Car seats, as we are learning about most baby items, are expensive. Really expensive.

At 9 months and 22 lbs., Reese is already too big for her infant car seat (no fat jokes please), and in need of the next big thing. It’s been real Graco Alano travel system, but it’s time for an upgrade.

Over the past few weeks, I have been reading up on the type of car seat that we are supposed to get Reese next (a convertible), comparing brands and models, and poring over consumer reviews and postings on message boards about car seat safety.

This weekend, Andrew and I decided that we would get the Britax Marathon from Babies R Us. We chose Babies R Us mainly because we had a 15% off coupon for all car seats, and because they allow you to trade in an old seat (we had an expired hand me down seat from Andrew’s cousin) and receive 25% off a new one. Woot Woot!

Sunday afternoon we stopped into Babies R Us to pick up the seat, planning to trade in the old seat and get the Britax for 25% off. I was strangely excited to be buying a new car seat, and pumped that we were going to get a deal on one.

After waiting in line for ten minutes, our high spirits were crushed by the teenager at the register who told us that Britax seats were not eligible for the coupon OR the trade in discount.

Internally raging, we ended up leaving empty-handed; partly because we wanted retribution for the Babies R Us bitch slap we had just received and partly because we are not good at making quick decisions.

However, Monday was a new day and we knew we could no longer let our cheapness interfere with our daughter’s safety. I ordered the Britax from Albee Baby for a little less than it was being sold for at Babies R Us and considered this a small triumph.

Apparently these are the things that really get me going these days; car seats and coupons.

Bring on the mom jeans!