We all know kids are expensive, but it doesn’t stop us from having them! They make our hearts sing, but they also cost us an arm and a leg.
We’re all feeling the pinch right now so here are some money-saving ways to ease the pain of rising costs.
Deep Water
One of the simplest ways to save money is to make the most of water! Fortunately for us, tap water is completely free and is the best way to keep kids both hydrated and entertained. Next time you’re in the supermarket, bypass the drinks aisle completely. Forget picking up juice, fizzy drinks or bottled water and let your children know that you’re switching to H2O.
While this might not go down too well, they’ll be more enthusiastic about getting stuck into water games. When the sun is shining, getting the sand and water table and water pistols out will keep them entertained for hours. Paint-with-water colouring books are great too because any time the pens run out you simply re-fill them at the tap again.
Babysitters Club
While nights out with your other half are few and far between when you’re a parent (and even more infrequent now due to us all tightening our belts), when you do get out, once in a blue moon, the cost of hiring a babysitter is enough to make your eyes water.
Why not chat to other mum-friends and see if you could help each other out by taking it in turns to mind each other’s kids. You’ll be leaving your children with someone you trust and can simply return the money-saving favour when they’re in need of a night out themselves.
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Birthday Money
If your offspring are lucky enough to receive birthday money from extended family, consider keeping it aside for a rainy day instead of blowing it all on presents that they’ll be bored of after a week.
Special treats such as visiting a theme park, the theatre or the zoo are expensive, but you don’t want them to miss out on a great opportunity to make memories. Let your child know that their relative kindly bought their ticket for them, and they can then show them pictures of their exciting day out.
Movie Night
Trips to the cinema are a great way to keep everyone entertained when the sun’s behind the clouds, but they’re also expensive. Though it’s a good idea to keep an eye on what you’re spending on streaming services, if there’s one you all enjoy (for us Disney+ is well worth the money) then why not make the most of it.
Have a movie night every Saturday by treating yourselves to popcorn, (popping your own in the microwave is just as delicious as the stuff from the cinema if you ask me), turning down the lights, banning all other devices and getting cosy with blankets and cushions. Let the kids take it in turns to pick a film but just don’t blame me if everyone goes for ‘Encanto’ every time. You’ll know all the lyrics to ‘We Don’t Talk About Bruno’ within a month.
