10 Ways Moms Can Save Money.
I’ve been a stay at home mom for a loooong time and I think I’ve read every frugal living book out there! But I’m always looking for ideas that will help me save money. I thought I’d share some of my favorite frugal living tips with you. Maybe you do these already or maybe there’s one or two money saving tips that are new to you. Below are my top 10 Money Saving Tips for Moms!
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There are so many ways to save money as a mom, whether you stay at home or work. And a lot of these frugal living tips are very easy to implement! With just a few changes to your lifestyle and mindset, you’ll soon be a money saving mom!
10 Money Saving Tips For Moms to Help You Stretch a Dollar
1. Enjoy Being at Home + Stay at Home
This is one of my easiest money saving tips for stay at home moms- you don’t have to go somewhere all the time to have fun. Make staying home something you and your family enjoy doing. For example, have a movie night with the kids and/or a date night with your husband at home. We have movie night every Friday night. We rent a DVD from the library or Redbox, or stream a movie from Netflix or Amazon, eat on TV trays (we always eat dinner together in the dining room every night so this makes it “different”) and I always make something that goes with fries or I make pizza – you know fun finger food! When my daughter was little we’d have game night and we still do that occasionally.
For some non-movie night ideas, look on Pinterest for fun frugal kids activities or adult crafts. Read a book, work in the garden, clean and declutter your home (yes I find that fun, plus I feel so much better about my house afterwards). Enjoy your home! Staying home = no spending. Try to have your “errand days” and your “at home days”.
WWII poster created by the U.S. government and used between 1941-1945, courtesy of the National Archives and Records Administration
2. Use It Up or Make Do
That includes food! I’ve really been trying to make sure that I either freeze my leftovers or use them up so I don’t have any food waste. Here’s a post I wrote on 20 Foods You Didn’t Know You Could Freeze. Be resourceful! We try to repair or think outside the box if something is broken so that we don’t necessarily have run out and buy a replacement. YouTube is your friend! And sometimes you find you can just do without!
3. Use Technology to Help You Save Money
Stay on top of new technology to help you save money. There’s something new coming out all the time techno wise. For example, we use the Ibotta app for all our grocery store purchases and the Cartwheel app for Target. You can check various money saving/coupon blogs before you go shopping. They still do coupon match ups and will tell you what good deals are available at your grocery store, etc. I also always check Retail Me Not.com for discount codes before shopping online. Go have a look! I always look for online coupons before purchasing anything (Hobby Lobby and Michael’s are a must since they always have weekly coupons).
4. Save Money on Eating Out
If you want to eat out, go out for lunch or go when kids eat free. The portions at lunch are smaller which is good for your health and the prices are smaller too. Definitely order water instead of a soda, it’s better for you and will save you money. Alcohol and drinks in general are a profit maker for restaurants. Share a meal. So many restaurants have serving sizes that are way more than one person should really eat. Check online (Facebook and twitter) for coupons to your favorite restaurants. Check Groupon, LivingSocial etc. Also, I often receive coupons for restaurants in my mail or even on the back of my grocery store receipt! Also check Restaurant.com before you head out to eat. They often have coupon codes where you can get a $25 gift certificate for $5-10 (but always read all the fine print- some restrictions apply). For more money saving ideas, read my post on 15 Ways to Save Money Dining Out.
5. Make a Menu Plan
This is one of my favorite money saving tips for moms. Planning your meals really is a money saver and in the long run a time saver. You don’t have wonder what to eat, you’re not as tempted to go out to eat, and you can buy what’s on sale and plan your meals around that or your pantry. Even just knowing what meat protein you’re going to cook is helpful (or maybe you’ll plan a Meatless Monday). You can do as little as a week at a time, or go ahead and plan a month or two. Remember to look at your scheduled activities as a family when planning your menus! Here’s a free printable weekly meal planner. There’s also a meal planner in my handy printable recipe binder!
6. Maintain Your Home, Car, Appliances, Clothes, etc.
Doing preventive maintenance will save you huge repair bills in the future. Little things like removing the lint from your dyer vent, clearing out your gutters, taking care of a small faucet leak before it turns into a larger one, change your oil and air filters on your car when needed, and getting your tuneups will help you avoid larger bills.
7. Don’t Buy It If You Can’t Afford It
Sounds like a no-brainer, but how many times have you bought something on credit and not paid off the amount. Zero percent interest isn’t a good deal if you are not going to pay it off before interest accrues, and the stores know that most of the time you won’t (which is why they offer it). The fun of getting that big screen TV on a credit card fades once you get the bill! Wait until you have the cash. People used to always wait and save up… it can be done!
8. Make a Holidy/Gift Budget and Stick to It
Save a little bit every month for your Christmas Fund. Christmas comes at the same time every year so it’s not a surprise. You can plan for it even if your plan is to take some of your tax refund and set that aside. Same with birthdays. The only gift giving event that I can think of that may be a “surprise” is a wedding. Even then you could set aside money every month in a “misc” or “other” fund to cover those types of expenses. You can start my 52 Week Money Saving Challenge anytime!
For Christmas you can give something you made (people usually love DIY gifts like home baked goods and DIY beauty products), give your time, give something small but indulgent (a really good bottle of olive oil if they cook, a small jar of really good honey (like Manuka honey), a bag of really good coffee… you get the idea). There are tons of DIY sugar scrubs and other homemade beauty recipes on this blog.
9. Use Half the Amount of Lotions, Detergent, Shampoo, Toothpaste, etc.
I always try half the amount and then I up it incrementally until I’m happy. You’ll be surprised at how effective the lesser amounts will be. Look inside the cup that comes with your laundry detergent – you’ll be surprised by where the first line is. It’s never at the top of the cap!
10. Focus On All That You Have!
This may be #10, but it’s actually #1 of my money saving tips for moms when it comes to importance. Here it is- find contentment in your life as it is now. There will always be people that are richer than you… there are also people that have less than you have. Focus on appreciating what you have and don’t let advertisers, blogs, Instagram, magazines, or TV shows influence you into buying things you can’t afford and most likely don’t really need anyway! You are not what you own or don’t own!
Those are some of my favorite ways to save money. I hope you’ve found some useful ideas to help you in your frugal lifestyle journey!
You might also be interested in: 7 Ways To Save Money On Children’s Toys
Excellent advice!! Thanks for sharing!
Great post Manuela! You said it well!
Jane
Hi Manuela
I always enjoy your money saving tips because I am all about trying to live wisely too. We eat dinner at the dining room table every night also so it's a treat when we get a movie and eat our meal on our laps!
Hope you're having a good Saturday.
Hugs, Rhondi
Good tips, Manuela. This year we discontinued having someone come cut our lawn. It was about $900.00 for the season, but we bought a lawn mower {around $240.00} and my hubby mows the front and I mow the back. Every year I start buying Christmas gifts early so I'm not feeling pressure in December or January {when the bills come} and this year I'm getting back to making things. Most of my gifts will be made by me this year.
Great post. Thanks for sharing.
We have actually had some sunshine today. It started out cloudy and threatening, but when the sun came out, I went out the door.
Great post Manuela, I find that controlling waste is a huge money saver, as is not shopping unless I really need something!
Wonderful advice! Thanks for the encouragement to be doing what we all know we should be doing anyway
have a blessed weekend
Great post! And some very good advice.
This was a really good post! You should post it on your sidebar! ;D
Manuela, I love your money saving posts! We have been fortunate in our marriage to not have to struggle. Still, we are careful with our money. The world seems fragile to me and you never know what could happen. Your posts always make me think of something new or reinforce what we are doing. I appreciate you very much!
Manuela, hello and I hope you are well. 🙂
I'm glad to read today's post. I so enjoy your frugal living thoughts.
Is it just me as I'm finding that our tight budget is getting harder to stretch? I consider myself pretty good when it comes to thriftiness, but am finding it more challenging planning for the upcoming colder months and holiday season.
I'm getting ready to do a post on saving money, I just need to get it together. Since it's raining again today I'm painting some of my pumpkins. Taking one of your ideas I'll link back to you if I post it.
Ally
Excellant advice. No. 8 is the absolutel best advice that can be given to everybody. I really liked this post.
Thanks for all the GREAT ideas!
These are all great tips, Manuela.
I grew up with a lot of these ideas drilled into me as my parents grew up in rather poor homes during the depression. My husband and I have always been pretty good at saving and I am thankful to my parents for raising me that way. It is a lot easier than trying to dig your way out of deep debt.
Have a wonderful weekend.
Hi, Manuela,
You are a very wise lady! I need to print these tips off and stick them to my refrigerator. Thanks for sharing these frugal ideas. Also, thank you for stopping by Bunny Cottage today and leaving a kind comment. Come back every chance you get. Vicki p.s. I love all the ideas you gave for the pumpkins.
Great tips as always, Manuela! I enjoy these posts!
Your the Queen of Frugal!! I love it…you always offer such good sensible advise….My favorite and I think of you everytime I do it…
Wash your hands….you'll stay healthy…
Some great ideas Manuela. We all need to save our pennies. This rainy day here in the US isn't over yet!
You're a treasure, Manuela! A treasure! Destiny
Great tips, Manuela! A friend and I were just talking about this today… how this recession, as awful as it has been for a lot of people, has forced many to change their priorities and scale back to the things that are really important to spend their money and time on. That's not such a bad thing at all.
Great tips! Planning ahead seems to be the key to all of them.
Amen! Much wisdom, Manuela! Thanks!
Thanks for another great post… it helps to rethink these things from time to time. :o)
Manuela, thank you so much for the reminders. It is such a comfort to have kindred spirits like you (and other like-minded bloggers). Posts such as these help to keep my focus on the things that really matter–while reminding me to use well and wisely the "coin of the realm".
I know I've said it many times before, but I appreciate your blog very much. Thank you for being so generous with your time and ideas.
Love from your friend,
Traceyxox.
Manuela, these are great. One of the things I usually do is bring home half of my dinner out for lunch the next day or so. The portions are soooo large…there is no way I can eat all that stuff so this works great.
Barb
You always have excellent reminders for all of us. I am good at some things for awhile, then fall back to old ways. You nudge me back on track! Sally
Loved this post, especailly the last part about appreciating what you have. I hear people complain all the time about what they don't have, and I used to complain more than I do now, I think sometimes we need to distance ourselves from complainers a bit so that we can focus on the positives in our lives. Its easy to get roped up in what you don't have when you always here other people complaining. The key is to enjoy wherever and whatever you have, because the most precious gift you have is time and health. If we waste it wishing for something other than what we have we will soon look back and wish we had treasured it. I like your posts on Money because I think its important to put things into perspective.
this is excellently put. I'm naturally frugal, but find it exhausting trying to get my family to be the same…..your post has boosted my resolve 🙂
Great post! I'm so glad you listed those coupon sites! I only had heard of WOW Coupons. I used a few coupons this weekend and saved my mom $40 on the stuff she bought at Macy's.
I love your "money saving" posts…great ideas! We as a society are so wasteful and it is good to take stock of our spending and throwing away habits!
Thanks for sharing!
Camille
Just wanted to say I have been reading your blog and it is the BEST! Love it and I can relate to it.Thank you
I can't stop reading your blog! I've gone backward through Valentine's Day, Christmas, Fall and I just can't stop. 🙂 Thanks for all the great money-saving advice. I am not a shopper and we really don't spend a lot of extra money so sometimes it's difficult to see another way to stretch the dollar any further but you've given me some new ideas. Thanks!