SAHMS, how do you help save?

[His_Ruby]

SAHMs, I’m going to be joining the force fairly soon here (the SAHM force, that is). Once I’m done working and the baby comes at first I’m sure I won’t feel up to doing much but taking care of baby, but once I get adjusted… how do you help save $?

Do you sew your kids’ clothes? Do you find ways to save $ on grocery shopping? Obviously packing lunches and cooking dinners is a saver, but what other ways, even small, have you found to save money?

Right now DH and I do indulge in eating out a lot and doing things ‘out’ quite a lot together. But we’re saving the $ from me working as best we can. I know it’ll be an adjustment once I’m done working and I need to work hard at home to help us save. Just looking for tips, big or small.

 

[Lil_M]

I’m not a SAHM yet but I’ve def never had a lot of money so here’s some of my ideas. They may or may not apply to you, just suggestions.

-No cable/satellite
-One car

• Make any loan repayments as large as you can handle to get rid of your debt faster
  -Mooch when you can the only furniture DH and I have ever bought is the bed, and the couch which we just got yesterday! Everything else came from family, as will most of the baby’s things. Or buy secondhand.
  -I pretty much only buy no- name products at the grocery store, on sale is even better
• I’m manic about trying to time the gas prices so I fill up on a day when it’s down. I’m not a very good psychic on this but maybe you’d be better!
• Send DH to work with a coffee and lunch so he doesn’t buy it
• Buy larger portions of meat and separate before freezing, so I can get out just enough for 1 meal at a time, less wasted leftovers.
• Coupon websites for things that may have to be name brand
• Shop around for better insurance, internet rates (I’m guilty of not doing this one, I just hate dealing with the people so much )
  -Watch your entertainment. If there’s something you like to do that’s a little pricey, don’t waste your $ on small items between like movie rentals, snacks or whatever and save so you can still enjoy it once in a while. Or be like DH and I who are total homebodies

These are pretty standard but I thought I’d throw them out there. I’ll be watching the other responses!

 

[cat3gs]

Hey,

When I was a sahm I would do alot of what the previous poster said. Definitely didnt/dont buy name brand, unless I just like it better . Wal-mart was my best friend. I would buy all my dry goods there then go over to the grocery store for food items. I used coupons when they helped but usually off-brands are cheaper. While my kids were young and didnt care where their clothes came from( I have teens now so its not so easy anymore) I would go to thrift/consignment stores. If you are in a city/surburban area it pays off. Great name brand stuff for alot cheaper. My rural area now…not so good cuz the people getting rid of clothes are usally worse off than I am:shrug: . Garage sales are a plus as well.

Believe it or not, but cable/satelite has saved me some money. It was cheaper than going to the movies all time as well as renting and/or buying…we love movies in this house.

-If you like to read those buy/sell/trade places are great.
-For Christmas, birthdays,valentines etc my hubby and I didnt buy things for each other.
-Though when buying gifts e-bay was always a cheap source–usually.
-My number one money saver was not getting a babysitter. I have a friend that would get a babysitter anytime she had to go somewhere…that included just grocery shopping or she would get one for one of the kids when she had to take the other to the doctor. Not me I drug my kids EVERYWHERE. Even to the doctor with me. We were military so we were away from family alot so it was very difficult sometimes.
-Hang clothes to dry if you dont already. It makes them last longer.
-I would use a little less that what the detergent suggested I use per load…made it last a little longer
-I didnt use fabric softener…yea, I know,its not that much, but early on all the little dollars that I could save helped out.
-hand was dishes…saves a bit on energy.

My hubby and I didnt do alot of going out when we first got married and my first dd came along. We played alot of gin-rummy, farkle, poker, and any other game that worked well with two people.

Oh another thing…doesnt sound like a money saver but it did save in the long run…early on my hubby wasted alot of money at the video arcade…so we bought a nintendo and a few games and that stopped that We liked to challenge each other. Most times he won—but I knew where he was and it wasnt spending money

Hope some of these help. I know its hard to go from spending(not saying you spend alot ) to having to save. I finally got used to a bit of money and my hubby retires from the military and gets a job that cuts our monthly pay at least by a thousand dollars a month. I’ve had to re-learn how to save…I really hate learning how to NOT go out to eat

JMJ

 

[Nanny_PK]

I am not a SAHM, but something another poster said reminded me of something a friend of mine did (she was a SAHM) Once your kidlet is old enough for an occasional babysitter, join a babysitting co-op or get a group of friends which young children and swap out – you keep the kids while that mom goes to the grocery store/doctor’s appointment, whatever – and then alternate. Or one night a month you babysit their kids so they can have a date night and then they do the same thing another night.

 

[pamnbam]

I stayed home for the first few months after my son was born, and it was all unpaid leave, so we had to scrimp a lot!

–Buy a few good cookbooks. This way you’ll have new ideas for dinner and things don’t get too repetitive.

–Get (or use if you already have one) a slow cooker! It helps you stay away from boxed prepared foods (fresh prepared food is so much healthier) and you can use or freeze leftovers. This way you’ll have time to concentrate on the kid(s) during the day and dinner will be ready when DH walks in the door!

–Coupons, coupons, coupons!! I can’t stress this enough! I saved so much using coupons when I was staying at home, this is one of the habits I still have now that I’m working again. Use your cookbooks to plan your meals, and you can justify buying 2 of something to use a coupon. (My all-time high savings is $16.50 on a $90 bill! That’s huge for me!)

–Bargain shop for groceries, clothing, and toys. If you’re military, ALWAYS use the commissary for groceries. If not, places like Bottom Dollar are usually less expensive for groceries. Goodwill is good for clothes and toys, too.

 

[kage_ar]

Unless you are looking at speciality clothes, haloween costumes, wedding dresses, 1st Communion dresses… sewing your kids cloths cost more than smart shopping.

Learn where the good resale shops are, shop garage sales and accept hand-me-downs.

 

[gron0083]

I do 2 things I haven’t seen mentioned yet:

1. Lots of crock pot cooking. Less energy use (and WAY easier with baby - just throw it all in there when making breakfast)
2. Movies from the library. Yes, I could pay a dollar for the Redbox up the street, but that doesn’t compete with FREE.

 

[noclevername]

Here is a great list of ways to save money I learned about on another website.

freewebs.com/savingslist/

 

[His_Ruby]

Thanks for all the great tips so far.

 

[queen_anne78]

the library is great. Free books! I’m a nerd about reading though.

Date nights “in” playing cards, board games, watching a movie (we have the cheapest netflix plan, it’s great!) after your little one is asleep (or…as a newborn, with baby nursing as you have your date…can’t even count up all the hours I spent watching a movie with DH while the G slept/nursed on the boppy pillow)

To save on groceries, have a PLAN. Make a meal plan (what you will eat for dinner each night, plus a list of snack, lunch, and breakfast ideas) and then make your shopping list based on that only. We do a lot of left-overs or PBJ for lunch We also don’t buy regular snack food (like chips or soda or anything like that…snacks for us is fruit/veggies/cheese sticks). ONLY buy what’s on your list once you get to the store, and DON’T go hungry lol

Most stores put their weekly ads online now, so you can look and see what specials they have before you go and plan your weekly meals around that (we are too cheap to even get the newspaper so… I love that the ads are online!)

If you live near family, and they invite you over for dinner, never, ever, say “no”

Take walks as a family when weather permits to cure the “need to go out” itch

I can’t think of much else…we live VERY frugal b/c we are trying to get rid of our last loan (eee hopefully we’ll be done by the end of the year!)
That’s something that motivates me…when I want to go shopping for fun or blow the budget, it helps to remind me WHY we’re scrimping…so I can be home with the G and so that we can be free of our debt.

 

[kevinsgirl]

For baby/kid stuff, I find I get better deals at garage sales than thrift stores–mainly because I can bargain the price down. Also, if you decide to use garage sales, you’ve got to be an early bird if you want to get the good stuff.

Entertainment-wise, we’ve been blessed to get a Netflics subscription from my parents every Christmas. We also use the library, but I really enjoy the Netflics because we can get the new releases.

Also, I second queenanne about the healthy snacks–spending around $15 a week at the produce stand really helped us with both the grocery bill and eating healthier.

 

[BlessedbyGodx2]

You have lots of great ideas already…
Not buying things new is HUGE
95% of dd’s clothes I bought at garage sales and off of craiglist for no more than $1 a shirt or whatever. Same with shoes. Kids grow out of most things before they are worn out so instead of spending $40 for a pair or stride rite shoes for dd I got them for $2 at a yardsale. Same with toys. I just bleach them and clean them when we get home.
I buy most of Dh and I 's clothes at Old Navy on major clearance- same with any of dd’s clothes that are new. You can buy new stuff there for less than $1!!!
We buy local, grass fed meat and eggs and splurge there but most of our other stuff is generic store brand. No fancy snacks. DH comes home for lunch everyday. We never go out and spend money on movies, dinners out, shows etc anymore. Dh fixes PC’s on the side and sometimes he gets extra $ for that so we will use that for an occassional take out treat. We only have the basic channels like ABC,NBC etc. We have the $10 a month Netflix becauses its winter and its dark and cold and there is nothing else to do in the evenings when dd is sleeping.
When dd was born we sold our 3rd car ( we had 2 cars and a old truck) We used that money to pay off dh’s school loan. Our only debt is our mortgage and I hope to keep it that way.
We started cloth diapering and just passed the 6 month mark with it so now we start saving $$$ there.
Our huge expense is our house… we bought a house that was in good shape but that hadn’t been updated for 50 years. So anytime we have extra cash we put it into the house, new windows, new doors, new flooring etc etc.
ohhh and in the summer we garden… Nothing major just a few veggies tomatoes, cukes, green beans etc.

 

[samcarter14]

Drive as little as possible. I know you are thinking, as a SAHM I’ll save lots of gas, but beware of the itch to get out of the house as often as possible. I fell victim to that; I was driving somewhere every day; the library, park, whatever for an excuse!

Now I have readjusted my attitude. I work at home; therefore, I should be at home as often as I can to see to it. DH and I do the grocery shopping together; takes half as long since we split up the list, and we take the kids. If I do go out it’s maybe once a week to a friend’s house (our kids play together). I use my car very little unless we’re all going somewhere together with DH.

Also, meal plan. Plan to use leftovers. Unless you have a DH like mine who will eat leftovers for lunch.

I avoid buying clothes for myself unless I really need to; then I try to buy quality that will last.

I also don’t go to the beauty parlor often. I have a good friend who works at a salon, and she gives me a small discount for my four-times-a-year haircut.

No fabric softener; white vinegar in the rinse cycle instead.

Cut down on sugar. This is my New Year resolution, to eat healthy and bake fewer cookies.

DO carve out space for yourself during the day. Even SAHMs need coffee breaks!

 

[kevinsgirl]

I also don’t go to the beauty parlor often. I have a good friend who works at a salon, and she gives me a small discount for my four-times-a-year haircut.

Ditto this! I’m down to 2-3 times a year.

 

[jazzbaby1]

CVS and Walgreens (not sure of other programs) offer money back on what you spend on certain items in their stores, normally on staple products. This week, for example, Colgate toothpaste is on sale for 2/$5. Not really a deal till you factor in that I have two $.75 off coupons, so now they’re $1.75 each. I also get $2 in extra bucks that I can spend on other items in the store. There are entire websites devoted to couponing and using the CVS/Walgreens systems.

 

[KCT]

Not buying things new is HUGE
95% of dd’s clothes I bought at garage sales and off of craiglist for no more than $1 a shirt or whatever.

So true! Mine are older now, but when they were little I shopped yard sales and thrift stores. I loved finding Lands End winter coats for $5. Who says only men like the thrill of the hunt .

Even though we’re now a 2 income family, I still visit the thrift store every now and again. Last time I found a great outfit for work - wool cardigan and a brand new skirt (tags still on!)- for around $6. I paid another $6 for dry cleaning. I love the outfit!

 

[gardenswithkids]

… Just looking for tips, big or small.

Pay attention to the big stuff, not just the little stuff.

Paying interest is sometimes neccessary, (ie a home mortgage if you have one) but generally interest payments are a huge waste of money. Don’t buy on credit and pay down debt.

Cars: I drive a reliable old car that we bought new with cash over 12 years ago. I’ve heard if you keep a car for over ten years, then it pays to buy new and maintain the vehicle over the years. No car payment plus the insurance is now cheaper since the car isn’t worth much.

I agree with what people wrote about buying less in the first place. That also applies to food. As the New Year begins, I have to drop some extra weight I aquired recently. I will save money by eating less rather than going on strange and expensive fad diets with weird supplements. I save money by not over feeding my family, not falling for weird gimmicks, and not buying food that we throw away.

While I’m on touchy subjects, I’ll just keep digging myself in further. Don’t get so cheap that you let your looks go. Maintain your appearance. SAHM are wives *first, *and from our role of wife comes our role of mother. Your husband will be working as the sole provider to financially support his family; take care of yourself for his sake. Speaking from my own past experience here–don’t fall for the frumpy trap! It’s not cheaper. You don’t need the super-expensive haircuts or fancy designer clothes, but do stand in front of a three way mirror in regular stores sometimes and maintain a hairstyle that looks good on you. No offense meant to anyone, but this is something that I think we SAHM need to remember.

 

[dmgloyd66]

Check your grocery receipt for how much you save each trip and put that money in the bank for a year or longer. Earmark it for something special. Family vacation, major purchase.etc. Ours was for our family vacation.(family of 7) The money saved in other ways is used wherever it is needed.

Weatherize your home and use energy efficient bulbs and appliances whereever/whenever you can. Choose like recepies or double receipes.when you use the oven and cook multi meals at a time to save energy. Then freeze what you don’t use right away. On a busy night you can pop that frozen meal in the microwave for a quick and easy meal.

Making homemade items for gifts can also save you money especially around Christmastime.

God Bless you and yours!

 

[stpiusx]

+J.M.J.+
all this information is really helpful. i’m hoping to become a sahm when baby #2 arrives, but not sure how it is going to work, being the major breadwinner for my family.

anyone have any ideas on how to work from home?

 

[meganfae]

-cloth diapers AND cloth wipes (very cost effective if you’ll be having more children…can’t reuse a pampers)
-Keep your SAH habits in check. It is easy to fall into the trap of meeting up with other mommies for lunch at restaurants or coffee shops…trade off hosting coffee at home.
-trade in a gas-guzzling vehicle for a family and gas-friendly car
-investigate how you use your electricity.
-use baby second-hand stores (except on cribs…they weaken when taken apart and put back together often).
-Embrace the hand-me-down. At first I was embarassed when women would ask me if I wanted their kids’ hand-me-downs at church…now I say “Do you have and 18-month sleepers?”
-be absolutely certain you are in a home you can afford COMFORTABLY with one income. It is important to not be penny wise and pound foolish.