12 Creative Ways to Save Money While Raising Kids

Are you looking for some creative ways to save money while raising kids? Look no further. I’ve put together a list of twelve tips that you can use to help you save money. Raising kids is NOT easy, as any parent knows.

Having a way to save some money is always a good idea. These aren’t written in stone, so feel free to adjust as needed. For the most part, I tried to keep these tips easy to do and easy to remember.

12 Creative Ways to Save Money While Raising Kids

Without any further ado, here’s my list of twelve tips to save money while raising kids.

1 – Grocery Store Budget Basics

This may seem like an easy one to start off with, but it does bear mentioning. The biggest and easiest way to save money on your grocery bill is to keep a grocery budget.

By setting a goal of how much you want to spend and how much you want to spend on each item, you’ll be able to shop for the best sales and get the most for your money. This is a great practice to get in the habit of even if you aren’t shopping for children.

2 – Coupons, Coupons, Coupons!

Coupons are probably one of the best ways to save money. If you can have a stockpile of them, this will save you so much money. You can get coupons in newspapers or online. Be sure to check both. You can also request coupons from the stores you shop at by going directly to their websites.

The key here is to make sure you know which ones you really want to use. You don’t want to buy something just because there is a coupon for it. You also want to make sure you have enough room in your budget for it even if you’re getting it cheaper.

3 – Don’t Buy Junk…

This may seem obvious, but it’s good advice anyway. Try to avoid buying things you don’t need. It’s easy to get caught up in all the hype surrounding us in every store we go into. We see the commercials and we see the sales and all we can think about is that new shirt, game, toy or whatever.

I’m not saying don’t get gifts for your kids. I’m saying don’t go overboard. I’m also not saying don’t treat your kids. I’m saying don’t go overboard with those treats. It’s a fine line, I know. My biggest advice is to think about it before you buy it and make sure it’s really something your kids will use.

4 – Buy Generic (Sometimes)

This is one of my favorite money saving tips. You can buy generic and save yourself a lot of money. You don’t have to buy the cheapest brand either. If you’re buying food and it’s a name brand like General Mills, go ahead and buy the name brand.

But if you’re buying Clorox bleach, why pay more for the name brand when there’s a store brand that works just as good? Knowing what you can buy generic and when you should avoid buying generic is important.

5 – Buy the Store Brand

Speaking of store brands, if you haven’t started doing this, you’re missing out. It’s amazing the difference in price between the generic brands and the name brands. This can be true of many products. Buy the generic one (or the store brand) and save yourself a lot of money.

6 – Learn to Live With Less

Why do you need all these things anyway? Is that new laptop REALLY going to make your life any better? Will it make your kids’ lives any better? Will it even make you happier? This goes for a lot of things.

When was the last time you bought something and were delighted with yourself for spending the money? Just think about it. It can be hard to live on less. But in the end, it’s worth it.

7 – Free Entertainment

Do you do anything with your kids or family that’s free? Is there a park nearby? A free museum? A recreation center? Afternoons at home? How about a picnic? A walk? These are all free ways for you to spend time with your kids and get to know them.

It’s also a great way to talk to your kids about why you want to save money and how the world really works. Teaching children the value of money at an early age is super important for many different reasons.

8 – Use Your Local Library

Find out if your local library has DVDs or books your kids would like. My local library has a great selection of books and movies. They have also have educational toys that my kids love playing with.

If you have a local library, take advantage of it. If you don’t have one, you may want to consider moving. Just kidding. Maybe! 😉

9 – Buy Used

Buying used is another way you can save money. Look for used toys, games, computers and clothing. These are items that hold their value pretty well. You can also buy used furniture and office supplies.

Even if you don’t buy used and you’re buying new, consider buying only what you need. Do you really need a big 100-piece puzzle? Instead of buying everything you need at the store, maybe you could make a list and just buy the things you really need.

10 – Go to Thrift Stores

Do you ever shop at thrift stores? If not, you should. You can often get brand new clothes or even new toys or furniture there. As long as they aren’t filthy, you can wash all of your clothes there, too. It’s a great way to save yourself some money.

There are tons of places to find deals. Check out yard sales, Craigslist, eBay and more. This is a great way to find great bargains on new or used items.

11 – Buy a Used Car

New cars are expensive. There are times when this is necessary, but if you can avoid it, you’ll save yourself some money. When you buy your next car (or even your current one), look for a used car. You’ll save a lot of money.

12 – Budget Smartly

Having a budget and sticking to it is crucial if you want to save money while raising kids. It’s too easy to overspend if you aren’t careful. The key is to plan ahead and set a budget.

That way you won’t end up spending all your money and not having anything left for the things you really need.

Conclusion

There you have it. Twelve fun and easy ways you can save money while raising kids. Remember, saving money is a good thing, whether you have kids or not. These are all easy things you can do without much hassle.

You don’t have to give up everything either. In fact, you could spend your whole afternoons looking for all sorts of ways to save money and still have a little time to play with your kids. Enjoy! If you have anything to add, please stop by our Facebook group for more!