You really can have kids and not break your bank. It just takes smart decision making, planning, and creativity. Here are a few ideas that my husband and I implement in order to live cheap with our two kids.
How You Can Live Cheap . . . With The Kids, Of Course
Garage Sales
The best way to save money when you have young kids is to hit garage sales in the summer. You can get clothes, books, toys and everything in between at a very cheap price – usually $1 apiece. In order to make the most of your time, you will need to do some research each week.
I look on Craigslist.com and in our local newspaper for garage sale listings that look to have clothes and toys for my two boys. I pick out 4-5 listings that seem promising, get there on the first day, and then hope for the best. Stock up on sizes they will need in the winter also. Take the kids with you, give them $1 to pick out a toy and they will find a treasure!
Free Activities
There is no need to fork over a twenty here and a fifty there to have your young kids play with other kids in karate, gymnastics, Kindermusik, tumbling, t-ball, soccer…the list goes on and on. Give your kids other FREE social outlets instead. If you stay at home with your kids join a parent’s group on Meetup.com and be introduced to an instant playgroup for you and your children.
If you work, let yourself be at home and have the kids play with their own toys or have friends over to play in the backyard. Library programs, bookstore story times, church music programs, and parks are great spots to have your kids learn, socialize with others, and not spend a dime. Do some research online – you will find even more free activities for your kids.
Eat at Home
I am not going to say don’t eat out – we all need a break from cooking and sometimes just need to get out of house with the kids. I challenge you to set a goal of only eating out once a week or less if you can. When you do go out try to take coupons with you, look for places that let kids eat free, and do a lunch versus a supper at a nice restaurant.
Better yet, try to save your going out to eat money for a date night where you can choose a place without a kids menu, take your time eating your food, relax, and have a nice conversation with your spouse.
Babysit Swap
If you have close friends with kids, it might be worth asking if they would like to do a babysit swap once a month. This will allow you and your spouse to have a monthly date night without the added expense of a sitter. It is amazing what 2 – 3 hours of kid free time will do for a marriage.
Weekend Vacations
Kids are easily impressed, so at a young age do not feel the pressure of having to plan a weeklong vacation to some expensive place a plane ride away. Instead get out a map, see what destinations are 2-3 hours away (or however long your kids are good in the car), pick a hotel with a swimming pool, and plan a few weekend long trips a year. Two nights away is usually just right and will give your family the escape they need without breaking your budget.
Have Fewer Toys Out
Why as parents do we feel a need to keep every single toy, game, and book out for our kids to play with? A better idea is to rotate their toys and have only a few tubs of things out at a time. This will keep their interest, not have them asking for a new toy every day, limit the time it takes to clean up each night, and allow more room in your house to walk. Every week open up your storage closet and present them with “new” tubs of toys to play with.
This was a guest post from Denise Obrecht who is blessed to stay home with her two boys and is the Marketing Director for her husband’s financial planning firm, AO Wealth Advisory (www.aowealthadvisory.com).
