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With the holidays ahead and job markets looking tight, it only make sense to start finding ways to stretch household funds. With new babies and little kids in the house, however, that goal is often hard to meet. Here are some creative ways to make the money last that take into account what I like to call “the kid factor.”
1. Have Slip Covers Made for Your Chairs and Sofas: You can often buy these or even make them yourself, depending on your patience and level of craftiness. I had them made for me out of material that is both durable and machine-washable, and I made sure the throw pillows were washable too. I cannot tell you how fabulous it is to throw these items in the washing machine with some detergent and oxyclean and have them come out looking brand new. A little fluffing of the throw pillows and rotation of the seat cushions and our furniture has a much longer lease on life. By making sure the material is machine-washable, I spared myself the cost of dry cleaning them as well.
2. Turn Onesies into Shirts: My son was given several onesies in larger sizes that I knew we would never really use. He also had some favorite onesies that he really loved because of their texture that I did not want to give up once we moved to the shirts and pants that are so much more practical for walking babies. At first I tried to hem the onesies on my sewing machine, but the stretchy cotton, my limited skills, and my lack of patience were a difficult combination to overcome. So each evening during grown up TV hour, I would hem by hand one or two of the onesies. Within a week, I felt like my son had a whole new wardrobe. It was wonderful. While it might have been worth saving them for a second child to wear, I realized that waiting for a baby who was not here yet (and might not even be the same gender) to wear clothes that might not be in style in a few years did not make much sense. Making use of items we had on hand now - that made $ sense.
3. Shop the Dollar Stores: I don’t hit the dollar stores on a regular basis, but once in a while, it is worth popping in there. I especially like the arts and craft supplies for kids, which are much, much cheaper and essentially the same things that are sold at Target and grocery stores. This is also a great place to buy new spices (of admittedly a lesser quality) so you can try them out before committing a lot of money to a new flavor.
4. Maintain a Good Amazon Wish List: Anytime I hear a recommendation for a book or movie I might like, see something fun on the Internet, or realize there is something in my kitchen I wish I had to make a particular dish easier to prepare, I stick it on my Amazon wish list. I do this for everyone in the household. That way, when birthdays, special occasions, and holidays roll around, I don’t have to scramble to think what we all want and need. I just send people to the list. At the same time, this helps up refrain from buying those items ourselves because we know that things “on the list” will eventually get bought or deleted because we lose interest in them. Most of all, it is a great way to shop online without actually buying anything.
5. Keep Coupons in the Car: I am very good at clipping coupons. I am terrible at remembering to use them, especially since our neighborhood has four or five different grocery stores and I can never remember who issued a coupon for what product. Now I just file them in my coupon wallet on the way home from the store, so that they never make it into the house. The coupon wallet always goes into the store with me, no matter what store it is.
6. Buy It in Bulk, But Store It as Portions: Buying at bulk discount stores can save you money (especially when they issue coupons), but not only are bulk items hard to store, you often run the risk of the food going bad before you use it or it being consumed at a faster rate because there is so much of it. When we go discount bulk shopping, we immediately come home and divide it all up into smaller portions and containers. For things like flour or other pantry items that don’t do so well after six months, we freeze some of the portions.
7. Oxyclean, Then Oxyclean Some More: I use Oxyclean on everything. Everything. Oxyclean sells a spray bottle of their product in a liquid gel that I use for spraying on items that cannot go in the washing machine (I have tried making my own homemade spray bottle of Oxyclean and for some reason it would not come together quite as well as their version). I have the giant tub of the powdered form sitting on the washer. Nothing is really and truly gone until it has outlasted three rounds with the Oxyclean. Only then do I consign it to the giveaway pile or trash can.
8. Use Toy Rotations: I’ve mentioned this before, but it is such a great trick it is worth reviewing it again. Taking away some of your child’s toys for a few weeks on a set toy rotation is a wonderful way of making old toys seems like new. I have a special toy bin dedicated for this purpose, and my son knows what it is for. We make a big deal out of revealing the hidden toys and treating them like new. Note: It is a good idea to put away toys when your child is sleeping. They don’t like that part quite as much.
9. Buy Discount Printer Ink: Yes, discount printer ink can pose a risk to your print head and printer’s longevity. But consider this. I got my HP 3-in-1 (scanner, copier, printer) for $99. Each print cartridge for it costs between $25 and $30 retail. The discounted printer ink for it is between $8 and $15 retail. That means that if I use at least seven discount cartridges in one year, I can buy a second 3-in-1 printer and still save more money than if I bought retail-priced, brand-name ink. Yikes. Who cares about a print head that only lasts two years when those are the numbers?
10. Keep a Gift Shelf: There are often some fabulous deals to be had throughout the year. After Christmas sales, end-of-summer sales, coupons that apply to already discounted merchandise, and the dollar racks at Target are a few of my favorites. When I find a gift that I know is a deal (i.e. it is made of sturdy, high-quality materials, would be pleasing to a wide variety of tastes and styles, and is something I would enjoy sharing with someone), I buy it, even if I have no idea who I might give it to in the future. The key to this practice is the gift shelf. You have to have a place in your home where you can easily see all the purchases you have collected so you do not over buy or fail to utilize your bargains when the right moment comes around. The best part about this practice? I love giving gifts, and buying things at a great price often means I can give more gift than I could otherwise afford. Nothing gives me greater pleasure than spoiling people I love. The gift shelf is a great way to make the practice possible and affordable.
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