Thrifty Thursday: Jogging Stroller

Olive is tall for her age and was quickly outgrowing her original Chicco stroller by the age of two.  So we started stroller hunting and looking for a good deal.  Baby gear is pricey and we knew we didn't want to spend hundreds or thousands on a stroller.

Our requirements were:

comfy seat for Olive

good sun canopy

good cup holders for mom and tray for Olive

large basket underneath

smooth ride

good reviews

We originally purchased a Joovy jogger on ebay.  I loved the look, the reviews were great and so was the price.  However, the stroller arrived and we'd been sent the wrong model.  It was missing all the screws to attach the wheels/accessories with so we promptly returned it for a full refund.  I really liked the Joovy products, but opted to go another route since there were no local stores that carried them.

We headed to Babies R Us realizing that we were going to have to try the strollers out, put Olive in them and see them in real life before making our purchase.  We looked at Baby Depot, Babies R Us and Target.  Babies R Us had the best selection and we ultimately found our stroller there.

Kevin went and scoped things out first and then Olive and I went to see his favorites.  We both agreed on our top two favorites and pushed them around the store.  The saleslady at Babies R Us was really knowledgeable and helpful.  We thought we'd found a winner, but I wanted to go home and read reviews/compare prices.  I did all of that and decided our favorite was a great option.

We went back the next day, talked to the same saleslady, asked if she happened to have any special coupons we could use and got 20% off the stroller.  We could have gotten 40% off for opening a credit card, but didn't want to go that route.  

Thrifty tip of the day: Always inquire about special coupons or deals!

We purchased the Graco Fast Action Fold Jogger.

We have used it a ton over the last several week and really love it.  

PROS:

It folds up easily, 

has a huge tray for Olive and for myself, 

the basket underneath is really large,

can hold tons of toys/supplies

has mesh side panels so Olive can see out when the sun shade is down

has a tall handlebar

and is really easy to navigate

CONS:
My iphone6 fits awkwardly in the parent tray

the front wheel occasionally locks in place on its own

We have yet to purchase a service plan for it.  I think it was $40 and covered nearly everything so we still have a little while to make that final decision.

 We've used the stroller at the mall, going on walks, at the state fair, shopping, errands, etc. and have been really happy with our purchase.  Olive has always enjoyed riding in a stroller and seems to love this one.  She gets herself all set up with a drink and a snack in her tray.