Looking for ways to save money and live your best life? First things first, most of these strategies are for everyone. Two are child specific; however, the rest do not require little humans attached to your hip. Some methods go beyond the obvious traditional tips. We all know budgeting is better than not, don’t live beyond your means, yada yada yada. My suggestions are simple tips or swaps for current products or approaches, not necessarily lifestyle changes.
Before kids, saving money was not my top priority. Looking back, I realize what a mistake that was. I wish I had implemented these strategies earlier in adulthood—nothing like bringing life into the world to give you a big financial face slap. In case I am not being clear, kids are EXPENSIVE. Parents everywhere look for ways to cut costs whenever possible. Even if the savings don’t seem significant on an individualized basis, they eventually add up. So, without further ado, I present simple strategies parents (and non-parents) can use to cut extra costs WITHOUT impacting your quality of life.
Contents
- Upcycle Unused Boxes For Play
- Save Your Money and Stop Buying Infant Tylenol!
- Try Brad’s Deals to Save Money and Live Better
- Buy Clothes Used OR Buy A Size Up At The End Of A Season
- Save Old Shirts
- Save Money, Live Better By Ditching Paper Towels
- Avoid Late Fees By Automating Bill Payments
- Adjust Your Dishwasher Settings To Save Extra Money
- If You Haven’t Already, Consider A Smart Thermostat
- Change Your Lighting
- Take Advantage Of Your Local Library
- Save Money and Live Better by Using Facebook Marketplace
- OR Purchase Open Box Items
- Airfryer vs Oven for Everyday Cooking Will Save You Money and Time
- Frozen vs Fresh Produce
- Save And Repurpose Your Leftovers to Reduce Waste
- How About Fresh Baked Bread?
1. Upcycle Unused Boxes For Play
As every parent knows, diapers are a significant portion of the monthly budget in the first few years of life. Often, those boxes get thrown out with the recyclables. However, Edgar’s creativity has brought our family loveable upcycled toys inspired by these empty boxes. Plus, I can’t think of a better way to cut extra costs while getting more use out of those money-leeching waste collectors. Two upcycled box toy examples include a toy garden bed and car mountain. Edgar has also turned an empty Kirkland animal cracker container into a window bird feeder.
Another idea is to cut up the boxes and insert the pieces into “play kitchen” food boxes. This provides more structure. The second I did this, my son could no longer flatten and ruin the shape of these boxes. Save small empty boxes from other foods such as snack bars, spaghetti, macaroni, rice, etc., and create your own “pretend play” box items. This is a much cheaper alternative to the traditional Melissa and Doug options. Children couldn’t care less about name brands!
2. Save Your Money and Stop Buying Infant Tylenol!
Seriously! You are paying extra for the word ‘infant’ on the bottle. If you compare Children’s Tylenol to Infant Tylenol, there is no significant difference other than the price. Both have the same potency, the same ingredients, and the same labeling minus ONE word. Infant Tylenol includes a syringe, while Children’s Tylenol contains a measuring cup.
A quick Amazon search reveals Infant Tylenol to be around $4.79 / Fl Oz. That was the cheapest option I found. I then did a Children’s Tylenol search and found the exact same product to be $1.64 / Fl Oz. What? The word infant and a syringe increased the value THAT much? They are BOTH 160mg acetaminophen (generic for Tylenol) per 5ml. It even states on the Infants’ Tylenol box *Same as Children’s Tylenol. Feeling deceived yet?
Let’s face it, Tylenol is a crucial tool in a parent’s arsenal. Little ones will constantly experience fevers, teething pain, ear aches, tummy aches, sore throats, etc. As parents, we want to help comfort them. My opinion? Buy Children’s Tylenol and purchase medication syringes separately (if you wish). Make sure to follow the dosing recommendations according to your child’s pediatrician if they differ from the box recommendations. OK, rant over!
3. Try Brad’s Deals to Save Money and Live Better
You are in for a treat if you have never heard of Brad’s Deals. It is a team of consumer advocates who scour the internet to find the best discounts available and share them on the Brad’s Deals website and/or app. It has an extensive list of categories, and the bargains constantly change. The sale description provides all the information you need at checkout on the seller’s website. They do earn a commission via affiliate marketing.
I have benefited so much from Brad’s Deals over the years, so they earned my commission AND at no extra cost to me. No purchase actually happens on the website; it is merely informative. Needless to say, Brad’s Deals has something for everyone. The website also offers a blog with additional tips to save money and live better. It requires creating an account, but it is entirely free. I highly recommend this resource to everyone!
4. Buy Clothes Used OR Buy A Size Up At The End Of A Season
Kids will always find a way to stain clothes, and no amount of Spray and Wash can work magic to epic levels (and that stuff is magic)! Kids also grow at lightning speed. Not surprisingly, they can outgrow their clothes FAST. Gently used clothes are a BIG money saver. New clothes are so expensive, and for what? They will be worn a handful of times and then tossed into the donation pile (if they last that long).
Why not go for the money-saving option whenever possible? Another tip is to buy clothes at the end of the season. Stores focus on the upcoming season, so season-end clothes are considerably marked down. Buy them a size or two bigger so they will fit when needed.
5. Save Old Shirts
Save those old shirts that are no longer wearable and turn them into cleaning rags or towels. Children are messy little beings, and any extra cleaning rag is handy. I’m no angel either; I can contribute to the filth. Having an old shirt to clean up the mess is cost-effective and better for the environment. I opt for reusable rags if I don’t have an old shirt. I wash and dry them and throw them into a basket when needed. No folding is necessary because, honestly, what is the point?
6. Save Money, Live Better By Ditching Paper Towels
Obviously, paper towels are convenient. Edgar and I were guilty of overusing paper towels before we had kids. Having kids is not necessary to change this habit; however, having them did help open our eyes to unnecessary spending. Undoubtedly, reusable dish rags and drying towels are less costly and more eco friendly than paper towels. But Megan, they get stinky and dirty! Quite the contrary.
We change ours daily and use the dish rag to wipe down the counters, eating table, my kids’ faces, and my son’s booster seat. It is washed with soapy water in between as needed. I do the deeper cleaning with separate rags that are washed separately. Over time, that adds up to a TON of paper towels. I get it; sometimes, you need a paper towel for specific tasks, but consider something reusable when possible.
7. Avoid Late Fees By Automating Bill Payments
Most people have switched to this practice, and for a good reason. However, it is still worth a mention. Admittedly, I only jumped on this bandwagon after having children. Now, I dream about the money I would have saved in late fees had I switched earlier. Seriously, why did I not automate my payments sooner? Somewhere in my head, I believed I needed to see the bill before paying it to ensure no payment issues. Thankfully, we never had problems. If that is a reason for hesitance, I understand. However, if it is not, then I highly encourage automated payments.
I never worry about late fees AND don’t have to think about my monthly bills anymore. Parents have too many things to remember. Scratch this one off your list if you haven’t already. Those late fees are an unnecessary expense!
8. Adjust Your Dishwasher Settings To Save Extra Money
Dishwashers are typically more cost-effective (when it’s full) than washing dishes by hand because less hot water is used. Adjust the dishwasher to run on a shorter cycle and turn the heat dry setting off to save water and energy! Want to run the dishwasher but still need a full load? Add some dishwasher-safe toys and fill two needs with one deed. Also, many utility company websites have tips for decreasing water and/or energy usage. Take advantage of those resources if you want more tips to save money and live better!
9. If You Haven’t Already, Consider A Smart Thermostat
We have personal experience with Nest and Ecobee. Both are excellent because they adjust the heating and cooling according to your daily habits. They have an eco mode as well as an overriding option. You can also control the thermostat from your phone app when you are not home. Edgar has made many adjustments in the middle of the night to keep our kids comfortable without ever getting out of bed. Furthermore, some energy providers will offer a rebate for switching to a smart thermostat (more info in the links above).
10. Change Your Lighting
Using old-fashioned natural sunlight or switching from incandescent bulbs to LED bulbs will surely cut extra costs. Sure, LEDs may appear more expensive at purchase, but they are worth the investment. Not only do they require significantly LESS energy to use, but they also last MUCH LONGER than incandescent bulbs. How often do you, as the parent, or your child, forget to turn the lights off? This is a constant theme in our household. How many parents out there have a young child who NEEDS a night light? Thank goodness the majority of night lights already use LEDs. Imagine your electric bill if your kiddo used a night light without an LED bulb. No, thank you!
11. Take Advantage Of Your Local Library
This is an incredible resource that many need to take advantage of. I am so thankful Edgar is always eager to take Meli and Xander to the library when I need a few moments of quiet time. We LOVE reading books in our house (especially Meli). I read at least ten books daily to her before Xander arrived. Her love for books never changed. The library allows us to cycle new books frequently without spending a dime and only to watch our destructive son rip them apart. Yes, Xander has torn apart many books, which is one reason I have stopped buying them. He is also not allowed to have library books without adult supervision. Remember to explore the free children’s activities!
12. Save Money and Live Better by Using Facebook Marketplace
Facebook Marketplace is a “Where’s Waldo” game of hidden gems. Edgar is a whiz at finding these treasures. He has saved us so much money over the years (mainly from children’s products and home gym equipment). Are the toys brand new? No, but they are good enough for how long we will use them. Do our kids care? Not a care in the world!
As far as gym equipment, we REALLY started getting into fitness when COVID shut down everything in 2020. When the extreme shock of a newborn (in March) and a pandemic dulled a little, we decided to embark on a sappy fitness journey together. We were grasping at straws to feel normal, but that is another story for a different day. We now have a full-blown gym in our basement mainly consisting of Facebook Marketplace gems. I’m not exaggerating. We have thousands of dollars worth of exercise equipment and paid a fraction for all of it. Please take advantage of this invaluable resource to save money and live better.
13. OR Purchase Open Box Items
Many department stores offer open-box items. When we bought our house in 2019, many appliances needed updating. We replaced our dishwasher, microwave, and electric range/oven, all for around $600. They were all stainless steel and all brand new. The only differing component was they were open-box items. You would never know and just in time to host Thanksgiving for fifteen people that year. Sure, not EVERY open-box item will be perfect. However, if you want the “latest and greatest” for a discounted price, it is something to consider.
14. Airfryer vs Oven for Everyday Cooking Will Save You Money and Time
The air fryer is one of my most valuable kitchen assets, coming in at a close second to my coffee machine. I use it AT LEAST once a day. Preheating takes less time vs. a conventional oven, and the food cooks faster and crisper. Hello extra time and money! To put things in perspective, according to a GOBankingRates article on Nasdaq, a gas oven can cost about $0.30-0.40 per hour of cooking, an electric oven costs about $0.52 per hour, and an air fryer costs about $0.25 per hour.
I can now turn any vegetable into veggie fries. I am exaggerating, but it is fun to experiment. Veggie chips are also child approved. It can be a learning curve to figure out the proper settings, but everything comes out crispy and delicious. It’s a little hack I use to entice my kids to eat more vegetables.
15. Frozen vs Fresh Produce
Don’t get me wrong, I love to reap the benefits of fresh food. Unfortunately, it is not always practical with two picky kids and a busy schedule. This is one reason I buy frozen vs. fresh produce whenever I can. We microwave steam or air fry most vegetables, so frozen is perfect. All I do is grab what I need; no waste is left behind. With fresh fruit, I usually run into the problem of needing more instead of having too much. My kids love fruit! We freeze over ripened bananas and turn them into sorbet with other frozen fruits. Meli sings the “fresh fruit ice cream” Cocomelon song when we make this. The Yonanas machine does a great job of providing my kids a healthier alternative to eating traditional ice cream every night for dessert.
16. Save And Repurpose Your Leftovers to Reduce Waste
I use this method often. I have no doubt it is used by many parents. My kids tend to love a specific food one day and decide they hate it the next. Their preferences depend on the day of the week, and they randomize them constantly. Not surprisingly, I often end up with leftovers. Therefore, I have no problem saving them and using them later. Don’t want to finish your banana or cinnamon veggie muffin? Cool, I’ll mash it into your oatmeal for breakfast tomorrow. Not excited to eat all of your veggies or protein. Awesome, I’ll save them, chop them, and add them to your next pasta dish or soup bowl. These are only two general examples. I will never force my kids to finish their food, but I refuse to throw it away. Creativity can be fun when you’re being less wasteful and trying to save money and live better.
17. How About Fresh Baked Bread?
This is my final strategy because I realize it is not always practical. I dove into bread baking as a “mommy time” outlet to help keep me sane. Admittedly, I cycle through my “mommy time” outlets. I still bake bread weekly, but it’s more of a habit than an outlet. When “me time” depends on two other humans’ nap time length, it’s vital to use that time for YOU however you choose.
Anyways, good quality bread is so expensive nowadays. It’s a delicate balance between longer shelf life and fewer additives. We would throw out moldy bread too often. Instead of buying, I now bake two loaves of bread weekly using my sourdough starter (a much simpler process than many may think). It’s convenient, cost-effective, and homemade sourdough bread is a healthier alternative to store-bought bread. Not to mention, sourdough sandwich bread has a longer shelf life than other baked bread types. My two loaves don’t stay around long enough to throw out, which is fine by me! Lastly, please don’t judge my bread-slicing abilities (or lack thereof) shown in the picture. At least no fingers have been sliced off to date!
If you have made it this far, THANK YOU! I hope you found these seventeen simple strategies to save money and live better helpful. Many of them can often be overlooked, but they provide money-saving benefits. Do YOU have any tried and true tips for cutting extra expenses? Please let us know your thoughts in the comment section below. We would love to read your feedback!
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