As 2017 came to an end, we knew that the economy wasn’t in great shape and that we were most likely going to experience some type of tax increases as the fiscal cliff neared. However, if you’re like me, you weren’t quite prepared for how drastic of a cut your first paycheck in 2018 would actually take. While most American families have been working hard to save as much money as possible in years past; it looks like it’s going to be even more critical to find additional money saving techniques in 2018. If you have young children and are looking for a few additional ways you can save money this year, below are a few suggestions you may find beneficial.
- Diapers.com Okay, I’m a little embarrassed by this because I have a 5 year old and I’ve just recently discovered the Diapers.com. I’m hoping that I’m not the only one who has been missing out on the incredible savings that this site offers money-strapped parents! If you have kids still in diapers then you know exactly how costly those little things are…well, let me tell you of my recent savings at Diapers.com. I purchased an XL box of Pampers size 3 diapers (222 count) for only $47.99 (right now, they’re offering a $2 coupon on select boxes valued at $49.99…which is how I got the $47.99 price). However, I also found a cute little Carter outfit marked 50% off ($8.99) on the site too. After doing a little researching online, I found a 20% coupon code for first-time Diapers.com customers (OHBABY20) which I was also able to use. The total for my entire order was: $47.38 because I also received free 2-day shipping since my order was originally over $49.00! The site has a lot more than just diapers and clothes for infants and toddlers, so if you’re a parent with little ones around, take advantage of Diapers.com and save some money!
- Online Clothing Stores I know you’re probably thinking that I’m an online shopping junkie, but I’m really not. However, when it comes to being frugal and saving money, I tend to shop around for the best deal, which means I compare the local prices I find to online prices before purchasing clothes. While I’m an advocate of shopping for some clothing from websites such as Amazon.com and Ebay, I leave the formal clothing to Kids Formal and you should too. We really do have one of the largest inventories of fine children’s formalwear, all at reasonable prices – generally much lower than local formalwear retailers can offer.
- Get Crafty Finally, in order to cut back and save as much money as possible, I have started to get craftier here lately. For instance, I found a great deal on a Wolfgang Puck bread machine a few weeks ago that I couldn’t pass up, so I’ve been making my own bread. And, this particular bread machine also makes jams and jellies too…so I’m no longer buying jams from the grocery store. Doesn’t sound like much, but it does make a difference.
Another thing I’ve started doing is making my own laundry detergent. I actually figured this one up and found that if I bought as much Tide from the store as I can make with my recipe, I would spend at least $470 MORE dollars a year just on laundry detergent! If you’re interested in making laundry detergent, you can find the recipe here.
Those are just a couple of ways you can get crafty and save money. There are many more. For instance, learning how to sew and making your own kids’ clothes will save you a lot of money, especially since they grow so fast. So, why not learn a “trade” in 2018 and learn how to make something your family uses on a regular basis and save money?