Parents TV Community

 
 
  • PrintPrint
  • ShareEmail

Easy Ways to Save Money


Rate and Comment
« Previous |  1 of 5  | Next »

How to trim your family's budget and save on gift giving, family travel, kids' clothing, activities, and more.

Gift Giving

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.


Pages in This Story




Rate and Comment



5 most popular in this area
Related Articles


 
  • My Family
  • Calendar
  • WIN
Family Life
 

Get our award-winning newsletters FREE!

  • YOU ARE:
  •  

Send me special offers from your family of publications via email.

Todays Daily Prize



Just Posted...

  • Photos
  • Blogs
  • Discussions
see all blogs
see all discussions

Want Free Stuff? Click Here for the best Deals, Discounts and Prizes.
 

 

 
 
Parents.com

Magazines


 
Copyright © Meredith Corporation. All Rights Reserved | Privacy Policy | By using this site, you agree to our Terms of Service
The people pictured on this page are models and are unrelated to the people, issues or events described in the text.