Budget-Conscious Mom Tip: How Having Kids Can Save You Money

Posted by Andrea on October 7th, 2008. Filed under: budget, cost-saving, kids and money, money, saving.

The economy is officially in the shitter, Ladies. Everyone is feeling nervous, even those with steady income. I think we’re all usually looking for ways to save money, but it’s more top-of-mind now than ever before. So, I started thinking about ways to cut back, which led me to thinking about how having children (as expensive as they may be) has led me to cut back without even knowing it. Below is my list of “Child-Induced Savings” by spending category:

Clothes: No time to myself = almost zero time to shop = relatively small amount of money spent on clothes (and those that I do buy are cheap rags from Target since I’m there on a frighteningly regular basis)
Fitness…and Clothes: Having no time also means I don’t have the time to exercise, so I save money on my non-existent gym membership (hooray!). Additionally, being so out of shape and seeing my reflection under flourescent lights while staring horrifyingly into carnival-fun-house-style dressing room mirrors at the mall has made shopping much less pleasant than it used to be. I avoid it even more, thereby saving more dinero.
Food: Instead of making a separate breakfast, and sometimes dinner, for myself, I eat my children’s leftovers. Soggy cereal and cold half-eaten hot dogs – YUM!
Health and Beauty I: I only get manicures about twice a year. It’s a complete waste of time otherwise. First of all, I am usually in a rush to get out of the nail salon so I leave with wet nails and almost always smudge them before I even get home. Additionally, between doing the kids dishes, packing their lunches, giving them baths and picking up their junk, I’m lucky if my manicure lasts 24 hours without chipping
Health and Beauty II: I go through make-up slower, because I have no time to put it on. Who knew that mascara could last 4 years?!
Entertainment I: Since kids, the definition of “eating out” has changed from swanky restaurants to somewhere with a kids menu and drive -thru. It may super-size me and them, but doesn’t super-suck the money from my wallet. Saving money at the expense of the kids’ health…Now that’s some good parenting!
Entertainment II: I never go see movies anymore, unless they’re animated and carry a rating no higher than PG. The savings on popcorn alone could go toward paying our household electric bill…or that of the entire neighborhood. Have you seen the price of movie theater popcorn lately?!
Entertainment III: Although I enjoy the occasional cocktail, having a hangover whilst taking care of three active children is just not worth it. So, I save money on booze.

Wow. I’m not usually this optimistic. This is a very ‘glass-half-full’ kind of post. Actually, these are great little zingers I can pull out if my old man ever questions a purchase of mine.

My husband: ”Andrea, do you really need that new pair of shoes [you bought online because you have no time to go to the store]?”

Me: “With the money I’ve saved us by being so out of shape and wearing old mascara, I should actually be able to buy at least 10 pairs of shoes and we’ll still be ahead.”

And there you have it.