Eight Ways to Save Your Family Money

Many people these day wait to have children "until they can afford it." With the economy the way it is, that would mean they might never have children! Let's face it - having kids is expensive. You need to buy more food, more clothes, diapers, bottles wipes, toys, and the list goes on. Here are some simple ways to help you afford your children.

1. Join a "warehouse club." People often make fun of those who buy things in bulk - after all that huge bottle of ketchup does look kind of silly. However, buying in bulk can really save you money, especially when it comes to diapers, wipes and food products. If you can get past how silly that huge ketchup bottle looks, you'll be able to make up for the cost of membership in just a few months. Plus, some clubs even let you use coupons so the savings can really add up. Shop around, though, some items (such as books, movies and electronics) are not necessarily cheaper at these stores. Also, make a list of what you need and stick to it. Don't buy bulk items that you won't be able to use before the expiration date.

2. Plan a weekly or monthly menu. You'll be surprised at how much money you can save by not running to the store to pick up a few items for dinner every other day. If you make a plan of what meals you will eat each night, then make your grocery list based on what ingredients you'll need, you will be less likely to buy something on impulse. You'll also have a much more organized pantry and refrigerator.

3. Shop advertisements. Make your menu and grocery list based on what items are on sale each week. You can really save on produce and meat by waiting until they are on sale to purchase them.

4. Double recipes and freeze half. You know those nights when you're exhausted and just don't want to make dinner? What do you do? Go out to eat or order pizza. That can get so expensive! So the next time you plan to make lasagna or a casserole, double the recipe, put half into one of those disposable foil pans, cover it and freeze it. Then, on a bad day, all you have to do is pull out a pre-made casserole from the freezer, heat it up and voila! Dinner is served and you didn't have to spend any extra money! Make sure to mark your pans with thawing and baking instructions so that you don't get confused.

5. Give generic brands a try. Many generic brand items are made at the same factories as the "real deal." Sometimes you won't be able to tell the difference between a generic brand and a name brand product. There are some items where I still buy the real brand, but many items I purchase are generic and taste or work just as well as their counter part. It's always worth a try because even with coupons, most name brands are much more expensive than the generic brands and if you like it, you will save a lot of money with any effort.

6. Shop at consignment stores for clothes and toys. When you have small kids who are growing out of their clothes every time you blink, it's time to figure out how to save money on clothes. Shopping at a consignment store is a great way to find clothes that look nearly new, but cost much less than buying them new. I've found many brand name clothes that are in perfect condition at our local consignment shop. They also sell toys that are in nice condition. You might even want to check at the thrift stores, especially ones located in the more ritzy parts of town if you're concerned about quality. You'll be surprised at what you can find!

7. Rotate your kids' toys. Kids have so many toys these days and yet they always want more. An easy way to remedy the situation is to put about half of your children's toys away in some boxes. Let them play with the other half for several months. Then take away several of the toys that haven't been played with in awhile and replace them with some of the toys you had put away. I'm constantly amazed at how my kids seem to think they have new toys when we do this. It also helps to keep my house a little less cluttered.

8. Go to the park instead of the movies. When your family is bored, bring some stale bread to the park and feed the ducks, or play on the swings, kick a ball around or just go on a walk. You can even stay home and play some board games. I've heard so many friends say how much their kids appreciate it when they get to spend quality time together as a family.

These are just some of the ways you can save money as a family - if your kids are old enough, let them brainstorm with you about other things you can do. Just a little creativity and you'll find yourself easily living within your budget!