If you are anything like me, you have been procrastinating about getting professional photos (outside of the commercial studios like Walmart, Sears, Portrait Innovations, etc.) done of you and your child. My daughter is almost five and I realized that we didn't have any professional photos of us together or any to start the site with. I should be ashamed!! I decided to make it happen this year before Christmas, without breaking the bank. When I initially began my search, all quotes were between $125 and $250. I knew I couldn't afford this for a photo session. So I begin to gather my coins and search Groupon. The session was ONLY $55 and my daughter had tons of fun doing it! Here's how I did it and you can do it too:

*Affiliate links are used in this post. Check out my disclosure.

1. Search using keywords: photography session.

2. Make sure what you want is included i.e. 1-hr shoot, digital images, & editing.

3. Scroll down to the bottom of the page and view the photographer's website. If they don't have a website where you can view their work, I don't recommend purchasing from them.

4. Google the photographer's company to see if there are any reviews.

5. Make a list of all the photographers you are interested in.

6. Email them with the dates you have in mind and let them know you are interested in scheduling a shoot for the Groupon they have advertised. Also ask any questions that you may have that were not answered on their Groupon page.

6. After the photographer has confirmed the date you're interested in, log on to Ebates, which will allow you to receive cashback.

7. Search for Groupon and be redirected back to Groupon through Ebates. It allows you to earn cash back. At this time, they are offering double cash back for Groupon!!

8. Find the photographer that you are interested in booking with and purchase their Groupon.

9. You are all set and ready to begin planning for the shoot.

If you don't have money to spend, you can find matching colors that you already have at home. For outdoor shoots, you can have DIY hair, makeup, and nails. Personally, I didn't spend much time on hair. I simply took down some cornrows that I had been wearing for weeks. I ran out of time and could not paint my nails. Sigh. I know you can probably relate to the time thing. At first, I was worried that they may not turn out good because I literally did not spend anything other than the cost of the Groupon. To my surprise, we got the photos back within 24 hours and the photos were of great quality!! I was really amazed at the turnaround time. I will definitely be using the photographer again. I also decided that we will do a Mommy & Me Shoot every December!!

Are you a mom that has been wanting professional, non-traditional photos?? Did you keep putting it off due to the thought of the cost of the shoot and the cost of getting new things for the shoot?? Have you ever thought of using Groupon for photos?? Let me know below.

P.S. If you are not signed up for Ebates, you are missing out on tons of savings if you shop online. You can earn cashback from simply shopping at stores that you had already planned to shop with such as Amazon, Ebay, and Wal-mart to name a few. To sign up and get cash back for purchases that you are already going to make, click here.