Kids grow up so fast. As they grow their interests quickly change and what was once new becomes old, for these reasons it’s important to budget and save money where you can. Savings on items like clothes and toys can contribute financially to more important things like creating family experiences or starting a college fund for your future graduates. The best news is, being budget conscious does not need to be time consuming, difficult or any less exciting than paying full price.
Below are a few of the top parenting tips to help you save like a pro.
Toy Swaps
With Social media groups now formed in almost every city, swapping has never been easier. Form or join a group of family and friends who have children around the age range of your own. With these types of groups, you can swap, share or trade everything from children’s furniture to clothes, toys and books. Parenting swaps are not only fun and resourceful, but they’re also completely free.
Shop Clearance Toys
Buying clearance items can save a great deal of money, sometimes 50-80% off of the original ticketed price. Clothing is usually found on clearance because it is out of season; this gives you the opportunity to buy in advance for next year. Buying sweaters in the middle of the summer may seem strange; however, next winter when you see the price of the winter clothes, you’ll be happy you did.
Couponing
Thanks to couponing websites such as Mamma.com, couponing has never been easier. Mamma.com is a coupon search engine that allows you to search for coupons on all of your child’s favorite brands and retailers.
Whether you’re buying online or in-store, coupons are generally available right from your mobile device. Newspapers are also a great resource for saving on your family’s items and printing your own coupons also works.
Second Hand Deals
Garage sales and second hand shops are a hot spot for frugal families who know how quickly children go through toys, shoes and clothes. Don’t let the word “used” scare you away, these items are often in great shape and you can find big brand names for the lowest prices. With toys, a quick cleaning and sanitizing will usually do the trick to make items “like new” again.
EBay
This goes hand in hand with the last tip. There are many deals to be had on both new and second hand merchandise on eBay.
By having so many sellers at your fingertips, you can compare prices and even set your search filter to show you the lowest price first. Another great benefit to buying on eBay, is that you can look at the sellers reviews and score, to determine if they are trusted and their items are a good value.
Not only is saving money for your kids smart, but it can also be fun. Most parents spend more on their children than they do on themselves, being thrifty allows you to give them even more while spending much less. The results of spending less will not only benefit your kids, but also your bank account.