When I had my first child in 2017 I really had no idea how expensive kids were or how expensive being a parent was going to be. I think when you register for a baby you think “great I’m set now.” But the truth is you are nowhere near set! I wanted to how to be a savings savvy mom. While I am not perfect at it, these are a few things I do to save money in the mom-sphere.
How To Be A Savings Savvy Mom
Consign: I am a HUGE fan of resale sites and stores both for buying and selling. In Dallas and I’m sure other cities we have tons of local Facebook groups for selling kids clothes/items (and adult stuff too) and it’s one of the main places I buy and sell. As my kids grow out of things I sell them and I find great deals on stuff as well. Example: I found Liam a bike for $10 that had NEVER been used and a Pottery Barn kids chair for $15 that was already monogrammed with “Charlotte” and had never been used. Both of those things could have easily cost well over $100. Another way I consign is the app, Kidizen. Kidizen is a resale app you can buy and sell kids’ clothes on and you can find AMAZING deals on brand new name brand items! It can be addictive though!
Don’t use name brands: This is more for things like diapers, formula, etc. We used Sam’s brand diapers for both kids which are MUCH more wallet-friendly. We also used Sam’s brand formula for Charlotte (when she was born). Both of these things save us hundreds of dollars a month. This can really translate into anything. We also do this for over-the-counter medicine.
Look for free activities: This is HUGE! I am very lucky to live in a major city with tons of free kids activities. From storytimes at libraries and coffee shops to try out free music classes, and more. Our local mall has a storytime or kids activity basically every morning at 10. We go all the time. We also have memberships to The Arboretum, Perot Museum (a kids museum) , and the Crayola experience that were gifted for Liam’s birthday! These places are great ways to spend time since we are already members. Also joining a mom’s group or playgroup is a great way to hang out with other moms/kids and not spend a ton of money!
Embrace coupons: Coupons are a great way to save money! Using online services for coupons or price comparisons or apps like Target etc. There are always great coupons available. I used to think coupons were such a time suck but I was just throwing money away! This also goes for services like Starbucks rewards where every time you buy something you rack up points towards free things. By not doing this you are THROWING MONEY AWAY! Another great way to do this is cashback services like Rakuten.
By doing all these things to be a saving savvy mom we save well over $500 a month. This is money we can put towards saving for our kid’s college, paying down debt, or putting away into savings. Using your money for these other things means you are eventually freeing up even more money.
I would love to know something you do to be saving savvy?
This post was originally published in 2020 and has been updated for 2021.
