As most parents know, raising a child is full of joy – but it doesn’t come cheap. Here are some tips to help you save money while raising a family.
- Save energy – encourage habits throughout the family such as: turning off taps – when little ones are brushing their teeth, get them to turn the tap off rather than leaving it running. Switching off lights or devices – encourage children (and other adults!) to switch off devices such as televisions and lights when they leave the room. Washing on 30 degrees – try switching the washing temperature down and only use your tumble dryer less when absolutely necessary – you can even get the kids to help peg out the washing!
- Shop Secondhand and Sell – instead of heading straight for the high street, give secondhand a go. Use charity shops, or online marketplaces, such as Vinted or Depop, not only to buy, but also to sell and make some money yourself. Get little ones involved in toy clear-outs, with the incentive of making space for new toys, and perhaps a little pocket money.
- Sign up for advantage cards – signing up for loyalty card schemes takes a few minutes, but it’s one of the best frugal tips for families.
- Swap takeaways for fakeaways – takeaways are all too tempting for tired and busy parents, but they are much more expensive than cooking food at home. If you have a weekly takeaway treat, try to reduce it to once a month instead as a way to save money. You could always try making a homemade takeaway whenever you get a craving for your favourite fast food.
- Create snack packs for whenever you leave the house – you’ve packed everything you need for changeable weather and to keep them entertained, but when they utter those three little words ‘I’m hungry’ you realise that you have no snacks in your bag and have to resort to buying them while you’re out, which can prove really expensive. So instead, make up a few snack packs using non-perishable snacks that you can leave in key places, like your handbag, car or by the front door and avoid getting caught out again.
- Do you really need a TV licence? If you exclusively use streaming services to watch boxed-sets or films on demand, but are still paying for a TV licence, you may be wasting money. You need a TV licence if you watch or record live TV, on any channel or streaming service. But if you only watch programmes on demand (with the exception of BBC iPlayer), you don’t actually need a TV licence so could save yourself £174.50 per year!
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