Do you have an excellent frugal tip to share with parents? Please add to this list! After asking for the best advice, frugal parents had about maintaining the lifestyle, here is how the community responded.
1. The Library Is Free and Fun
The benefit of your local library is fantastic. They have free books, internet, and programs for adults. “Sometimes these programs work as free babysitting.” A person recalled their children spending all their weekend free time at the local book nook.
2. Invest in Your Child’s Independence
Teaching your children to cook, clean, read, and write gives them independence at a young age. Not only will they be able to help with little things around the house, but it is also developing the habits you would like your child to exhibit. These habits evolve into second nature for them as they get older.
3. Start a College Fund Early
Whether frugal or frivolous, every parent wants the best for their child, and in most cases attending college is part of that plan. But unfortunately, many parents don’t have the financial freedom to do so.
Keeping up with the increasingly high cost of undergraduate school is challenging. Starting a college fund for your little one as early as possible is a great way to combat that issue.
You can transform that unwanted eyesore, the pile of toys your children receive every holiday and birthday, into a deposit into the “[Child’s Name] College Fund.”
4. The Second Hand Is a Good Hand
Many parents agree you should not buy “anything for your kid new” because there is a surplus of child-oriented secondhand stores. If relatives “want to buy your kid gifts and clothes, great.” However, it would be best to visit your local GoodWill, Salvation Army, thrift store, secondhand kid stores, etc.
5. Check Out the Local Benefit Programs
There is a program in most states, if not all of them, that gives support to parents with children as long as they qualify. SNAP and WIC are also “economic stimulants.”
One parent admitted to avoiding these programs despite qualifying for them until they found out that for every SNAP dollar spent in their county, over one and a half dollars circulated into their local economy.
6. Don’t Forget About Safety
In pursuing financial stability, being frugal can sometimes eclipse being safe. The saying has always been safety first, especially with the security of our children in question.
Several confirmed that anything your child sleeps in or on and anything safety-related should be brand new. The following user added qualifying Medicaid recipients are eligible for “programs where you could get a brand new car seat or pack-n-play for free.”
7. Your Parents Aren’t Just Free Daycare
Living close to your parents is the gift that keeps on giving. Not only do your parents not mind babysitting their grandkids from time to time, but they also enjoy it because they get to spend time with the little ones. The majority of grandparents agree that intimate time with their grandkids is special, and they would not exchange it for anything.
8. No Need for Bath Toys
You can easily replace those unnecessary bath toys with “interesting plastic containers, little bottles, and funnels.” Little children appreciate a varying selection of items to occupy themselves. Somebody shared they keep the funnels and scoops from their protein powder as an option.
9. Explore the Outdoors
Depending on the age of your children, hanging out outdoors can be tons of fun and easy on the funds. There are so many options to choose from; public parks, playgrounds, hiking, and bike riding, to name a few. When you master this aspect, you become the ruler of the summertime fun domain. Several agreed this makes “summers at my house inexpensive and fun.”
10. No Is Not a Bad
Learn to say no to you younglings. It is a touchy subject for some and a no-brainer for others. The final group of parents believes telling your child no is all a part of the learning experience. Another parent confided, “If my kid doesn’t like what we’re having for dinner, I just say too bad, you’ll survive and even thrive.”
We hope you enjoyed these Reddit tips for frugal parenting.
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A Dime Saved
Hi! I am a millennial mom with a passion for personal finance. I have always been “into” personal finance but got inspired to start my blog after a period of extended unemployment. That experience really changed the way I viewed my relationship with money and the importance of accessible personal finance education.