15 Ideas From a Mom on Saving Money When You Have a Family

Seeking ways to make the money you already have go a little further?  If so, there are many things you can do to take existing money and redirect it toward things you really need.

One. Rotate the children’s entertainment.

Before you go shopping for more toys and games for children, consider packing up some of the toys they aren’t using.  Then bring them out maybe in a week or two from now.  This way they will appreciate the toys they already have.  Once they have grown tired of those, the ones you packed away will be like celebrating Christmas, they will be glad to see them again.  This idea works well for toddlers.

Two.  Pass down clothing and shoes between siblings.

Most children grow out of clothes and shoes very quickly, so when there are older children in the house, it is easy to pass some things down to the younger ones.

Three.  Reuse plastic bags and containers.

Many small items pass through the hands of children and unfortunately get lost.  Make use of those plastic containers, boxes and bags you might have ordinarily thrown away to store those things that are often hard to keep up with.

Four.  Visit online auctions, classifieds, thrift, and discount stores before shopping at department stores.

When you take the time to shop around, you will be pleasantly surprised at how much money you save.  As much as we all like getting out and visiting stores, it can be an unpleasant experience to find out you are paying twice as much for an item had you took a moment to search for it online first.  Also, periodically check the classifieds to see if anyone has posted any free items.

Five.  Leave your credit card at home.

How many times have people maxed out credit cards shopping for things that they knew they couldn’t afford?  When you have a family it’s very tempting to try to meet everyone’s need.   As you pay down or pay off credit cards, think about leaving them at home, this way you won’t be buying unnecessary items and you won’t have to pay a higher amount on your credit cards each month.

Six.  Avoid over-drafting your bank account by taking advantage of special features.