I can still remember how confused I was when I first delved into the world of baby monitors. I can also recall exactly how astonished I was at how expensive they were and how many different features you had to choose from. For the first time parent this can be somewhat daunting, especially if on a budget, so here are some tips to help you choose the perfect baby monitor on a budget. I’ve also added some ace deals to help you out…

This is a nifty deal from Argos. You are paying £49.99 for this 6v electric police bike instead of the usual price of £99.99, which is a whopping saving of half off the original price. Of course, you can either pay for delivery or arrange to collect it instore for free.

• Click here to get driving on over to Argos

The Chad Valley 6v electric police bike is perfect transportation for your little police officer. She or he will be ready to catch those bad guys with this police bike that is completely battery powered and comes with a bunch of cool extras and accessories.

The bike has a switch operated siren and flashing light and the headlights work as you drive forward. Kids can reverse or go forward with the gears and the battery is rechargeable with a UK charger included in the set. You get a maximum speed of two miles per hour and it will run for an hour before needing 8 hours to recharge.

Thanks to prettyprincess at HUKD!

The Monster High Scaryoke microphone has been reduced from £19.99 to £5.70 at Amazon. That’s a pretty huge saving of £14.29 and you get free delivery included too.

• Click here to get scary with Amazon

You can sing, or scream, along to your favourite songs using the Monster High Scaryoke microphone. It features an original Monster High recording along with cool and spooky sound effects which make it into quite an awesome toy.

You also get lights for the scariest performance and it has an MP3 player line-in jack that connects to most MP3 players should you wish to sing along with other tunes. The three batteries needed, AAA, are included in the price and the microphone is best for kids over the age of three.

I am not sure why anyone would pay nearly £20 for this toy, though. It hardly seems worth it and looks like the kind of thing that would get used once or twice and then disappear to a dusty place and never get used again.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

Last year I did a piece on apps to save you money and I figured it was about time to revisit that and see what had changed in the mean time. The launch of new apps, the rise and rise of the Android smartphone market, the BlackBerry apps growing by the day, and even Ovi Store’s increased popularity, means that there are far more options to choose from today. Here are some new and some old, and don't forget our favourite - Quidco - for constant apptastic savings!

Whooo, this toy is one expensive dude when not discounted to less than half price. Wow. Originally the Sylvanian Families Regency Hotel cost £109.99 but Amazon have price matched Tesco and dropped the price down to £54.43. Which means you can get the same hotel but without the delivery charges, wahoo!

• Click here to get your hotel from Amazon

The Sylvanian Families Regency Hotel can be kept either open or closed and comes with 25 accessories. These include items such as topiary plants, a reception desk, luggage and a luggage trolley. You will find three storeys to this hotel – makes me think that the mere 25 accessories may look a tad sparse here – with nine spacious rooms.

Guests can relax on the balcony, admire the stained glass window or relax on the rooftop terrace. The hotel has a working chandelier light which can be hung in different places over the hotel. You also get Basil the Chef and Suzette the Waitress to play with.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

The retail price on this Little Tikes kitchen is £79.99 so this saving is excellent – a mere £29.99 at Home Bargains. You can get it delivered but that will cost you, however, you can collect it instore if you have one of these stores lurking nearby your postcode.

• Click here to get cooking with Home Bargains

This amazing two-sided kitchen features electronic cooking sounds and lots of fun ways for kids to play make believe. You place a pot or a pan on the stove to hear boiling or frying sounds, popcorn popping or ticking and bell sounds.

There are eight accessories, an attachable baby seat (doll not included), a table area, a microwave cooking centre, a sink, a fridge and lots of storage. Good grief. This sounds like the description of my dream kitchen. Except perhaps the baby storage area – not sure about that!

Anyway, the entire Little Tikes kitchen will need batteries that are not provided and some assembly too I’ll bet.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

Wow, ok, this is a great deal for those of you who have Toy Story fans. Well, it is a huge saving on the usual price – a hefty £39.99 – but at £18 it still looks a lot like a piece of plastic tat that will break in two heartbeats.

• Click here to get night vision with The Factory Shop

The Buzz Lightyear Night Vision arm band dude actually allows your kids to film their imagined space adventures while they are wearing it. It comes with a digital night vision video camera which I think is totally cool. It is! When the kids are asleep you can film your version of Blair Witch!

Anyway, the Toy Story Buzz Lightyear night vision camera arm thingamajiggy can be used to light up the room, reveal lurking alien threats and lets you see up to 10 feet away. It needs you to feed it four AA batteries which are initially supplied. I am not sure if it goes on your arm or what – it sure looks like it!

Thanks to Bargeinion at HUKD!

Mickey Mouse Clubhouse Dance Star plush toy is down from £69.99 to £34.99 which is a whopping half price saving on this expensive toy. It has plenty of cool features and extras and will make a really interesting present for one lucky kid.

• Click here to get Mickey Mouse at Argos

This Mickey Mouse plush is the latest dancing sensation and is the mouse with the ears like you have never seen him before. Kids can get up and dance with Mickey Mouse as he comes to life before their eyes. He can walk, talk, and dance. Talk about full featured!

With one press of Mickey’s foot, the Dance Star Mickey Mouse comes to life and he grooves to six different songs and plays two interactive games. He helps to improve hand-eye co-ordination (apparently) and he encourages kids to get up and get active.

He seems pretty cool actually and is a steal at this low price.

Thanks to Dani5av1dg3 at HUKD!

This is a really hot (get it? hahah) deal from Stylish Radiators. They’ve reduced the cost of this Choice Towel Rail from £109.20 to £20 which is a simply fantastic saving of nearly £90 off the original price. You will have to pay delivery but this is worth it.

• Click here to get warm with Stylish Radiators

The towel rail is delivered in a white finish and will be delivered in three to five working days for a charge of £10. You’ll end up paying £30 in total for the radiator, there are no other costs that I can see but make sure before you click the final Pay Now button.

The one on offer for £20 is 1175mm high, 450mm wide. 105-125 deep, and has a one year guarantee. The price is web only but I think you can arrange to collect the item instore if you pay online, they have a contact number on the site for you to check.

Thanks to pvilian at HUKD!

Play has reduced this rather funky looking remote control helicopter from £29.99 to £12.99 and it comes with their lovely free delivery too. You are saving £17 off the original price which is a huge saving and brilliant for those lovely upcoming birthdays.

• Click here to get flying with Play.com

The remote control helicopter uses a three channel control system for precision cockpit command and works straight out of the box. The RC Air Tiger has an auto balance feature for ease of use so that first timers can have as much fun as those with plenty of practise.

The helicopter can move forwards, backwards, left, right, up and down and you can keep full control of your speed using the flying system that is included in the kit. You will need to be careful where you fly it, obviously, and it is likely that the required batteries are not included in the price. A great deal for fans of remote control fun.

Thanks to logie31 at HUKD!

Fancy nabbing the Hexbug Nano case for only £5 instead of the usual £10? Well, The Entertainer has popped this item into the sale and it is now half the original price. You will have to pay delivery unless you arrange to collect the item instore.

• Click here to get your Hexbug at The Entertainer

The Hexbug Nano case includes one extra Hexbug and is designed to store up to 18 of these critters inside. There are compartments for each Hexbug so that they don’t slip and slide and break, and you can even use the case as a play area for your Hexbugs while you’re on the move by simply opening up the lid.

The Hexbug included in the case is one of the rare collectibles and it will definitely boost that growing collection of yours. You can also take a look at the range of Hexbugs on sale at The Entertainer as some of those are also on sale right now.

Thanks to karen3 at HUKD!

Every once in a while a deal comes along that makes me stare at the screen in disbelief, and this is one of them. The King Zhu Red Juggernaut Battle Walker (wow, what a mouthful) is usually on sale for £20 but The Entertainer has it on sale for £3. What a huge saving!

• Click here to battle walk to The Entertainer

The cost of this lovely Zhu Zhu toy is fantastic but, if you don’t arrange to have it delivered instore, you will have to pay for P&P. Still, a £17 saving is so good I almost want to buy this even if we don’t have anyone who will use it!!

The King Zhu hamsters with their own personal Juggernauts will tower above their enemies and can use their firepower and stomping ability to send their rivals running for cover. The juggernaut has missile weapons and gatling guns and the huge feet can squish opponents with ease. You will need a King Zhu hamster to make the Juggernaut work, but you won’t need any extra batteries once he’s in the cockpit.

Thanks to missgem at HUKD!

Tesco has reduced the Vtech Sit to Stand Dancing Tower from £40 to £19.97 which is just under half the original price and a tasty saving of £10.03. The fact that they took off that extra 3p amuses me greatly, I mean, why?

• Click here to get dancing with Tesco

Now you can dance your way into learning fun with this three in one dancing tower from Vtech. It has floor, sitting and standing positions for kids to enjoy and the colourful tower is fab for encouraging active play for kids.

There are light-up piano keys and four modes of play for learning, singing, dancing and follow-the-light games. Your child is pretty much guaranteed hours of fun and you are guaranteed a mild headache – hahaha.

The Vtech Sit to Stand Dancing Tower also comes with a microphone and speaker, eight sing along songs and 12 popular melodies and it is fine for kids over the age of nine months old.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

The Early Learning Centre Wonderland Toadstool has been reduced from £50 to £25 on Amazon. This lovely saving of half off the original price is a total bonus as is the fabby free delivery that comes with most Amazon purchases.

• Click here to get your toadstool from Amazon

The Wonderland Toadstool fairy home magically opens to reveal a two-storey home with furniture and fairies. This Wonderland Toadstool is a dream home for fairies! Downstairs opens right up to reveal a cosy living room with a stove in the fireplace.

When you press the ladybird, the lights go on, and when you press the button on the top, the toadstool cap lifts up with sounds, revealing the secret fairy hideaway. There is also a table, two toadstool stools, a sofa and two beautiful fairies included in the set. All the bits and pieces store away neatly inside and you can then take it with you wherever you go.

This is a great price for this little toy that little girls will love!

Thanks to midjet66 at HUKD!

The Hexbug Nano starter kit is on sale at MyMemory for £11.99 and it comes with free delivery. And, if you use the voucher code Myhexbug5 you can get a further 5% off which takes it to the low price of £11.39. er, ok so the discount isn’t huge but it is a cool kit.

• Click here to get Hexbugs from MyMemory

The Hexbug Nano Starter Set comes with everything you need to start your own Hexbug Nano habitat. There is one extremely rare mutation, two easy connect curved pieces, and one easy connect hexagon piece. You also get a one year warranty on your crazy critters.

We’re reviewed these chaps before and I have found them to be endlessly funny, especially when unleashed near people who’ve never seen them before. The habitat is a good idea, though, as the Hexbugs have a tendency to get into everything, or under things, and there is still one somewhere under our washing machine, doomed to scuttle until his batteries run out.

Thanks to Syzable at HUKD!

The Christmas gift of 2011 is on sale at Play.com. It has been reduced from £79.99 to only £59.99 which is a neat saving of £20 off the original price. This is a very fancy and educational tool that many parents absolutely love.

• Click here to get learning with Play.com

The InnoTab is a multi-media learning handheld that combines educational games, creativity tools and plenty more on a touch screen tablet. Children can use the games and activities to develop core skills in reading, spelling and creativity.

There is an e-reader, art studio, interactive globe, video player and photo viewer incorporated into the device. Parents can download additional games and learning apps from their computer but these will cost you money – sometimes as much as £20 an app!

The InnoTab is compatible with other Kidizoom products, comes with a USB cable, and is ideal for kids aged 4-9 years old. It is not for me, I’d rather let my child use my tablet, but many parents swear by it.

Thanks to alisonhockey34 at HUKD!

Amazon has reduced the Lego Star Wars watch from £18.99 to only £12.63, a saving of £6.36 and it comes with free delivery. These Lego doodads are usually very expensive so this is a good price for a funky watch that kids will love.

• Click here to watch some Lego at Amazon

The Lego Kids Star Wars watch has the Lego Obi Wan on the front and the funky Lego brick design all the way around the strap. It is done up in the primary colours of blue, red and yellow and has a silver bezel.

The hour and minute hands look like silver lightsabers and this is a great device for getting kids interested in telling the time. I know that I am kind of dreading getting my child’s head around the time as it is a painstaking process that demands a lot of patience. Hopefully something like this will make her excited about the idea and get her inspired to learn!

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

Amazon has reduced the very expensive (and cool) Mosh n Chat Katsuma from the Moshi Monsters range of toys. It usually costs around £22.50 but they have dropped the price to £13.84 which is a saving of £8.66. You also get free delivery included in the price.

• Click here to get Moshi Monsters from Amazon

The Mosh n Chat Katsuma doll is a nonstop chatterbox. And it really is! We got this for our daughter for Christmas and eventually even she turned him off as he didn’t stop talking! If you squeeze his tummy he will giggle or start a conversation and the more you talk to him, the more he talks back.

The Mosh n Chat Katsuma isn’t just a talking to and fro doll though. You can set him to guard your room and with his built-in sensor he can detect when someone is nearby and then starts to make an almighty racket when he does. He needs three AAA batteries to keep him going but you do have demo ones included in the price.

Thanks to Dippidh at HUKD!

Play has just reduced the Bop It XT from £29.99 to only £17.99 which is a saving of £12. This also comes with their standard free delivery, although they tend to take ages to post things off to you.

• Click here to bop it with Play.com

I bought a Bop It way back when and I absolutely loved it. The most addictive game I think I have ever played and it kept me entertained for hours on a very long and tedious drive to the coast. The poor thing eventually gave up the ghost (and my husband begged me to stop playing it) and then disappeared.

This is the latest in the Bop It series and has all sorts of extra bits and pieces, like a headphone jack so you don’t irritate the hell out of your family (and husbands). You bop it, pull it, twist it, flick it, spin it and shake it here and you can either play solo or in party mode. It comes with instructions, is brilliant for co-ordination and memory and reflex development and can be played by anyone over the age of eight.

Thanks to wishihadadonkey at HUKD!

Wow, Argos really is the hot spot today with tons of deals and discounts in the kids ranges. I have been hard pressed to choose from the best of them and this one definitely fits the bill. They have marked the Zhu Zhu Pizazz playset down from £29.99 to only £14.99 which is really good.

• Click here to get some hamster fun at Argos

I must confess that the entire Zhu Zhu range has bored me to tears now and that I find their playsets and extras really expensive. However, this particular deal seems pretty good to me as you’re saving a ton of cash and paying (what I think) it is really worth.

The Zhu Zhu hamster Pizazz playset is a hotel carry case and coupe car for the most stylish hamster in town. The set includes Pinky the hamster, a hotel carry case, a coupe car, a carry bag and a blanket. It amuses me that they say that it includes a pink hamster and then that colours may vary. Ha!

Thanks to Frank30uk at HUKD!