Starting a family is an exciting time in a couple’s life, so many things rush through your head. Like where are we going to live, how are we going to raise them, and the dreaded thought of how are we going to afford this? Well yes, kids are expensive, very expensive. On average, a child will cost you around £180,000 to raise until they are 18. From the day they are born with nappies and baby washcloths, to when they start feeding properly to university when they get older, it doesn’t stop so you best get saving. In this article we will go through some tips on how you can save money whilst being an awesome parent.

Save On Food

Meal Planning

Meal planning can save a lot of time and money when shopping and will probably be one of your biggest savers. The best way to do this is sit down, write a list of meals that you want to eat that week and the ingredients that are needed for the meals and stick to what you have on your list. There is no need to go to the clothing isles or the homewear isles, this will distract you from the task at hand. The benefit of creating meal plans and shopping lists is that you stick to what you need. Once you have all of your food products, you won’t need to go to the corner shops when you don’t have an ingredient which will also save you money, so get the weaning bibs out.

Buy In Bulk

Save money with bulk buying. If you are on a budget and you want to see your money go further, why not go to Costco or a wholesale store and pick up things in bulk. They’re cheaper, and you get much more. The other way in which you can bulk buy is when at the supermarket buy the products with the deals, such as ‘buy one get one free’ and other special buy deals.

Save On Shopping

Go Second Hand

Kids go through clothes and toys like anything, so it only makes sense to go to some second hand shops, vintage shops, nearly new sales etc. Check to see whether they have any good quality clothing and toys that will last them until they grow again (which won’t be long).

If you have older children and you go to the charity shop near the school, chances are that they may have some of the school uniforms there.

Borrow Books Rather Than Buying Them New

Books are key for children’s development, there is no information out there that a book can’t give you. This doesn’t mean that you have to keep on buying books all the time for your children to read. Why not go to the library and allow them to pick up a few books at a time and get them read. These can then be replaced by other books without costing you an arm and a leg.… Read More...