WHEN

Shop during the afternoons when going to bazaars and tiangges. It’s easier to haggle during those times unlike when buying early in morning. Keep your eyes open for stores and mall sales throughout the year by looking for announcements in newspapers and parenting magazines.

For school uniforms, avoid buying right before school starts because prices are jacked up then. Try shopping during the middle of the school year. You can even barter for prices when buying at the palengke’s clothing section.

WHERE

Nowadays, great bargains for kiddie clothes, toys, shoes, and bags cannot only be found in out-of-the-way places but inside malls as well. Check out the P99 Store where a set of children’s shirt and shorts can be had for less than a hundred bucks.

Mall department stores also usually carry items that are sturdy but more affordable than the well-known brands. Plus, the quest for knowledge need not come expensive when you browse through second-hand but still presentable children’s books, comics, and back issues of magazines at stores like Booksale, Filbars, Books for Less, and Diplomat.

Visit St. Francis Square in Ortigas and the stalls in Greenhills for durable but reasonably priced kiddie apparels. Nevertheless, for really bagsak-presyo items especially when buying in bulk (think party favors, Christmas gifts, and school supplies), it’s still a great idea to dash to the ever-reliable Divisoria and 168 Mall.

HOW

1. Respect children’s preferences
It is advisable to bring an already picky child along when shopping for shoes or clothes to ensure that everyone goes home happy. See, finding an item by yourself may be easy, but finding something that your child will like as much as you do can be a little more complicated.

2. Don’t insist on a certain style or color especially for teens’ wardrobe
Let teenagers choose and even buy their clothes but make sure to do a list of no-no’s such as not too short or revealing or no ripped clothes effects to at least give them a guideline.

3. Let kids browse/shop online under supervision
eBay.ph is a good venue for teaching children how to find bargains and decide on what are the best deals. They may even surprise you by coming across items you can’t find anywhere else or are cheaper than those in the malls.

4. Do comparison shopping
Before hitting the malls or anywhere else, consider having an idea of the current prices of your list of items on the Internet first. You can try to look for products with photos and information in Philippine shopping Web sites. You can also peek into sites like Consumer Reports for Kids where they test kids’ products including toys and games and offer resources to help kids make good consumer decisions.

5. Buy something you’re sure a child will like and use
When shopping for children’s gifts, avoid buying what you think the recipient should have but rather what he/she will appreciate. For instance, why give a set of badminton rackets or boxing gloves to a little boy who does not care much for sports and instead spends his time reading books and drawing cartoon characters? Get him a set of art materials or books about drawing then!

6. Ask around for recommendations
Make use of your circle of friends who are parents themselves to know what the best values are for money. Getting advice from those who’ve been there, so to speak, can be very valuable. Got a parenting e-group you belong to? Don’t be shy to request for help.

7. Match product price to kid’s age
Younger children tend to lose or break things easily as well as have no concept yet of how much something is really worth. If you really must give a cell phone to an eight-year-old, hand down your old one instead of buying him a new model. If he wants his own MP3 player, get him a generic and cheaper brand for the meantime instead of the more expensive iPod that his 16-year-old kuya has.

8. Wait
If possible, restrain yourself (and your kids) from buying the latest and hottest gadget (e.g. game consoles or mobile phones) on the market the moment it is launched. Know that prices remarkably go down a few weeks or months after.

From the 2007 edition of MoneySense, the country’s first and only personal finance magazine. You can read more financial tips and stories at www.moneysense.com.ph.