Frugal Parenting Tips and Tricks

How Many Hours Of Work Does It Cost?

We have a family of 8, including 4 teenagers who love stuff. Whenever we or they want to buy something, we have one simple rule: Never think of an item's price! Instead we think of how many hours we will have to work to pay for the item. It keeps our hands in our pockets every time. It also works well for a teenager who has a job.

By Lynn from Northern Israel

Keep a Family Piggy Bank

Keep a piggy bank, and add change to it whenever you have extra. Make it a game with the kids to add "found" change. Everyone can add to it, even change given by aunts, uncles and grandparents. Save the money for a special outing, maybe a supper at a fancy restaurant or a camping trip.

By Mrowe from Creighton, Sk

Teach Your Children the Value of Money

As a retired school teacher, I saw many teenagers who had no idea of the value of money. They felt they should be given whatever they wanted. They also had trouble taking responsibility.

Learning responsibility and money management must begin at home. Small children should be given small tasks which need to be done daily. As they get older, the tasks become chores for which they should receive an allowance. As with any other job, if the work is not completed, they should not receive their pay.

As soon as the child gets a job, a portion of that salary should be paid to the parents as "rent." The responsibility of paying rent is a very important one. As a parent, we don't want to take the money away from our children, but you can "take it without taking it." Don't let your child know you have done this, but set up a savings account in their name. Put their "rent" money into this savings account.

If you collect the rent regularly, this savings account can become a down payment on a car, a college graduation gift, a wedding present. Whatever the occasion, the lessons of responsibility and saving money have both been taught in a way that paid off.

By Clynn from Inglis, FL

Being a Parent During Tough Economic Times

The basic principles of survival are shelter, warmth, food, drink and hopefully love. Everything else is just "wants".

Most homes have access to bathing facilities so a simple bar of soap, deodorant, shampoo, toilet roll, hairbrush are all that is needed to stay clean. They can all be bought at the pound (dollar) shop.

Make sure your children get enough sleep in a clean bed and wear clean clothes. Every stitch of clothing except for underwear and shoes can be secondhand. All washing can be done at economic times (e.g. evenings) to conserve electricity, at a low temperature and using frugal home made or cheap washing powder. Most clothes that are hung straight up don't need to be ironed.

So that's sleeping, bathing, appearance and clothing for next to nothing.

Keep up to date with dentists, eyesight checks, medical appointments and apply for any rebates, discounts, or exemptions possible. This will save money in the long run as problems won't grow from neglect.

School supplies can all be purchased from the pound shop/dollar store and books can be bought second hand from leaving students, eBay or Amazon.

You can buy toys, books, baby clothing and supplies from the pound (dollar) store, even seasonal items such as sunglasses, buckets and spades, hats, scarves, gloves, toiletries, perfumes, makeup. The list is endless.

For supermarket food shopping, buy the cheapest brand of everything, buy reduced, use vouchers. Buy from your local markets and home make as much as possible; whether is cooking, knitting or sewing.

Stop shopping or going into town which involves petrol or spending money on nothing. Stick to one day a week, take cash and come home when it's gone. Don't charge anything.

Plan ahead for holidays, school trips, beg or borrow equipment, tents, rucksacks, anything. Ask for discounts. If you are eligible, contact the schools for nominal payments or complete waivers. Constantly save money, even loose change in pots. Designate an area of your home for gifts and wrap and work at it all year. Make as much as possible or buy when reduced at least 75% off. Swap skills such as babysitting and hairdressing.

By Carol from England

If the Flynn's Don't Have it . . .

There was a large nice family that lived in the neighborhood. My children loved to play with their children. Of course, they lived quite austerely. Whenever my children asked for something they could really live without the rule was: "If the Flynns don't have it you don't need it". Everyone was happy.

By Jules

Store Parenting Essentials in a Separate Backpack

I'm a mom of four young kids and I'm constantly packing a ton of stuff with me. When I started feeling like a pack mule in the grocery store, I decided I needed to do something different. I put the bare minimums into a smaller, nicer purse that I'm not embarrassed to carry around in public, and then I got a small backpack for everything else. The backpack holds a small medical kit for emergencies, wipes, a small pack of shampoo, and other "emergency overnight" stuff, hairbrush, teething tablets and gel, flashlight, etc. You know, the stuff mama is expected to have in order to save the world.

The result? I can dash into the store without incurring a hernia, and yet still have everything I need on the front seat of the car in case I need it. Like the garage sale I was at when a couple slid their motorcycle around the corner and into the ground. I had my gear to patch up a little road rash. And my handsome leather bag doesn't bulge at the seams or leak crackers and pacis everywhere I go!

By Gina J. from CO