Mom let's be honest the household would fall apart without us right?! Things wouldn't be found, empty boxes wouldn't make it to the trash and no one would remember when the milk was gone! Well, as a stay at home mom I make it my mission to help stretch my husband's paycheck as far as we can. My ‘paycheck' is how much we can put into saving each month. So here are 10 great money saving goals for all us moms (or dads!) and also make great New Years resolutions.
10 Money Saving Goals for Mom this New Year
- Cook at Home – This cuts out eating out costs and is a lot easier than you thought. Prepare meals ahead of time such as Freezer Cooking or spend 10 Minutes in the morning and get a meal together in the Slow Cooker and it’s ready at dinner time.
- Cut your Grocery Bill – Don’t laugh and tell me that it’s easier said than done! Each time you go to the store take cash and NO credit or debit cards, just leave them at home. Use a calculator and only spend what you have. After a few weeks of getting used to doing that take $5 out of that budget and put it in a jar to save. If you go grocery shopping once a week like many of us you can save around $260 a year just putting away $5 a week.
- Grocery Shop Once a Month – The less you go to the store the less temptation you have to buy extras. If you have the room go shopping once a month. We invested in an extra freezer just for this reason. We bought meat on sale and made a month long menu plan around what we had. Whe would hit a few stores during our shopping day including outlet stores.
- Menu Plan – Following the tip above when you do your once a month shopping it's best to make out a menu plan so you are only buying what you need. This will also allow you to use what you already have on hand.
- Shop In Bulk – Shop in bulk where you can to save money. This doesn't just mean food, if you go through a lot of paper print out work sheets being a homeschool family so I buy printer paper in bulk. Buy things like toilet paper in bulk, diapers wipes, beans, rice, flour etc.
- Hit the Garage Sales – Why buy kids clothes at full price when you can get practicly new items fro about 25¢ each at yard sales? ( See how I get my kids clothes free) You can decorate your house on the cheap as well. You can also find some great items to flip for a profit! (See Thrift Store Find Worth Money)
- Skip the Expensive Toys –When your kids are young there is no need to spend money on expensive toys. They love boxes and using pots and pans with your wooden spoons long with tupperware. My 1-year-old LOVES playing with my Arts and Crafts Pom Poms. She puts them in and out of a plastic bowl among other areas!
- Leave Your Wallet at Home – Heading to take the kids to the park? Just take your ID and leave the wallet. You won’t have the temptation to spend money on that cup of coffee or grab lunch instead of heading home to make it.
- Learn to Mend Your Own Clothes – Buying a cheap small sewing kit and replace buttons at home, fix a small tear
- Garden – Cut down on your produce costs by gardening. You can then make your own ketchup and tomato sauces, make your own jelly and juices and pickles and so much more!
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