Playing the online detective for the best deals today is one way of helping your family save cash. But there are others.
Here, we will offer fantastic ways that your family can save money each month. It doesn’t take a flashy finance degree or risky investing to make these easy savings…
Start a Family Budget
The easiest way to start saving money as a family is to start tracking your spending. It is all too easy to overspend when we are not counting what we spend.
It’s so easy to make a budget with computer programmes, apps or just your classic paper and calculator.
The biggest mistake people make is that they make their budget, work out what disposable income they have and then don’t track their spending after.
To make your family budget really work and cut spending, you need to update it each month so you can identify areas for improvement.
Know When to Buy Homeware
The family home is the tranquil retreat we all look forward to at the end of a hard day. So, it is only natural that we want our home to be as comfortable, aesthetically pleasing and entertaining as possible.
The problem for most families is that when we decide to buy something for our home, we must have it straight away and delivered as quickly as possible.
But if you plan your purchases on days when your items are on offer, you save money.
But how on earth could we do that? Well, there are websites that monitor individual items on popular stores like Walmart, Best Buy and Amazon.
Just scroll through the list to find the best deals today for home products!
Pro-Tip: Save this link as a bookmark for easy access as they keep updating their list daily.
Enjoy Frugal Fun Together
When birthdays come around or big family occasions, it is easy to get lost in a wave of consumerism or making a habit out of doing expensive excursions.
Instead you could start enjoying effortless activities together on these days which are low-cost or even free, such as:
- Picnics
- Trips to national parks
- Free museums
- Making things at home
- Painting and crafts
- Barbeques
You don’t need to go to the theme park or on vacation for every family occasion!
Become a Savvy Foodie
The biggest chunk of our family budget probably goes to rent, your mortgage and weekly groceries.
Although we can’t help you pay off your home, we can give you tips to slash your grocery bills.
The best way to make your groceries cheaper is to think long-term. Instead of buying food for a week, start buying in bulk and freezing food to eat later.
This will save you considerable money over the year. To do this you will need to plan your meals well, which does take time.
Families often gravitate away from their bulk buying because they get bored of the same meals.
To stay motivated as a frugal foodie, make sure you can adapt the meals you choose by switching one or two ingredients.
For example, there are so many dishes you can make with rice, including this delicious Mexican Hot Pot recipe!
A bonus tip is to include one or two vegetarian nights if you don’t already. Meat can be a significant portion of your weekly food bill and cutting it out is good for the environment.
Join Family Groups (for Freebies!)
Another way to save money is to join a community with other parents or families.
These groups could be on social networking sites or they could be real meetup groups nearby where you live.
The benefit of these groups is not just so they improve your social life, help you meet new people and offer mutual support in daily life, but many also help you get free or cheaper stuff.
For example, you might receive a second-hand cot for a newborn baby or free kitchen equipment from someone moving out of the area.
Overall, these groups can be a lot of fun – and it pays to be friendly!