $75), when Big Sister was about 6 months old. That would be early 2002. We've since bought booster seats and such as she grew, handing the older ones down to Little Artist, but that Ebay castoff had seen it's day (and crumbs, and mashed-in raisins, leaky diapers, vomit, etc). I'd been thinking on replacing it for some time, but the original $117 pricetag was a bit steep.

In recent weeks, it had dropped to about $100, but there were always other expenses crowding it out. This time, however, the bright red marker on the pricetag caught my eye. "Display only" it read, and the $99.97 price crossed out and "$75-" written in it's place. Well, since I'd already blown the budget with a $350 water heater, not to mention the ironing board and iron, I figured another $75 wouldn't be much noticed. So we plopped that display model into the basket (where Little Artist enjoyed a most comfortable tour of Costco) and swiped the magnetic pricetag off the steel shelf.


We are blessed, and looking forward to Organique confirming the "22+ pound" status so we can just install it front-facing.

4 comments:

annie said...

Good deal!! We were handed down an infant car seat when my daughter was born. She was the third baby to use it, so when she outgrew it we threw it away because we weren't sure how durable it would continue to be. I'm not looking forward to the carseat buying trials we'll have to go through before the new baby comes. My mom scored a $20 double stroller for us, though! I figured it'd come in handy for outings to the zoo or mall or other places without a cart and where a two year old will give up walking about 15 minutes into the activity. :) I plan to carry the baby, but I don't think I can comfortably carry both.

Anyway, good job on the Costco shopping. :)

home handymum said...

These are great! we've got one that can be toddler to booster, but not infant - I quite like the capsules that can be easily removed from the car and popped onto wheels like a stroller without having to unbuckle and wake the sleeping cherub.

I like using the 5 point harness for as long as I can - just feel safer.

MamaJ said...

Yep, we have one of these babies. We needed it when XMan grew to a whopping 30lbs by 10 months old.... The handle on the infant seat was creaking - ha! Now, he can buckle his little brother into it for me also.

EllaJac said...

Nice price on that double stroller, annie! We have the 'sit n stand' by baby trend, which we love. Has a regular front seat, and a 'standing platform' in the rear, along with a bench for optional seating. The infant carseat/carrier snaps into the front as well. LOVE it - since Little Artist is a little big for a regular stroller (but I like to keep her corralled, sometimes!).

Handymum, we also like and use the little removeable carrier carseats. Problem is, most only work until 20 or 22 lbs, at which point your child must have a different seat - but if they're less than a year old, they still need to be rear-facing. A dilemma our first two big girls faced. :) This one, not so much. I just knocked on the neighbor's door today and borrowed their bathroom scale - she's 21 lbs.