Money Saving Suggestions for Single Income

Carla - posted on 03/28/2013

Boy, are you right on the pets, Angela. My husband got the bright idea of putting up an aquarium for the grandbabies. He got a tank from a second hand store, we got the heater, the filter, gravel, plants, driftwood and fish and 2 frogs. Well, of course you have to keep the water at a certain pH, nitrites and nitrate level, so you need a water tester. $20.00. Now you need food for frogs and fish. $30.00. Now you need fertilizer for the plants in there $20.00. Fish dies, replacement fish $5. Second-hand tank suddenly lets loose at the seams--clean up MASSIVE mess, catch the poor little fishies, run to local fish store get another tank $90. (Note to self and others: NEVER put fish in a tank that has had water in it, then drained and left dry. The glue lets go at the seams.) We could have taken them on vacation for what we have spent on fishies. Can I claim them on my income tax as dependents? And let's not even START talking about the cats they found under Papa's van!

This is where wisdom comes in. If you are struggling to put food on the table, getting a pet is NOT a smart idea. Get the children taken care of, then, when you can afford to have a pet neutered/spayed, get it's shots, flea control, food, then you can think about it.

As for nappies, Angela, we used Dreft detergent (do they even MAKE that anymore?), bleach and washed them. We rinsed poopy ones in the toilet (you're gonna wash them in hot water and bleach anyway). But for those people who are working and trying to save time, a diaper service is a viable option.

One of the best money-savers I have found is to STAY AWAY FROM THE MALL! We used to go every weekend. I'd come home in a sweat, knowing I'd spent WAY too much. Now, the only time I go to the Mall is for a special baby or wedding gift. I know my weaknesses, it's kinda like playing the ponies. I'm tellin' on myself again, but that was the OLD me.

God bless, all!

Angela - posted on 03/28/2013

Most people in the UK don't even use a nappy/diaper service - we stick 'em in our own washing machines after first sluicing then soaking in a bucket with nappy solution in. Cloth nappies are more ecologically sound as well - you're not only saving your money, you're saving the planet.

Another family expense which can be avoided is getting a pet .... Before every animal owner slams me here, I need to point out that owning an animal is a massive responsibility, even if it doesn't cost too much to feed that creature. Children can benefit of course from interaction with animals, but why not take them along to a local animal charity's rescue centre? Volunteer to walk a dog, visit it regularly. That way you get a lot of the fun and companionship of having a pet, none of the expense, no worrying about finding fees to pay to get your animal minded when you take a vacation and the charity gets helping hands giving free assistance!

In fact children of all ages can get a lot of quality time and good company by volunteering for lots of good works in the community.

I know your child is just a baby but these are ideas for the future!!

Carla - posted on 03/28/2013

Yes, Angela, you are correct about the nappies. My niece got a diaper service with her children, and they washed them and brought back clean ones, AND, it was cheaper than Pampers or Luvs. Back in the days of the dinosaurs, disposable diapers felt like paper and irritated baby's skin. So cloth diapers were both ore practical. If you were going on a long trip, a box to take along might save a stinky car ride home ;)

I also forgot to mention that my daughter AND I buy our clothing at a second-hand store. But you have to be careful and do due diligence. Some second-hand stores are more expensive than retail. I used to get beautiful suits, some with tags still on them for $11. Can't wear heels anymore, so sweats are more to my taste (something I would NEVER have thought I would do).

God calls us to be wise with our money. We save more money now, are comfortable in our sweats (:)) and are able to support more missions with what we save. Win-win.

Angela - posted on 03/28/2013

Are you using cloth nappies?

I can only echo most of what the others have already said but domestic economy is a good habit for life!

As your child gets older think of activities to do together that are not only free/cheap but will also save you money in other ways. The obvious one is fruit picking! I'm lucky as I live in a semi-rural area and there is a rich harvest of free food out there for grabs!

Think about co-operative ways to shop and save. In the UK, where I live, we have Credit Unions. People on low incomes can get into the habit of saving a small affordable sum each month and also have access to very low-interest loans (should they suddenly need money for an emergency). If you've never invested with them though, you can't borrow!

Look into joining some community groups within your neighbourhood. There may already be useful resources at your Church too.

Good luck! I'm the Queen of "thrifty & frugal" but I came into new skills & powers when I learned about public resources. No matter how careful and penny-pinching you may be, community resources always make it all a lot easier.

Bree - posted on 03/27/2013

Amazon has a lot of "subscribe and save" options for many daily use products and items like cleaning supplies, personal hygiene, diapers and more. Many times signing up for their subscribe and save program is a great way to save money and not have to worry about packing up your child and spending time and money driving to the store.

I have a handful of items that I've subscribed to and it's really easy to change the delivery schedule, or even "skip" the delivery schedule if you don't need replenishment on the next shipment.

As for saving with toddlers, there are plenty of second hand options that are well worth it. Shopping on eBay for second hand toddler clothing in good shape can save you a bundle. Not to mention, most toddlers grow so quickly many of their clothes look fairly new after they've grown out of them.

Anne - posted on 10/12/2010

VERY Good Point Carla.
Hope something else I thought about was Angel Food Ministries. if you go to their web site you should find a local church that sponsors a site. It is Wholesome food for a family of f for one week for I think it is $33.00. www.angelfoodministries.com

Carla - posted on 10/11/2010

Be careful with your coupons that you are not spending more money in gas than you are saving with coupons. My mom used to drive all over town to save a nickel, and spending a buck in gas!

Lisa - posted on 10/11/2010

When my children were babies I always bought the walmart brand diapers wipes, whatever, and they always worked for me.

Now I coupon everything. I go through couponmom.com and find out where the best deals are and where I can double a coupon....it is fantastic. I am also on a single income and it can be stressful, but I like to make it a game of sorts, wow I saved more than I spent..... that kind of stuff

Aileesha - posted on 10/10/2010

Some things are cheaper onlilne you just have to watch out for shipping or look for free shipping. Buying in bulk is okay as long as what you are buying is really what you use if you only use it a little than you are better off getting it when it is on sale at like a Wal-mart. Second hand stores are great for clothes for the little one because they grow so fast. It also helps when you want to buy that special outfit. Hope this helps as I think of some more I shall let you know!

Carla - posted on 10/10/2010

I did a lot of label-reading. A lot of generic brands are exactly the same as the expensive brands, so why spend your money on them? We buy all our meat in bulk, then take it home, cut the 5 lb of hamburger into 3 sections and put it in gallon zip loc bags and freeze. Same with steak and pork chops. We buy a loin of pork and have the butcher cut it into 1-inch chops. Same deal, take them home and put in meal-size servings and freeze. We buy a loin of steak when it is on sale and ditto above. If you have a save-a-lot store in your area, I buy all our canned goods there, pastas, etc. You can save a ton! But the way I save the most money is re-using zip-loc bags! Once we use them I wash them well in hot soapy water, hang them over the strainer and let them dry. We save probably $5 a month on just that one item. There are some things you can skimp on,but, to me, using Tide (I hate to sound like a commercial, but---) is just good sense. It gets out the stains, so I don't have to throw away clothes that become nasty, so you are saving money in the long run. Also, my daughter buys her kids' clothes at second-hand stores. We have a great one in our area, sometimes the clothes still have price tags on them, and she saves at least 50% if not more.

Hope this helps, sweetie! God bless

Anne - posted on 10/10/2010

Hope is you live lear a store that doubles coupons use them for things you use. I have used coupons for over 20 years and at first if the coupon would "Save" me money I would buy the item. But a lot of times I did not use the item, so if you do use coupons watch out for that trap. If our store does accept manufacture coupons and allows you to add andy store coupon then that is a good way to save. If you add only buying what is on sale and you have a coupon you will save a lot of money. Last week at the store I shop at The yogurt I wanted was on sale. I had a coupon for item that I could have doubled My $1.00 coupon becalm $2.00 and my yogurt foe $!1.89 became free. At the store I use they also have those savings cards that allow you to buy what they have on sale for the sale Price so do not forget to up for them I hope this helps.