Save Money With These 7 Cost-Efficient Child Raising Methods
You’re feeling overwhelmed. Underwater.
Parenthood is starting to feel like a circus act, balancing your budget with your bank account.
As a parent, this is a familiarly unwelcome experience. It’s normal to feel overwhelmed and uncertain about how you will get through this challenging stage of life. But it doesn’t have to be this way.
With these seven methods, you’ll be saving money without sacrificing either quality or safety, and all while putting your little one first.
So take some time for yourself, grab a cup of coffee (or tea) and read on. We’ve got practical advice that will help set you up for success in raising your precious bundle of joy!
Save Big on Diapers With This Often Overlooked Technique
Babies have earned the nickname “Little Poop Machines” for a reason. Before they learn how to use the potty on their own, babies will blow through countless diapers.
The solution is to potty train your baby enough to use the bathroom before they’re even a year old by just sitting them on the toilet and waiting for them to go. Teach the little one to communicate using hand signals when they need to go, since they probably won’t be able to walk over and sit down on their own.
Next time, instead of filling their diaper, the baby can make the hand signal that they need to go. And with how often babies need to go, you’ll notice savings within a month of using this trick!
Why You’re Spending So Much on Toys (And How Not To)
Trying to find the right toy to keep a baby’s attention can be tough and expensive. Sometimes a baby will play with a toy for a day, then ignore it forever. After a couple of years, they’ll be too old to enjoy them at all.
It’s best to avoid the cheap plastic in favor of your own personal creativity. All children’s toys are the same: They’re colorful, textured, sensory, and sometimes divided into parts. So the goal is to come up with something like that.
This can be achieved with your every-day household items, like filling an empty pill bottle with beads to shake, or coming up with a gelatin mix for them to dig other random household items out of. Your baby will still get the developmental benefits of toys, without you having to break the bank for them.
Catch A Break With Hidden Money-Saving Opportunities
All the different costs of child-rearing are enough to make your head spin. From staying on top of preventative care to having access to daycare, your spending starts to compound.
This one really depends on the circumstances of where you live, but lots of places offer programs to assist parents with raising their children. This takes research into your local area, but it’s well worth it.
Keep an eye out for local daycare businesses that offer discounted prices, or government programs to help get resources in the hands of struggling parents. If you’re a student, check to see if your school offers a daycare program. Small things like these can help immensely and save you so much time and stress.
Gain Control of Your Wallet And Your Baby’s Diet
With a baby, you’re buying special baby food, and unless you’re also eating that baby food, you’re buying food for yourself. With costs rising everywhere, your food budget is going to run thin in no time.
The thing is, there’s nothing special about baby food. It tends to just be a mash-up of fruits and vegetables; Something anyone can make in a matter of minutes. And as a bonus, you’ll know exactly what you’re feeding your baby without worrying about additives.
Go ahead and buy the fruits and vegetables you usually eat yourself, and be sure to get a small extra portion for your young one. You’ll be spending cents to make the exact same baby food that you would have spent dollars on.
Reevaluate Some of Your Decisions
In all aspects of spending, we end up paying too much for things that we just don’t need. This is even worse when it comes to what we spend on children, since we feel we need to take every precaution with them. (But who can blame us?)
It’s natural to buy or subscribe to something that gives us peace of mind, but sometimes, we’re encouraging our neurotic tendencies. Gaining a level head, and looking closely at what your baby really needs, can do wonders for your bank account.
Go over bank statements to get a good look at what you’re spending money on. Find what you benefit from and what you can live without, and decide if the money is worth it. Try bringing in another person who can help you see what you really need, Since we tend to overvalue certain things that we’ve stuck with for a while.
Keep This In Mind When Shopping For Clothes
Baby clothes are a serious money-trap if you aren’t careful. It’s understandable though, because you want your baby to look their best for the adorable photo album you’re making of them.
Having a few pricier outfits can cover this, but don’t flood their wardrobe with a bunch of outfits. Babies stay one size for a very short amount of time, and before you know it, you’ll be throwing those clothes out for ones that actually fit..
Buy a few nice outfits for pictures, and enough clothes to cover the average amount of time between laundry days, and let your baby go naked when it’s safe for them to do so. They’re babies who don’t care how they look, so as long as you’re comfortable, try avoiding the flashy stuff.
What You Should Do When Those Clothes Are Outgrown
Let’s say you’ve already bought nice clothes for your baby. The only thing worse than spending your money on those clothes that won’t be worn, is doing it again for your second child.
Luckily, You can give those clothes a second-chance with your second-born. Give them the older clothes as hand-me-downs. As someone who grew up almost exclusively on hand-me-downs, your child will not mind as long as they look stylish.
Everytime your child outgrows their clothes, save them for when the next one can fit in them. Of course, if you’re stopping at one, you can always make some extra cash by selling the old clothes too.
The choice is yours!
No More Circus Acts
Being a parent is hard enough, but when you have to think about budgeting for everything your child needs on top of that, it can be daunting.
Just remember that you are not alone in this and there are ways to save money while still providing your child with everything they need.
Be creative with their toys, cook up your own baby food, and think more about what you spend your money on, and you will see the savings start rolling in. All without sacrificing quality — Afterall, your child deserves the bestof the best!
So next time you feel yourself teetering in that balancing act again, remember this advice, and get back on the straight-and-narrow!
