I’m sharing #Luvs in my life as part of a LUVs sponsored series for Socialstars™.
As always, all opinions are my own.
Before I had a family of my own, my main budgeting concerns had to do with things like saving for a weekend adventure or a fancy night on the town. Fast forward to motherhood and I have learned a few budgeting tips that make a big difference in what we spend and what we save. I did good budget wise when it was just Zoe. Now that I’m a mom of two, I spend even less without us doing without necessities. These are the 7 simple budgeting tips I use in our daily lives that actually work.
7 Budgeting Tips for Moms
Keep a List & Do Inventory
Keeping a list is probably the single best piece of advice I have. I am serious about knowing what we have, what’s running so low and what we need. Gone are the days of double and triple shopping because I don’t know what we have on hand or having to spend extra money and burn extra gas to buy something we need asap.
Bulk Shop
We do the major household shopping including toiletries, meats and more at the beginning of each month.I also check our pantry staples to see what’s low and replace those as well. Think spices and the like. Things like paper towels, detergent, and diapers. Luvs is our preferred diaper brand because it is economical and does the heavy-duty job it is assigned too.I can get a box of 160 diapers for less than half of what other brands are sold for even in bulk. Diapers of a toddler with an adventurous and big appetite are NOT a light job. And even if I have to run out to buy an emergency pack, I know I won’t be breaking the bank. Buying wipes (the holy grail of motherhood) in bulk is also a must. They work for everything! LOL
Eat In
(Including homemade baby food and making your own coffee, fries, ice cream)I love to cook. I love to eat. I love to cook and eat. From homemade baby food, french fries, and even ice cream, I enjoy trying out new recipes and making certain recipes over and over again, mac and cheese anyone? Making most of our meals at home with enough for leftovers and for lunch the next day saves us a lot of money. I use to buy a coffee every day. Do the math, $2.30 – $4 (or $5) each day times 5 days a week and sometimes one on Saturdays. Now I make my coffee at home. Sometimes brewed, sometimes instant and I even bought a reusable k-cup to make use of my ground coffee. Winning!
Coupons
My husband is the major coupon clipper in the family. He does the old fashion clipping and I do the digital coupons on grocery chain websites as well as brand websites. Our local supermarket always has a digital coupon for Luvs diapers. I’m talking $1.50-2 off a pack. A great diaper at a great value + a coupon for it = WINNING! Even major shopping and deal sites offer coupons. I also save my receipts for rebates with an online rebate company. Let me tell you, seeing the big savings at the end of the receipt is marvelous.
Consignment Sales
This is one of my favorite budgeting tips. I’m not fully cured of my shopaholic ways so consignment sales are right up my alley. In our area, there are at least 10 consignment sales that happen 2x per year. When I pregnant with Baby E, I scored some major brands with tags still intact for under $5. I even got an old fashion mini doll house and some tap shoes for a $1 each. The sales are best on the first day but most of them offer 1/2 the already low price during the last day or two. That’s when I go.
Make Changes at Home (turn off lights, use less water, laundry)
I love natural light! Our house is dark and the hubs prefers for the blinds to be closed but I am a firm believer in natural light brightening any mood plus it helps save money on our electric bill. I keep lights off and even the kids know to open the blinds once it’s daylight. I use less water by running the washing machine once per day. I fill it throughout the day because a dirty sink just won’t work in my semi-OCD world. I also wait until we have enough laundry to do a full load at a time or I handwash in a bucket if things like art projects or meal time have gotten out of hand. As for babies, having a good diaper like Luvs that does the job means I have less soiled clothes to deal with.
Check Statements (phone, cable, utilities, credit cards)
This budgeting tip is a must do. Take the time to check your statements! I check everything. I have alerts set up and every month when I statement comes in, I scrutinize every line. I keep an alert in my phone and in my journal of when contracts are set to expire so I can renegotiate the terms. That includes all utilities too.
What are your favorite budgeting tips? Share them with me in the comments and don’t forget to check out some more great tips, family fun, crafts and more from Luvs Diapers.
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