Parent to Parent: Just Between Friends

WSVN -- As a mom to a two year old, Patti Maibauer knows having a child gets expensive.

Patti Maibauer: "You need all these things, they're all big ticket items. From cribs to stroller, car seat, pack and play, high chair."

When her daughter Cassandra got bigger, she didn't want to just ditch her stuff. That's when she found out about a group that helps parents recycle gently used items.

Patti Maibauer: "Just Between Friends is the nation's largest maternity and consignment sales event."

Patti heads up the local sale in Coral Springs. It gives families a chance to sell items their kids don't use or wear anymore and save big on things they need.

Patti Maibauer: "At our sale you can save 50 to 90 percent off retail, which is huge, especially for items that your kids may use for a few months."

Here's how it works: Log on to the Just Between Friends web site, type in the description of the items you want to sell. Pick your price then print the labels and attach to your items.

Patti Maibauer: "Then they make 65 percent of their sold items."

From clothes, shoes, accessories and toys Patti says items have to be in good condition.

Patti Maibauer: "They have to be new or in gently used condition, no tears, holes, stains."

Wendy became a stay at home mom when her son Daniel was born.

Wendy Shepard: "So we cut our salary in half, our income was cut in half."

She became a consignor with Just Between Friends and learned how to stretch her dollar.

Wendy Shepard: "Not only do I get to shop and buy things far less than I pay retail, I also get to take the things my son had outgrown and resell them."

Corri a mom to triplets says you can find items you would buy at the mall for much less.

Corri Day: "You can go and find really very inexpensive brand name merchandise and because I have three children, I can bring something home for everybody."

And that's welcome news to any mom.

"You can make money, save money, I mean it's a win win."

Lynn Martinez: "All items are checked to make sure they have not been recalled. The sale is later this month."

Just Between Friends
http://www.jbfsale.com/default.cfm