How to Save Money as a Stay at Home Mom
If you have decided to stay home with the kids (so you won’t have that second income), you might be looking for methods to save money. Even if you’re financially comfortable, there’s no harm in reducing your spending and cutting down on waste. Here are some ways you can save money as a stay at home mom.
1. Clip coupons.
Have you ever seen one of those couponing shows on TV? The subject of the episode will create an in-depth system of tracking coupons, store policies, and sale items. They’ll go into a store with a binder full of coupons and a plan, then manage to buy hundreds of dollars worth of products for pennies.
I’m not suggesting you go to those lengths, because even the people on the show will admit that such an extreme habit is full time work. But it’s a great example of just how powerful coupons and careful shopping can be if you pay attention to the sales and deals available.
2. Use cloth diapers.
In the western world, we potty train our children later than anywhere else. Over the course of the diaper wearing years, a family could spend $1,500 to $2,000 on disposables alone. Also, the impact on the environment of disposable diaper use is substantial.
3. Develop a meal plan.
Opening the fridge to see what’s available for dinner is a costly way to eat. If you use half an onion today, will you be able to use the other half before it spoils? You might forget that it’s there or be forced to use it for a meal you ordinarily wouldn’t so it doesn’t go bad. By building a meal plan each week, you can make sure you only buy the things you need and that everything you buy gets used.
4. Go on free outings.
It isn’t necessary to take your kids to the movies, the arcade, or the go-kart track every time you want to get them out of the house. There are plenty of free activities available in our communities that your kids will enjoy if you approach them correctly. Take them to the playground, the library, or a local event.
5. Give out homemade gifts.
Holidays are a tough period when you’re trying to stick to a budget. You want to give awesome gifts that people will remember, but those can be costly. Come up with something clever and personal you can make for your loved ones that doesn’t cost much. You might have to come up with these ideas a few months before the holiday to give yourself time to make it.
6. Attend a mom swap.
If you can’t find one of these, you might have to start one, but they’re worth it. A mom swap is when moms meet and bring their old toys and even some gently used clothes. They put all their contributions in a pile and take home something different. This way they get to bring home something “new” without spending a penny.
Written by Holly MacLean from Wee Urban
As a new mom, Holly was driven to start Wee Urban™ to offer the modern family a unique and fresh collection of eco-friendly baby gear and accessories that goes beyond the conventional and explores the exceptional! Tired of traditional pinks and blues and cute motifs, we offer sophisticated designs, “conscious” organic alternatives, practical functionality and superior quality. Using our custom certified organic cotton blends, low-impact dyes, and other trendsetting fabrics, we hope to inspire families to be make better choices and of course- do it all in urban style!
Beyond our organic cotton and azo-free dyes, Wee Urban uses 100% post-consumer packaging and tags for our Wee Dreams™ Sleep Bags. Our distinctive screen-printing is done with 100% eco-inks and are all phthalate free.
We also recycle our remnants and donate as much as possible to local elementary schools to help with arts and crafts programs.
For more information, visit wwww.weeurban.com
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