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What are the Best Tips for Being a Frugal Mom?

Dee Saale
Dee Saale
Dee Saale
Dee Saale

It is often difficult to make money stretch and be a frugal mom, making any tips on the subject quite valuable. Some tips include buying groceries in bulk, packing lunches, and eating meals at home. In addition, selling toys and clothes that the kids have outgrown and buying used toys rather than new can help a mom be frugal. Other tips include limiting the number of extracurricular classes in which the children are enrolled and making homemade play dough, modeling clay, and other supplies.

Many good tips for frugal moms center around shopping. For people who have access to a wholesale warehouse, an assortment of groceries and household supplies can be purchased in bulk. This means that the items are purchased in a large quantity, but the price per item falls dramatically in comparison to other stores. Although these warehouses are ideal for non-perishable purchases, they can also be used for perishable items. A frugal mom simply needs to freeze and store items such as meat, vegetables, and fruit. Other tips include clipping coupons, buying only sale items, and going to more than one store in search of the best deals.

Frugal moms clip coupons to save money on commonly used products.
Frugal moms clip coupons to save money on commonly used products.

Tips for frugal moms can also revolve around meals. For example, to save money, lunches should either be eaten at home or packed and eaten away from home. For example, a trip to the zoo can be much less expensive if a picnic-style lunch is brought along. In addition, a thermos can be used to keep hot foods hot or cool foods cool. As a result, on a cold day, a warm thermos full of homemade soup can be eaten while out and about.

A frugal mom will make clay at home for the kids, rather than purchasing it.
A frugal mom will make clay at home for the kids, rather than purchasing it.

Another tip for a frugal mom involves eating out. Although it is nice to eat out from time to time, dinners at restaurants can be quite expensive. It can even be pricey for a family of four to eat at a fast food restaurant, not to mention the cost of a sit-down restaurant. As a result, the least expensive option is to eat dinner at home. A family can eat a delicious dinner at home, particularly if the food was bought on sale, for a fraction of the price of a dinner at a restaurant.

Frugal moms may pack lunches with deli sandwiches for their children.
Frugal moms may pack lunches with deli sandwiches for their children.

As children outgrow particular toys or clothes, there are valuable tips that a frugal mom may find useful. For example, items can be sold through online websites. They can also be sold through resale stores or consignment shops. Many consignment stores allow people to use the money they received through the sale of an item toward the purchase of other items at a reduced cost.

To save on groceries, frugal moms shop store deals and may buy some items in bulk.
To save on groceries, frugal moms shop store deals and may buy some items in bulk.

Although many people enroll their children in countless classes throughout their childhood, one tip for a frugal mom is to refrain from doing so. The pressure to sign up kids for every class imaginable is hard to ignore, yet money can be saved and the child may have more fun spending Tuesday afternoons at a playground instead of at gymnastic lessons. Consider the reasons behind the lessons and choose only those that truly benefit the child.

Other tips for a frugal mom may be time consuming but may save money. For example, there are various brands of play dough that can be purchased from the store, but this product can also be made at home very inexpensively. The same can be said for a variety of supplies, such as clay and bubbles. Keep in mind that kids often have as much fun playing with simple items as complex, expensive toys that sport the newest trends.

Dee Saale
Dee Saale

Dee is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She has a B.A. in English Literature, as well as a law degree. Dee is especially interested in topics relating to medicine, legal issues, and home improvement, which are her specialty when contributing to WiseGEEK.

Learn more...
Dee Saale
Dee Saale

Dee is a freelance writer based in Colorado. She has a B.A. in English Literature, as well as a law degree. Dee is especially interested in topics relating to medicine, legal issues, and home improvement, which are her specialty when contributing to WiseGEEK.

Learn more...

Discussion Comments

ninetydegree

When your child decides he or she wants a particular item that is not in the budget, you can help him save the money to buy that item by encouraging frugality.

Have a garage sale and let your child sell items they no longer want or need. Once they've earned enough to buy the item they really want, they can take their cash to the store and buy what they want.

Teaching them to take good care of their things will also help them learn that they can trade video games, books or cds and dvds for a new video game they want now.

uzumba2

Living on a budget with children can be quite a challenge. Sometimes the kids just need to get new crayons or markers to get inspired. These items can easily be found at the local dollar store.

Giving the kids a small stipend to spend at the dollar store can teach them how to manage their money. Prior to leaving, have each child write down what it is they need or want and then when they are shopping, you can remind them what it was they planned on buying.

This is an excellent way for them to learn how to budget their money. If they don't have enough money to purchase all the desired items, it's easy to explain that they can only buy what they can afford.

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    • Frugal moms clip coupons to save money on commonly used products.
      By: fotopak
      Frugal moms clip coupons to save money on commonly used products.
    • A frugal mom will make clay at home for the kids, rather than purchasing it.
      By: dmitrimaruta
      A frugal mom will make clay at home for the kids, rather than purchasing it.
    • Frugal moms may pack lunches with deli sandwiches for their children.
      By: Bert Folsom
      Frugal moms may pack lunches with deli sandwiches for their children.
    • To save on groceries, frugal moms shop store deals and may buy some items in bulk.
      By: Art Allianz
      To save on groceries, frugal moms shop store deals and may buy some items in bulk.