I recently went to lunch with a friend of mine that doesn't have any kids. It was her first time meeting my fourth baby and the question she asked me was, "How do you afford to have 4 kids? How are you ever able to go do things?"
So I have been thinking about it and here are some money saving tips I try to live by:
1. Cooking at home. We only eat out a couple times a month. Cooking at home saves so much money AND another bonus... It's healthier. When I grocery shop I usually buy the cheapest version of whatever I need also. When we do eat out, we don't get appetizers, desserts and drinks every time either. But by all means, if you are celebrating something then splurge a little! We also recently had the realization that never have we ever had food delivered to our door. Not even pizza. No Uber Eats, no Door Dash, nothing. I never buy my kids Kids Meals at fast food places either.
2. Never have I ever stopped at a soda shop or gas station for treats and drinks, unless it's Free Frazzle Friday. All those things add up and just aren't my thing. Plus water is both free and healthier.
3. We are choosing not to upgrade our home to something we cannot afford, even if it would be nicer and bigger. Our home is almost 20 years old, but also, our mortgage is very affordable. I choose to be happy with what we have, take care of it so it will last longer and as long as it's functional it doesn't need to have the latest and greatest upgrades. Make things last.
4. I don't pay for boys haircuts. I cut all of the boys hair with some handy dandy hair clippers. I get my hair cut/colored maybe once a year and if I do it's a a hair school. I also don't pay for fake nails, fake eyelashes, fake tans, or fake eyebrows, etc. Never would I ever pay for botox, but my reasons for that go beyond saving money. I'm just very basic when it comes to beauty products. I use a cup so I don't have to buy tampons every month. Any jewelry, lotions or perfume I own were gifts and I wash my face with a bar of dove soap, but that is just me, super low maintenance.
5. Sometimes we wear hand me downs and we appreciate it. My kids wear mostly new clothes, but they aren't brand names. *Cat and Jack returns pants with holes in the knees within a YEAR of purchase!
6. If we go to a movie, it's on $5 Tuesday. If we go to the Zoo, it's on $5 Winter Wednesdays. If we go to the aquarium, it's on $2 day. If we go to Thanksgiving Point, it's on $3 Tuesday. And if we go to KidsTopia it is because we bought a discounted punch pass on a Black Friday Sale. We have never paid for cable TV and we only pay for 2 streaming services at a time. That's the only subscription/membership to anything that I have. Why pay for Audible when Libby is free? Another shocker: I do not have Amazon Prime. *huge gasp from anyone who knows that.
7. Our family trips consist of mostly camping in our trailer. We go lots of fun places, but we don't pay for big theme parks or hotels every year. Fishing, hiking, splash pads, parks etc. all free.
8. Experiences over gifts. Kyle and I usually don't buy each other gifts, we plan dates to go do together instead. I don't care to have any of the popular tech gadgets either. I've never had a smart watch, iPad or a Kindle and have never used air pods before. If it were up to me we wouldn't have Alexa either. I upgrade my phone when Kyle tells me I have to haha.
9. I don't love shopping in general so I'm not usually hanging out at stores, being tempted to buy things we don't need. I make a list and stick to what we need when I do go to stores. If you find something you do want that wasn't planned, wait and see if you're even still thinking about it in a week before buying it. *If something is on sale that you don't need, then you aren't saving any money by buying it. Really know what are needs vs. wants.
10. And Kyle does his part by learning how to fix most things around the house himself. Sink, toilet, sprinklers, brake pads, finishing the basement, etc. he teaches himself how to figure it out and I love him for it. My handy man.
11. Right now we don't have any pets. Not saying that we are against having them again someday, but not having them does save us money. Not that we ever paid for vets, pet insurance or grooming when we did have them...
12. I always take advantage of paid in full discounts, like with our insurance or preschool. Keep enough money in savings to be able to pay in full to get the discount. Keep enough money in savings for most emergencies actually, to stay out of debt. Plan ahead.
13. Cash back credit cards. The only credit card we have gives us cash back and we always pay it off every pay day so that we are NEVER paying any interest. Interest is a huge waste of money! Avoid it at all costs because it will cost you. If you don't have the cash now, then you probably can't afford it.
14. I have been super blessed and am thankful that I have been able to breastfeed all of my babies. That has saved so much money we would have had to spend on formula. Free food for a year is why we call it liquid gold! I have only ever bought diapers and wipes in bulk at Costco and only when they are on sale for $10 off.
We have 4 kids, 1 full time income (of less than $90,000/yr) and are living debt free. We drive cars that are paid off and we aren't living paycheck to paycheck. It is possible to live within your means and still say yes to lunch dates and fun activities. I don't feel like having kids has to be that expensive. So don't let the fear of not being able to afford kids keep you from having them is my point I guess. Just understand the difference between needs and wants!
Kids can be affordable. Just have to decide where you're willing to sacrifice. :)
What other money saving tips would you add??
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