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Community Corner

How to Have a Budget Holiday

Online deals to help parents save

If you aren't frugal before you become a parent, chances are that after one child (or more) enters your family, you're always thrilled to find a good deal, particularly on kids' clothing, toys, and gear.

Now that the holidays are upon us and Black Friday is just a few days away, the desire to get the very best buy is even stronger. But maybe you're not the go-to-the-mall-and-brave-the-crowds type. Thank goodness for the Internet.

If you're a bargain online shopper, you're familiar with the "staples" – sites like Woot, Retail Me Not, and the ever-reliable eBay. To add to your go-to bookmarks of fabulous finds, here are some other popular daily deals sites that let you sign up for free and notify you of great buys on gifts and necessities for your little one (and sometimes for mom and dad too). Just know that you have to be quick – on most sites, the deals last for only 24 hours to make room for new bargains.

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  • Zulily – Features new items daily from various high-quality boutique brands, including maternity clothes. Each event lasts 72 hours then new brands and products are featured. Members can get up to 70 percent off retail prices.
  • BabySteals – Get an a.m. email with that day's featured baby or maternity item and a sneak peek at their p.m. deal. They also have a sister site: KidSteals. You can land diapers, clothes, and more at 50 to 80 percent off of retail prices.
  • MamaBargains – Want more than just one or two deals a day? This site sometimes offers up to 10 daily deals on gear for parents, infants, and kids up to 10.

For the best of all worlds – great bargains on local goods, activities, and more – there's Certifikid, a site offering daily deals for families and expectant mothers in Maryland and the Greater Washington, D.C. area. "You have one day to purchase directly off the website and you'll get a printable certificate," says owner Jamie Ratner. "For the holidays we'll be featuring gift items for parents and kids, holiday event tickets, and much more."

Thinking of subscribing to Certifikid? It's free to receive their daily emails too. (Pssst, this coming Monday's deal involves The Little Gym in Germantown and a discount of more than half off.)

Find out what's happening in Germantownwith free, real-time updates from Patch.

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