Coping with Kids on a Tight Budget

*Collaborative post 

Having children is an expensive business, we all get that. No matter how much you and your partner bring home each month, there’s always something to spend it on. There are the clothes that your kids seem to grow out of every five minutes, the formula, the toys, the classes and the shoes…oh yes, the shoes… 

If you find you have difficulty keeping your spending and your finances, you can try Creditfix for help and advice, even if you feel you’re already in a sticky situation. To start you off, though, here’s seven tips for saving money or coping with a small budget when you have children.

Join all the online marketplaces you can handle

Very often, when someone needs to get rid of a pram, or an activity centre, they just want it gone, so you’ll find items at more than decent prices. Make it a habit to scan your marketplaces every other day or so, and set alerts for particular items in your area. Persistence pays off…

Sell your own outgrown items on these marketplaces

Once you’ve bought a few things and had some good experiences with more-established sellers, you’ll be able to start selling your own things on when your children have outgrown them. 

Reduce your nursery sessions during holiday periods

One really good idea that lots of working parents forget is to temporarily reduce your hours at nursery when you go away. Most nurseries need a couple of months’ notice, though, so make sure you think ahead as you could save yourself a couple of hundred quid or more. 

Batch cook and freeze small portions for the kids

Don’t bother buying those off-the-shelf meals for toddlers and older children; make your own. If you’re weaning, you can always try baby-led weaning, which involves offering chopped-up adult food instead of liquidised versions of it. This is cheaper and is thought to be better for developing eye-hand coordination and also more adventurous palates.

Don’t feel you have to give in to every demand your children make

Saying “No,” occasionally isn’t actually a violation of your children’s human rights (although they’ll probably try and argue that it is). Not getting everything that they want is good for them because they’ll learn that not everything revolves around them. It’s also a good way to introduce basic lessons about money and how to spend it wisely.

Avoid the gender-spender trap

If you’re planning to have, or have just had, another baby, then you’ll be bombarded with marketing that tries to get you to buy the pink or blue version of things you already have! This really isn’t necessary, especially if you’re not rolling in money. Doubling up on things isn’t great for the planet, either, so either ignore silly comments about a girl in blue or go unisex the first time around!