Feeling the pinch from rising prices these days? With all the financial pressures of raising a family, we’re always searching for a good deal; a good place to start are the things we buy week in and week out. Below, we go over ways to save money on everyday essentials…
Baby supplies
There are so many products in the Baby section of your local department store that it can be hard to distinguish which ones are actually essentials, and which offer the best value for your hard-earned dollar.
Before you set foot in a Babies R’ Us or the Target in your town, get on your computer, fix yourself a steaming mug of gourmet coffee and do comparative research to see which products are lauded by parents just like you.
Often, you can find better deals via second hand stores, or websites like Craigslist or Freecycle. Often, coupon sites will have vouchers that can save you significant amounts of cash over the long run, whether you load them up on your smartphone to use at the grocery store or type them in on delivery sites like Amazon Prime.
By putting in a small amount of time every week to search out deals, you’ll be shoring up your family’s financial position as you move forward into the future.
Groceries
While your child’s early years will end soon enough, the one constant throughout the childhood of your kids is the need for groceries that will nourish them without breaking the bank.
In order to save money in this part of your household budget, you can order some items like coffee online, where some preferred brands are more competitively priced then they might be locally.
Follow the seasons when it comes to fruits and vegetables, as certain varieties skyrocket in price when they need to be flown in outside of their time of availability; when it comes to dry goods, opting for the store brand over corporate labels will often yield the same flavor experience for a lower price.
As mentioned above, coupon sites are a source of big savings not just for baby products, but for virtually any grocery item out there.
Toiletries
Food might be a big component of your family’s consumable budget, but another large slice of that pie comes from keeping your bathroom adequately stocked.
In order to save money on toiletries, going off brand to in-store products and buying in bulk will achieve this goal handily (stocking up on Kirkland brand toilet paper at Costco is a prime example of this strategy).
Additionally, drill your kids on the efficient use of things like shampoo, toothpaste and toilet paper (and mind your own usage … be a good example for your little ones), and you’ll see the savings add up over the long run.
