Are you struggling with saving money after the added expenses of a baby? Let’s face it, to save money is crazy hard after having a baby but it isn’t impossible. Kids need SO MUCH stuff you often wonder if there will ever be cash left over for savings.
Well I’m here to tell you it IS possible. If you try out these 10 easy ways to save money after having a baby, I promise you will begin to find other ways to help you achieve your savings goals. Here are my ten ways to start saving now!
Buy Clothes for your Baby IN SEASON – With my first Child, I thought I was saving money by buying clothes on sale for the next season but in reality, by the time we were in that season, he had already outgrown that size. Instead of saving money I was wasting it.
Now with my second child I buy for the season and size she is currently in. Don’t get me wrong, I still shop during sales but I don’t buy anything she won’t be able to use.
I also use Ebates for all my purchases to get cash back. It’s the easiest way to make money on purchases I needed anyway. All you do is click thru Ebates to the store you’re shopping at and collect cash back on all your purchases. Sign up now to get $10 using this link. There are over 2,500 stores including buybuyBaby, Gap, Carters, Osh Kosh, Bloomingdale, Kohls that all offer cash back thru Ebates. No brainer!!
Buy Gender Neutral Where You Can – Are you planning on having more than one child? If your answer is yes, I strongly advise buying the basics in gender neutral colors. If you’re like me, you will have a boy first and then a girl second so being able to recycle will be hard but it is possible for some stuff. Things like onesies, pajamas, bibs and sheets are so easy to buy gender neutral and reuse. I saved tons of money by doing this and reusing things my son literally used once!
Make a Budget Sheet -This is a must whether you have a child or not. Being able to see everything on one sheet and know where your money is gong is crucial to saving. Putting things on paper helps you visualize where you can cut and start saving.
A budget sheet will help you see everything on one sheet. You can customize it to your bills and use it for managing your utilities, phone bill, mortgage, and whatever else. You can also use it to project your next month’s bills and know exactly what is left over for extra spending. We keep the prior year’s information on the document to predict what our upcoming expenses may be.
Feel free to email me at info@livinglavitamama.com if you would like a copy of this template! I will gladly share it.
Breastfeed – This may not be an option for all, but if you are able to, I highly recommend breastfeeding. Not only is it great for your baby it is also great for your wallet. Parents can spend on average of $2,500 a year on formula. And that’s just for the formula, now add on bottles, nipples and all other accessories you need for bottle feeding.
Make your own Purees – I was shocked to find out how easy it is to make your own baby food. Most of the time you may already be cooking the food for the rest of your family so you can just put some aside and puree it for your little one. Not only is this best for your infant because there are no harsh ingredients, but it can also save you tons of money. To get more ideas for purees, please check out my baby Feeding 101 article for awesome mixtures and tips.
Buy in Bulk -Basic items like diapers and wipes are the best to buy in bulk. Join a Savings club like Costco or Amazon Prime renewal subscription to start saving on your everyday essentials. What’s better than free delivery and lower prices at the same time. You can also save by taking advantage of a family members membership. Depending on the store some allow you to share your membership with another person.
Buy & Sell Second Hand – Whether it’s that maternity dress you wore once or the jumper your little one outgrew, there is always a market for Second hand items. I am constantly going thru my house and purging anything I no longer use. This helps keep clutter to a minimum while making money doing so.
Use Coupons – Coupons are such an easy way to save money. My favorite coupons are the digital coupons that you can keep stored in your phone or in your email. Register at your most shopped stores and you will be surprised at the random money saving coupons that will come to your inbox. I have a stash of buybuyBaby coupons in my car. I am literally at the store weekly and save an average 20% every time.
Meal Plan for the Week based on Sale Items – Buying on sale is my favorite thing to do. Why pay full price when you don’t have to, right! That thought process also works in the kitchen if you plan your meals ahead of time. Checking out your local grocery stores and seeing what’s on sale will allow you to plan your meals accordingly not to mention save you hundreds of dollars a year.
I use the FLIPP app to see the local flyers for all stores in my area. You can create your own individual shopping list by store just by clicking on the items you are interested in. It gets even better… they also offer digital coupons on the items that are already on sale. The other nice thing here is that you can share the app and list with your spouse to centralize your personal shopping lists.!
Laundry at Off-Peak Times – If you’re anything like me, you probably do roughly 8-10 loads a week (not including the re-washes because Mama forgot all about it). It wasn’t always like this but ever since having kids, it seems I am ALWAYS in my laundry room. I noticed a drastic change not only in our water bill but also my electric and gas as well. Yes, that’s right, doing laundry during off peak hours can help you save on your electrical bill! This also works for your dishwasher!! Running your machines early in the morning or late at night can cost you less than prime time. We’re up early with the kids any way so why not save some money at the same time! 😉
We all work hard for our money so let’s learn to both spend and save wisely! Hope you found some of these tips useful!
