Today I am sharing how to save money on your kids! If you want to be having children on a budget and save money on children, then these tips are for you. These are all ways that I have personally used to stick to my monthly budget and work towards a debt free life. Kids can cost a lot. They need food, clothing, toys, activities, and the list goes on. So, I thought I would share with you my tips on how to save! I do have a video, that kind of goes into a little bit more detail on each item, so if you want to watch that, here is the link

1. Join the local “Buy Nothing Sell Nothing” group on Facebook – This is a group where people can give items for free from their house to others in their neighborhood and alternatively you can ask your community if they have something that you need that they might be getting rid of.
2. Buy second hand – I know this can be sort of taboo to some people, but even if you want to buy new clothes for your child, there are SO many other things that you CAN buy second hand. Toys, books, furniture, outdoor supplies are all things that you can get. Look at Facebook marketplace, thrift stores, Once Upon a Child, or other second hand stores.
3. Swap Babysitting – Of course you can swap with other families who also have kids, that’s the easy. But, if you’re like me, I don’t really have many friends with kids yet, so swapping for me happens with my siblings and friends. Maybe that means getting them dinner and a movie to watch after the kids go to bed at your house. Maybe that means trading a skill or hobby that you have – like if you’re good at knitting you can trade a hat for babysitting, or if you are skilled at web design you can make them a website. Find something you have that you can offer to trade for a little bit of babysitting.
4. Skip Buying Books – Utilize your local library!! They have sooo many books of every topic that you could want. They even have special kids cards where the books you check out don’t have expiry dates. You can keep the book as long as your little one wants!
5. Go to Community Events – The library, local city, neighborhoods and other areas often have FREE community events that kids and even adults can attend. Our local park has movie nights in the summer, at Christmas there are a whole variety of different free things going on, there are free museums, and the list goes on. You just have to look.
6. Try out YouTube – YouTube can teach you almost anything. If you have a child that wants to learn the piano for example, there are so many video tutorials out there that can help. There are videos to learn about basketball, weaving, makeup artistry… pretty much anything you can imagine. It is a great resource for a child that wants to take up something new.
7. Keep Birthday (and Parties) Simple – As a parent, you want to go above and beyond, but try to think of ways to keep things on low budget. Use nearby parks or beaches as a free venue, or host a backyard BBQ. It doesn’t have to be a crazy rented out space with $100’s in decorations
8. Buy in Bulk – Most people think about food when you buy in bulk… and of course I think you should, but that is just one way you can save on kids in bulk. You can also bulk buy school supplies, snacks, diapers etc..
9. One Sport/Activity at a Time – Don’t run yourself or your wallet ragged by trying to run multiple kids to multiple events every day of the week. Let them pick a hobby and run with that one (they can try the other hobbies through YouTube!). If you have multiple children, sometimes you can get a discount by having more than one student or player in a place, so check into that too! It’ll save you money and a lot of time.
10. Bring the Fun Home – Invest in some quality items for your home that will provide lasting entertainment. For example, board games, a trampoline, a projector, a sandbox or whatever. Whatever your kids love, invest in it and let them do it at your house.
11. Nanny Share – This can be done a few different ways, but rather than sending your kids to an expensive daycare or having a babysitter, consider sharing a nanny with another family. This often is much cheaper than the alternatives.
12. Breastfeed – If you still have a baby under 1, breastfeeding is so much more economical than formula (not to mention the health benefits). It is not easy, but there are many FREE resources out there to help you if you need it. A good place to start is La Leche League!
13. Let Kids Earn What They Want – No, I don’t mean sending them out to get jobs, or becoming a slave driver, but let them do a couple chores to help them earn what they want to buy. My 2 year old would do chores to try and earn a new dress that she really wanted. Kids can do a lot more than you give them credit for. This will help with their work ethic, teach them about goal setting and give them a sense of accomplishment when they reach those goals. I have a whole video about this topic here... if you’re interested to see exactly what I mean, check that out!! Letting them do a little work also gives you time to search for the best deal on the item that they want. Maybe you can find it on FB Marketplace or cheaper at another store.
14. Pack Lunch – It is so easy to buy lunch out or have them just buy lunch at school, but man will it save you in the long run if you take the extra 5 minutes to pack your kids a lunch. And, this applies to everything, not just school. If you’re going to the pool or museum, or zoo… pack snacks, pack a lunch.. it will save you!
15. Plan Your Meals – This is not necessarily for kids, but kids are a part of your family and food takes up a big part of the budget, so plan those meals! It will save your family soooo much in groceries. For tips on that, check out this video here.

I hope these tips are useful!! Good luck in your savings journey!