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ShareEasy Ways to Save Money
How to trim your family's budget and save on gift giving, family travel, kids' clothing, activities, and more.
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When my oldest three daughters were 6, 4, and 2, it seemed like there were birthday parties to attend every weekend. The girls, of course, were thrilled to be part of the social scene, but all those presents were sabotaging our budget. To save money, I began stocking up on children's books that were on sale. When an invitation arrived, I'd "shop" through my stash. As the mother of seven, this tactic saved me tons over time! And birthday gifts weren't the only area in which I cut costs. I scoured secondhand stores for kids' clothes and skipped the gymnastics classes in favor of free story hour at the library.
Once you get into the swing of things, you'll be amazed by how much you can painlessly trim from your budget.
Gift Giving
Toys go on sale every January, so stock up after Christmas and keep items on a designated gift shelf. I found $25 Dora and Diego two-adventure deluxe activity sets for $6. I log the toys in a notebook so I know what I have "in stock."
Savvy shoppers hit the stores when items are going out of season. At the end of July, you'll find 50 percent reductions on beach balls, pails and shovels, and assorted sandbox gear. Load up at summer's end for next year's warm-weather birthdays.
Buy half-price Christmas wrap in generic solids like blue, gold, red, and green, and use it year-round. No one will be the wiser. And instead of shelling out $3 per birthday card, have your kids create them by hand or on the computer.
The other nice thing about scouting is most families look for a program in their neighborhood, cutting down on the cost of gas. Scouting is also a year-round program. Most sports and other activities are only for a certain amount of time.
As a leader it is very hard finacially for a troop AND MY FAMILY when parents do not support their daughter in activities with positive attitudes and finances. I have had girls graduate out of GS and girls choose not to continue. Years later they still talk about GS. One girl even said that she wished that she had never quit. Many parents use GS as babysitters or "free" activities and that is not what GS is all about.