Money Saving Mom®

Guest post from Jennifer from Multicultural Marriage

My husband and I welcomed our first child last year. One of the best things we did beforehand was to consider how we’d save money on all the new expenses while still providing the best possible care for our baby.

While you can’t plan for everything, here are eight ways I found helpful in cutting costs:

1. Identify must-haves vs. nice-to-haves.

While you’re pregnant, ask other moms what items they found most useful (and what they didn’t need). For example, I made nursing pillows a “nice-to-have” and found I didn’t need them after all.

2. Revisit baby registries.

You can save a lot of money through registries (see a few ideas in this post).

Bonus tip: Extend your actual due date by a few months so you can keep using your registries after your child is born. Change items as needed, and use coupons and discounts as long as you can! Also, think of future expenses such as high chairs and potties.

3. Wait on buying toys and clothes.

We just passed the one-year milestone and have bought fewer than five toys, even though our house is flooded with them!

Friends and family (especially grandparents!) may exceed your expectations in this area. Restrain yourself — close your eyes as you pass that insanely cute onesie on sale! — until you’re certain it won’t come as a gift.

4. Explore health insurance options.

Instead of a PPO plan, we chose a cheaper HMO plan that cost hundreds, not thousands, of dollars for a hospital delivery. For those interested, midwives or birthing centers may be even cheaper if they’re eligible for coverage.

5. Try breastfeeding vs. formula.

If this is an option, I heartily recommend it. It makes mom and baby feel more connected, it helps you lose baby weight, it’s healthier, and it’s a whole lot cheaper!

6. Shop around.

If I had time, I tried to compare prices (especially on big-ticket items) using the Internet first, then consignment, then in-store. Our car seat and stroller were cheaper in-store, but the crib was cheaper in consignment. Meanwhile, our high chair was cheapest online with a store coupon.

7. Try cloth vs. disposable diapers (or a mix of both).

It’s not the most glamorous job to clean cloth diapers, but saving hundreds of dollars (along with all the other reasons I wanted cloth diapers) may help you swallow a little easier on each trip to the toilet. Also, helping the environment is a bonus!

8. Go washable.

From changing pad liners to cloth diapers to nursing bra pads, reusable items are some of your best friends. They may cost more up front, but they’ll save you big bucks by the end of the first year… or even the first month.

These are just a few of the ways we saved on our first baby… however I’d love to hear from you!

What have you found most effective for inexpensive baby care?

Jennifer (blogging at Multicultural Marriage and @multiculturalm on Twitter) is all about celebrating and supporting multicultural families. She and her husband live in the U.S. with their first child, a daughter, who is (in their opinion) the cutest baby on the planet.

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Guest post from Crystal of Serving Joyfully

A couple of summers ago, our hot water heater went out. I made a quick online transfer so we could pay $400 cash for the new water heater and delivery — and we had the new one that same day.

It was nice to have that money set aside in our emergency fund… but it wouldn’t always have been that easy. We are a single-income family with a very tight budget. At one time in our marriage, an unexpected expense of $400+ would have been a disaster. 

We weren’t horribly irresponsible, but we did use a line of credit as our “emergency plan.” So, how did we finally give ourselves that emergency cushion?

We Made It A Priority!

At some point, the light bulb finally went on for us and we saw that we should save up something instead of relying on a line of credit. Admittedly, this wasn’t easy. Like I said, we live paycheck-to-paycheck on a very tight budget.

But, since we made it a priority, we could save a bit here and a bit there until it eventually seemed to add up.

There are hundreds of ways to save money here, or earn money there. But if you aren’t committed to it, you won’t make them work.

 “If you want to do something, you’ll find a way. If you don’t, you’ll find an excuse.”

There are plenty of excuses for not saving up that money — you won’t even have to look for them. But, if you’re committed, there are also plenty of ways to reach the goal. 

When tax time comes, our refund goes to pay down debt or beef up our emergency fund instead of spending it on something like a big screen TV or a family vacation. Is this fun? Not so much. But, because of these boring choices, when expenses come up, we’re now in a better position to handle them instead of worrying about them.

That peace of mind is worth way more than a big screen TV.

If you’re struggling to set up your emergency fund, here are two tips that helped us.

1. Define “Emergency”

Don’t waste your hard work on “emergencies” like forgetting to thaw out meat for dinner or overspending. If your emergency fund becomes that kind of cushion, it will be far too easy to keep taking out without replenishing. (Ask me how I know!).

Your emergency might look different than mine, and that’s okay as long as you are consistent. We don’t have a lot of wiggle room in our budget, so our emergency fund only covers unexpected expenses that are non-negotiable.

2. Expect Setbacks

When you’re first starting out, be prepared for some discouragement. For a long time, it felt like every time we got started on our emergency fund, we would have some sort of setback.

If we saved up $75, we’d have a $100 problem with the air conditioner. If we got up to $500, we’d have a $400 car repair.

It can be discouraging, but just remember, those problems would happen with or without your emergency fund to cover them.

Since we are Christians, I have learned to look at those things as just another way that God provides our daily bread. He doesn’t promise that we’ll know where the provision is coming from forever, but He makes a way right now, and for us that sometimes looks like saving up just enough money to cover the next disaster.

What creative ideas or tips do you have for funding your emergency fund on a tight budget?

Crystal Brothers blogs at Serving Joyfully where she shares about her debt-free journey, frugal living, marriage, and the adventures of homeschooling her two rambunctious boys. She is the author of Intentional Marriage: A 31-Day Devotional to love your husband well.

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Guest post from Sarah of Early Bird Mom

Reading to kids regularly is a fabulous frugal summertime habit. It costs little to nothing if you get your books from the library or trade with friends, and it’s a great way to spend quality time together.

My mother tells a story of how she started reading to me when I was just a few months old. Actually she was reading Little House books to my older step-sister and I came along for the ride. That tradition continued in our family until I was well-established as a bookworm myself. Now that I have 4 boys of my own, reading together is a favorite activity in our house as well.

Reading to your kids isn’t automatically an easy thing to do, especially if you have kids of multiple ages or have a very active kid who doesn’t like to slow down to listen. If you’d like to spend more time reading together with your children, here are 10 tips to help you get started!

Here are 10 tips for reading aloud to kids:

1. Make it a habit.

Pick a reading time and put it on your schedule. After breakfast? At bedtime? After lunch? If you work it into your day, you’ll be more likely to do it and your kids will come to count on it.

2. Stop before they get tired.

Some kids can listen to books for hours. Some will only sit for 5 minutes – try to stop before your kids get antsy.

3. Remember that picture books aren’t just for babies.

There are lots of great picture books for elementary school and beyond.

4. Don’t require kids sit still.

If your kid won’t sit quietly while you read, never fear! Lots of kids listen better (and retain tons) while playing as you read. Offer Play-Doh, toy cars, crayons, or Legos. My 3-year-old has a habit of getting out his fire trucks when I start reading. He will stop playing to come see the pictures every now and then.

5. Don’t be afraid to dump a book that’s not working.

I’ve had plenty of duds – either the book was too long or my kids just weren’t interested. There’s no point in forcing a book that no one wants to read. There are too many other great books waiting to be enjoyed.

6. Turn the story into a craft.

If you’re feeling extra crafty, you can find easy projects to go along with most children’s books on Pinterest.

7. Keep your car stocked with books.

You never know when there will be an opportunity for an impromptu reading sessions with the kids.

8. Use audiobooks!

These are great for quiet time and car trips.

9. Keep a list of books you’ve read together.

Kids will enjoy looking back over the list and remembering their favorites. You might even get them to write a short review.

10. Build up their attention spans.

If your kids aren’t used to long read-alouds, start small. A short chapter of a Lemony Snickett book only takes 10 minutes. Shut the book when it’s done and your kids will be begging for more!

Reading aloud is an excellent habit to build with your kids! If you’re not completely convinced, read my 9 reasons to read to your kids this summer.

What are your best tips for reading aloud to your kids?

Sarah Mueller is a child of God, wife and homeschool mom to 4 boys, from toddler to teen. She loves helping busy moms develop simple systems to help their homes run more smoothly. You can find her at Early Bird Mom.

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Download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack!

Looking for a fun way to encourage and motivate your kids to read more?

Be sure to download our FREE Kid’s Summer Reading Printable Pack! It comes with a reading challenge, reading time tracker, and fill-in-the-blank summer reading list.