Money Saving Ideas for Parents

Being a Parent can be very expensive. We could all use a great way to cut corners and save some money. And while being frugal and staying within budget is great, it can be difficult. There are many ideas that can help you cut corners while still having fun.

If your looking to go out and do something there are a good deal of corners you can cut. For instance if you want to go out alone you can ask a relative such as grandparents or your siblings to watch your children. Rather then going out to a movie, consider packing a picnic lunch and visiting a park. Many museums and art galleries are free, or take a bike ride. If your taking the kids, feeding ducks can be very fun and a loaf of bread can be very inexpensive. Check a bakery for old loaves. If you do decide to go out to eat, do so during lunch hours when the prices are significantly cheaper then during dinner hours. If you are driving a long distance, pack snacks and drinks as buying things at connivance stores can get expensive quickly. And if you must go out to movies, bring your own drinks and snacks, they don't check pockets and purses, a diaper bag is great for hiding snacks.

While shopping there are a few ideas that can help you save money. If you see a sale on something you use regularly, buy as much of it as you can. Often times sales are limited to buy X only. However you can buy that many 2 or 3 times during one day by going through different cashiers. Stocking up on things you use often when on sale is very smart. I buy eggs when they are buy one get one free because we go through so many. Ill often have 4 dozen in there or more. Buy at bulk food stores. But only buy things that you use often. Bring a calculator, there will be no surprises at the end of shopping, and if you have a price range you can stay in it easily.Look into free samples rather then buying a new product, you can try it out without spending money. Always clip and use coupons. Store brands are often as good as the name brands and you wont be paying for the name. And rechargeable batteries, while more expensive to begin with you save more money using and recharging them. Buy the healthiest pet food available, one that has meat as its first ingredient, while it may cost more your pet will eat less. Rebates and punch cards are 2 other ways to save. Save plastic shopping bags. make good trash bags/carry things in

Freecycle.org and Creigslist.org are two great websites where you can find things inexpensive or free that you need, while getting rid of some of your extras as well. Buy children's clothes secondhand, they wear through them fast. Garage sales, second hand stores and ebay.com are great for finding inexpensive kids clothes. Or shop clearance racks, you may buy out of season clothes, but they will be inexpensive and new.

There are some ways to cut back on your monthly bills as well. First off unplug every appliance that is not being used at this moment. Even when off, appliances use electricity. When washing clothes, unless you are doing a load of all white clothes, use cold water. It will get them just as clean without wasting electricity. If you are doing whites, they come out brighter with bleach and warm water. Also don't overload your washer, know its weight limits, overloading means clothes wont get as clean and you may need to do many loads. Clothes can be hung dry or put in the dryer on low or no heat. Just the air flow will dry them. If you save everything smaller then a $1 bill ( $1s and all change) and put it in a jar, by the end of the month you should have a tidy sum. Deposit in savings or keep in your jar for emergencies. Buy a pair of hair clippers and learn to cut mens and boys hair. This saves on a trip to the barber and is very simple to do. Most people don't realize they over use products like laundry detergent, and dish soap. Empty half or so into a empty container and fill both up the rest of the way with water, they will still get your clothes and dishes clean. This goes for shampoo. Cut your dryer sheets in half, they still work just as well. You don't need to wash some items of clothing with every use unless they get very dirty. Jeans, PJ's and Towels can be reused several times before washing. Trash service is expensive, instead make a monthly run to your local dump and deposit trash yourself. This runs me 10-15 dollars a month at most.

A few other ideas include Bartering your skills. If you can do something and your neighbor can do something else, you can trade skills. If they can sew the costumes for your kids school play, then you can cook her some meals or if nothing else offer to baby sit. Perhaps fixing the sink for mowing the lawn, etc. If you frequent a place such as a zoo, park or pool ask about annual passes, it will often be cheaper then going whenever you decide to. You can also request these for birthday or Christmas gifts. Walking or using public transportation saves on the gas bill. Newspapers can double as paper towels in many instances. Netflix.com is a great idea if you like renting movies, a monthly price for as long as you want the movies is a great deal. Zip Lock bags are expensive, consider washing them and reusing. Rather then buying your children's school lunches, look into low cost lunches through their school, or pack them lunches. You can also arrange swap meets with your children's friends, or through the school system. Everyone brings their outgrown clothes or toys and offer them up. The costs of taking pictures is going up, consider buying a digital camera and only print the images you really like. And using a credit card isn't smart, the interest alone can break your budget. If you like to read, visit the library, books, magazines and even movies can be found to borrow at low to little cost. Did you know that most physicians offer free samples of many of the prescription drugs they prescribe? Ask about samples next time you get a prescription, they may have some on hand. You know those little shampoo and conditioner bottles that hotels have? Snag a few and refill to take with you on overnight trips. And remember to recycle.

You see there are many many good ideas that can help you cut a few corners and save some money. Although some have an initial investment they save you money in the long run.