ByUSACash
Personal Loans – Budgeting Tips while Raising Kids Tips
You may have heard that the cost to raise a child to the age of 18 has surged to a staggering $233,610. This is actually a average base case cost of raising a child in the United States, per United States Department of Agriculture (USDA).
One way to start budgeting is to list what you earn, spend money on and owe. It can help to look at past salary statements, benefit statements, bills, bank statements and credit card statements. If you spend or earn money any other way, be sure to look at this too.
USACashMoney has some 7 budgeting tips for families raising kids:
1 – SAVE ON DIAPERS AND FORMULA.
There are too many ways to save on diapers and formula to count. One of the best ways is to buy generic brands if you can. Both Walmart and Target have quality diaper and formula brands you can try for huge savings over time. Of course, you can also try Amazon Subscribe and Save to get diapers delivered at a discount.
Buying in bulk can also help you save on diapers and formula. If you have a Costco or Sam’s Club membership, see if you can save by stocking up with each trip to the store.
Also, don’t forget you can use cloth diapers instead of store bought. You’ll save money and reduce landfill waste at the same time.
2- SAVE ON DAYCARE.
This tip comes from yours truly. My kids are 6 and 8 now, but I saved a bundle by avoiding the pricey daycares available in our city. Instead of going with a daycare center that would set us back $300 or more per week, I chose small in-home daycare centers run by people I trusted. I was happy with the care our kids received, and I felt the amount I paid over time was fair.
3 – BUY USED WHEN YOU CAN.
Remember when we talked about the outrageous costs of baby gear? The good news is, you can buy most of it used. You may not want to buy a used car seat unless it’s from someone you know and less than seven years old, but it’s totally reasonable to buy used swings, baby bouncers, and strollers. Buy from people you know, from Facebook groups, or from Craigslist, and you’ll save a bundle.
4- SAVING MONEY ON KIDS AGE 5-11
Saving on school-age kids isn’t an easy feat, but it can be done. And a lot of the tips for babies apply here, too. You can keep on buying used clothing for kids in school, either from consignment shops, people you know, or Facebook groups, for example. And if you’re able to avoid moving up to a huge house just because you have kids, you’ll save on housing costs, too.
Here are some of the best ways to save on kids when they’re out of diapers but not quite ready for high school:
6 – AVOID PRICEY KIDS’ SPORTS.
One of the most important ways we’ve saved on our children is by limiting their sports to one per child. They each take gymnastics right now, and this particular sport doesn’t require fancy uniforms or more than a few practices per week. Since there are no games or “meets,” we also save by not traveling or having to spend our weekends going to and from sports activities.
7- LIMIT DINING OUT.
Fast food or takeout can be an easy way to get dinner on the table when you’re busy running school-age kids around, says Jim. But that convenience comes with costs — to both your wallet and your health.
To save money and perhaps your children’s health in the future, make home-cooked meals instead as often as possible. For busy parents, you should have lots of posts on crock pot and freezer meals you can make ahead of time if you need ideas.
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