Broke Moms Unite!

oscarwao · December 2013

Sooooo.... I was wondering if there are any moms here who are "balling on a budget"

. I
Would love to hear advice from other moms on how they save/budget. Hubby and I both are in professions which don't pay fantastically (I'm a teacher, he's a department manager for a hotel and actually makes less working all year - and people think teacher salary is bad!.... Well, it still is....)

We budget carefully, spend frugally, coupon, and buy things secondhand, but finances are still difficult. I'm considering career changing but would hate to loose all that time off with my baby, ugh! I actually made a better living tending bar than I do as a teacher. Hubby can't take a second job due to inconsistent scheduling (he's holding tight in hopes of a much deserved promotion).

Typically, our savings can be easily wiped out due to an emergency (vet or medical bills, etc). Not exactly what I want my finances to be like with a LO on the way.

So budget moms, any advice on extra work or thrifty savings?! I know there has got to be a ton of budget savvy moms on this board!

tjkdlhb · December 2013

The biggest things we saved money on with DD were diapers. You can save a ton using cloth diapers - prefolds and covers are the cheapest and work great! and cloth wipes (we cut up 2nd hand receiving blankets and use them with plain water. Then they get washed with the diapers)

Also, we did well with hand-me-downs. I also sometimes shop secondhand for DD's clothes... but honestly we didn't need to often because we had hand-me-downs from my niece and from friends. We are actually looking at giving away half of her clothes because they don't fit in the dresser(s)!.

Baby clothes just don't get worn out because they grow so quickly.

Also think about what you really need. There is a whole lot of marketing that goes into the baby world.... but honestly most of it isn't necessary. Do you really need a bassinet AND a crib AND a pack-n-play? Can the crib work for both? Years ago babies slept in a drawer on the floor and survived!

Do you need a baby bath? Can you use the sink until baby can sit up? We use an old laundry basket in the big bathtub since she has been sitting for extra stability and keeping her toys close by so she doesn't move around much.

If you buy minimal bottles etc (we had way more than we needed. 2 would have been plenty) and washed them after use, you can save there as well.

Breastfeeding also saves a lot of money.

You can also use Dr. Bronner's baby mild diluted in a foam pump for babywash and shampoo. That would save a lot of money as well.

awisern · December 2013

We don't typically eat out and dh does all our cooking at home...that saves a lot of money.

That's the big thing in our family. We aren't on a tight budget because we both have great paying jobs. However, we are working towards being out of student loans by the end of the year so we do put all our extra money towards debt and live more frugally.

A couple other random things - target runs sales on their diapers occasionally that if you buy two big boxes of diapers you get a $20 giftcard(they did this just last week)...we use diapers with ds and would need them anyways so I bought two and got the giftcard for a future purchase.

Kohls does their kohls cash frequently....I made a purchase there the other day and got kohls cash which I plan on using towards baby clothes.

We also stock up on stuff when its on sale...so if beans are on sale we buy a lot because they won't go bad before the next sale...a lot of canned goods are like that. If you have room to store that kind of stuff you can stock up...for instance in our storm shelter in the basement we have a deep freeze and shelves so when sales happen we can stock up on meats or food or things like shampoo and deoderant.

We are big diet coke fans...we only buy when it's on sale and you can learn the sale cycles for different stores so you stock up on enough to get you through to the next sale.

I'm sure there is more that we do, just can't think of anything else right now.

lv2011 · December 2013

I know the feeling. We make it work, but things can be pretty tight around here. Some things we're doing to help save for baby is:

1) set aside $20/wk each into savings
2) plan to breastfeed
2) cloth diaper
3) make own baby food
4) DH took a second job (10hrs/ wk) that all goes in savings
5) self-make cleaning supplies (wipes, laundry detergent, soap, etc.)

I also plan to let this baby live in the cloth diapers and onsies for the 1st 3 months while the weather is warm- should save $$ on clothes that way. Other than that, I'd love to hear any additional suggestions!

busterbeagle · December 2013

I wouldn't say we are the most budget savvy, but we are learning! As far as baby-related things go, we buy a lot of her clothes and toys second hand. I buy pretty much all my own clothes at thrift stores, too. Cloth diapering can save you a ton of money, and the savings will multiply for every baby you have! One thing I need to get better at is meal planning/grocery shopping. I spend less and waste less when I shop from a list, but I'm not so disciplined about actually planning.

But I can totally relate to the emergency bills wiping out savings. We racked up some big ones this summer, but we got on a payment plan with the hospital to make it more manageable. I'm also pretty sure we are going to get pet insurance just in case our dog needs something expensive.

talkthewholetime · December 2013

busterbeagle said:
I wouldn't say we are the most budget savvy, but we are learning! As far as baby-related things go, we buy a lot of her clothes and toys second hand. I buy pretty much all my own clothes at thrift stores, too. Cloth diapering can save you a ton of money, and the savings will multiply for every baby you have! One thing I need to get better at is meal planning/grocery shopping. I spend less and waste less when I shop from a list, but I'm not so disciplined about actually planning.

But I can totally relate to the emergency bills wiping out savings. We racked up some big ones this summer, but we got on a payment plan with the hospital to make it more manageable. I'm also pretty sure we are going to get pet insurance just in case our dog needs something expensive.

Pet insurance is amazing. Well worth what you pay for it, especially if you're like me & would pay anything if your dog needed it. We have Pet Plan and it's great.

TeamKrueger · December 2013

We're in a similar boat. I'm a teacher (and only part time this year, so you can guess what that looks like...) and DH is a flight instructor. They make decent $/hour, but work very inconsistently due to weather. Our major money issue comes from DH's gazillion student loans... We keep our living cost really low. Basic fuel efficient cars with no payments, basic apartment with cheap rent and no utilities, basically everything is as basic and as fixed as we can get it. I don't have any advice for how to make more money but I can share our budget system (although it sounds like you already have that under control)....

We do a cash envelope system. We have an envelope for all of our bills and expenses. Each pay period (2 weeks) we put have of that monthly bill into each envelope. (e.g. We pay 450 for rent, so twice a month we put 225 into the "rent" envelope). We "pay our bills" into the envelopes first and then anything that is left goes to groceries, personal spending, etc. But with DHs student loans, I'm not feeling like there will be a lot of personal spending... lol. Basically the idea is that you CANNOT spend more that you make this way. If there's no money in the envelope, it's not happening. On rare occasions, we do "borrow from ourselves" and use our debit card, but we record what we spend and it comes out of the next pay check. Life with LO is going to be pretty tight until spring and DH can fly more, and fall when I can work full time.

oscarwao · December 2013

megangehr said:

busterbeagle said:
I wouldn't say we are the most budget savvy, but we are learning! As far as baby-related things go, we buy a lot of her clothes and toys second hand. I buy pretty much all my own clothes at thrift stores, too. Cloth diapering can save you a ton of money, and the savings will multiply for every baby you have! One thing I need to get better at is meal planning/grocery shopping. I spend less and waste less when I shop from a list, but I'm not so disciplined about actually planning.

But I can totally relate to the emergency bills wiping out savings. We racked up some big ones this summer, but we got on a payment plan with the hospital to make it more manageable. I'm also pretty sure we are going to get pet insurance just in case our dog needs something expensive.

Pet insurance is amazing. Well worth what you pay for it, especially if you're like me & would pay anything if your dog needed it. We have Pet Plan and it's great.

Ah we should do this! Our dog has been relatively healthy but I worry! Basic care itself adds up - food, shots, heart worm meds, flea and tick protection.... Oh, and the fact that our lovely chewer occasionally destroys our stuff... But he's so worth it! Love my fur baby!

Taking a second to AW him!

jane8188 · December 2013

Yes to cloth dipes! Also do you have cable and internet? It is a huge cost if you can cut it out you will save a ton. You can get rabbit ears for CBS NBC ABC and fox, and you can use your phones as hot spots for your computers.

mrspopsicle · December 2013

We run things pretty tight in our house. I'm a nurse and make decent money if I work full time. Unfortunately, due to DHs crazy hours (he works 5-6 12 hour shifts/week and with my 12 hour shifts, day care was impossible) I cut my hours back and only work one day per week to take care of DD.

We cut costs where we can - buy off brands, stock up during sales, coupon, I shop for all our clothes and never pay full price (except for the designer jeans DH loves that cost 3x what mine do and never go on sale).

We know we should cut out cable but we haven't bit the bullet yet.

Kate070 · December 2013

Right there with you ladies

We're fortunate that we're getting lots of hand-me-downs from friends and family with LOs, including our entire nursery set. Will you be having a shower? That could get you some of the necessities, too.

I do plan to breastfeed, we'll be cloth diapering (at least most of the time, though we'll have some regular for when others watch him), I intend to try my hand at making baby food, and I have no problem buying clothes second hand (I already get most of my own clothes at thrift stores).

My job pays pretty poorly, so I'll actually be working part-time to cut daycare costs (I would only be barely making enough to cover it; not worth it to me).

I have *heard* (have not checked it out yet so I can't say for sure) that you can get a free car seat through the Easter Seals, you just have to attend some class on how to use it. Might be worth checking out.

I know what you mean though about one thing really taking your savings... I don't get any paid maternity leave, so we've been trying to set some money aside for that, and then DH needed a root canal. That hurt.

Anyway, good luck to you... to us all! :-P But as my picture says, We Can Do It

crystalmir91385 · December 2013

Dh and I are big savers. We have a set amount that we put into savings. We also started a Santa savings at our bank so that the holidays didn't kill us.
Most ppl wouldn't suggest it, but if you have the self control, use a credit card with rewards for everyday purchases. We use it for everything and pay it off at the end of each week. That way we can earn rewards. We earned $300 this year.
Also, have you seen the 52 week savings challenge on pinterest? We did it this year in addition to our regular savings. It could also make a great baby fund.

pandadair · December 2013

crystalmir91385 said:

Dh and I are big savers. We have a set amount that we put into savings. We also started a Santa savings at our bank so that the holidays didn't kill us. Most ppl wouldn't suggest it, but if you have the self control, use a credit card with rewards for everyday purchases. We use it for everything and pay it off at the end of each week. That way we can earn rewards. We earned $300 this year. Also, have you seen the 52 week savings challenge on pinterest? We did it this year in addition to our regular savings. It could also make a great baby fund.

This. My husband and I are both in school part time, and we charge tuition initially before paying it back. With 1.5 pts per dollar, it adds up crazy fast. We also do the cash envelope thing, but only for spending/groceries. We take out a set amount of cash with each paycheck, put it in the envelopes, and when it's gone, it's gone. We initially did it because we were broke and paying off student loans when we first got married, but we've continued doing it because it's a really easy way to make sure you don't go over budget.

ETA: We also use the reward card to pay all of our bills and everything that we'd be direct paying from an account, anyway. If only we could pay rent with a CC, we'd be set.

Chellbell20 · December 2013

We are big savers as well and I plan to take the next year off to finish school (I get a living allowance from the GI Bill or it wouldn't be possible) which will make things very tight for us. We CD and I breastfeed #1 and hope to this time as well. We have HUGE biannual consignment sales that I buy 90% of DD's clothes at as well as toys, and other baby/child essentials. I also made my own baby food, and actually plan to do baby led weaning this time, so it should be very little extra for baby food. As this baby grows out of things I plan to consign items to earn money to be able to put towards new things. I meal plan and shop on a list, as well as watch sales--I need to get better, but it's a start. We don't eat out a ton, maybe once a week if that. One things that made a HUGE impact was setting an "allowance" for DH and I. We each get a set amount a month to spend on things we want, like if we want to eat out for lunch, or I want a pedi, or things like that. It keeps both of us from blowing through money on impulse buys.

elizabethb3 · December 2013

I'm definitely in this group. DH teaches math full-time and is pretty much solely responsible for our income. I work very part time as a sewing instructor. We have a large amount of debt in the form of a loan from DH's parents that paid off my students loans, the down payment on our house, and some $ toward home renovations. It scares me to death that we're pretty much living paycheck to paycheck right now, with no 401 K or life insurance...and we have a baby on the way. Fortunately we have family that can and will help us out in a pinch, but of course we don't want to have to go there.

Most of my suggestions for saving money are the same as others have mentioned. We don't have cable, I buy everything on super sales or second hand, we don't eat out often, etc. We still have our mismatched second hand furniture from when we were in college. I'd love nice, grown up furniture, but I know it's not in the cards right now. We have older cars that are paid off. I cut my own hair or go to a beauty school to get it done and I don't indulge in things like manicures and pedicures. We'll be cloth diapering, breastfeeding, making our own baby food, and buying a lot of baby items second hand. The other thing I'm doing is sewing what I can instead of buying it, like nursery bedding, diaper covers, receiving blankets, bibs, etc. There are a lot of baby items that are super simple to make if you have a sewing machine.

Unknown · December 2013

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usernewname · December 2013

we buy on sale, use rewards points, no cable tv, don't eat out often etc…

we do pretty good i think. i also think baby doesn't need a whole lot, so we are sticking to the basics. i will not have a crib, I will breastfeed, use cloth diapers, will use the sink as a bath tub and basic toys to entertain them …

value village has become my new friend for maternity clothes - at $5 a piece you can't go wrong

momthatlifts · December 2013

I'm on a budget! All baby furniture will be second hand. Craigslist, thrift store (I plan on painting my dresser anyways) , ect. I've always been pretty thrifty when it comes to shopping so this was a plan all along. However our whole job situation may be a little better by the time we start doing all of that... But I'm still going to be thrifty about it!

blazinangel1702 · December 2013

We eat out twice a month if that. I make 10 gallons of laundry detergent for less than $10 a couple times a year. I meal plan and strictly follow it getting groceries for 2 weeks at a time. I get ALL of the kids clothes at once upon a child or yard sales. I very rarely get anything for myself. We got everything we needed for DS at our shower so I'm reusing everything and only getting our double stroller new which we found a great deal on. I had to get a specific one because of our existing infant carrier. I think our neighbors are giving us their crib but of not I'm getting a convertible like we did with DS. I breasted DS for 16 months, and we don't eat anything processed from the grocery store, meaning NO center aisles except for cereal. We eat meat, fruit and veggies and dairy.

EhTheCatLady · December 2013

I don't know if everywhere has them but there are some clinics that have an "earn while you learn" program. My best friend and her husband did the program while she was pregant and earned a car seat and a crib and stroller and awhole bunch of clothes and diapers!!! It seems like an amazing program you just have to go once a week, for an hour. Hope that helps!

awisern · December 2013

I cut DH's hair myself and we groom our dog ourselves...so we save quite a bit there.

candrew05 · December 2013

I am glad you posted this. DH recently had a major career change where he basically makes pennies compared to his previous job. I haven't yet been able to adjust to the budget change. This past Friday we decided to cut our cable, and we've switched to cheaper phone plans etc. But it will hardly help as with DH's new job comes the cost of him living in a diffent city where he now has rent to cover. I appreciate all these tips and am going to try them out.

cchild101010 · December 2013

Someone in the may 2014 group mentioned that BRU had a buy the dresser get the crib for free deal going. I decided to jump on that band wagon but I went into the store to look at it in person first and the guy gave me the floor sample dresser for an extra $100 off. We ended up getting the crib and dresser matching set for $300. A lot of the furniture in our house is floor sample stuff that stores need to move out. I've also bought some stuff second hand - our glider/ co-sleeper/ pack and play etc. A lot of people have given me clothes/hangers/diapers they never ended up using (obviously) - it all adds up. I have a friend that saved a bundle doing cloth diapers and only nursing. She did the math and it saved thousands. Babies can get expensive quick!

cchild101010 · December 2013

AshleyDawnMahoney said:
I don't know if everywhere has them but there are some clinics that have an "earn while you learn" program. My best friend and her husband did the program while she was pregant and earned a car seat and a crib and stroller and awhole bunch of clothes and diapers!!! It seems like an amazing program you just have to go once a week, for an hour. Hope that helps!

@ashleydawnmahoney
I would be interested in knowing what that program was called or who did it if you have more information on it

Mimaloo · December 2013

We just celebrated our five year anniversary on Friday and for the past five years we have been living like rockstars - nice cars, extravagant vacations, the whole nine. So once we decided that this would be the year we'd get pregnant, we put ourselves on a serious budget.

We also "bill ourselves". We both upped our retirement contributions and we write ourselves a check every pay period. So twice a month we write ourselves a check for our set amount - no ifs ands or buts - and deposit it into savings. We set a savings goal for ourselves in January and we will have actually surpassed that goal by year's end. It was the best thing we've done all year. Meanwhile, because we make such a large deposit, we have to be frugal about groceries, eating out and other discretionary spending which can suck, but it's worth it.

And, FWIW I actually think couponing and seeing how much I can save is pretty fun

oscarwao · December 2013

Trying to convince hubby we don't need cable. Also trapped in a phone contract from when income was better. I love the idea of making so many things yourself! I also love love consignment stores, though the nearest one to me is like an hour out (I live right next to Disney in tourist franchise hell).

momthatlifts · December 2013

HatchetFace said:

As @candrew05 said, downgrading phone plans helps a lot. We use Straight Talk and only pay $80 a month, and that includes both of us. I also have a smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and web. My sister pays something like $120 a month with Verizon for one line. Just seems crazy to me!

this is what I talked to my husband about but our plan is so new with verizon that it would cost us a fortune just to drop the plan, it would be so much cheaper on us though

Mimaloo · December 2013

HatchetFace said:

As @candrew05 said, downgrading phone plans helps a lot. We use Straight Talk and only pay $80 a month, and that includes both of us. I also have a smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and web. My sister pays something like $120 a month with Verizon for one line. Just seems crazy to me!

This is my next move. I'm thinking about using Virgin mobile since you can still have a smart phone. My AT&T contract has been up for a while and I hate paying $150 a month for two phones. How is the Straight Talk coverage/service?

Hedgessm · December 2013

The thing that sucks with a lot of the virgin mobile, straight talk, t mobile type plans is you pay full price for tehe phone. So $400-500 per phone. When I accounted for that it didn't make sense to switch plans. That being said I'm on my parents plan as is DH so we only pay for our added lines instead of paying the super pricey base price.

Trying to convince DH to give up cable..

oscarwao · December 2013

JKBMA2014 said:

HatchetFace said:

As @candrew05 said, downgrading phone plans helps a lot. We use Straight Talk and only pay $80 a month, and that includes both of us. I also have a smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and web. My sister pays something like $120 a month with Verizon for one line. Just seems crazy to me!

this is what I talked to my husband about but our plan is so new with verizon that it would cost us a fortune just to drop the plan, it would be so much cheaper on us though

There are some smaller phone companies that will cover your cancellation fee - I wanted to switch to one to get out of my Verizon contract, but the coverage was no good in Orlando.

Mimaloo · December 2013

Hedgessm said:

The thing that sucks with a lot of the virgin mobile, straight talk, t mobile type plans is you pay full price for tehe phone. So $400-500 per phone. When I accounted for that it didn't make sense to switch plans. That being said I'm on my parents plan as is DH so we only pay for our added lines instead of paying the super pricey base price. Trying to convince DH to give up cable..

So I've learned - that part definitely blows but I'm hoping I can find some kind of deal on a phone. It's a lot up front but I think I'll still be saving in the long run.

Mimaloo · December 2013

Oh totally forgot to add earlier - you can usually wheel and deal with your cable company. especially if FIOS is available to you. Same goes for FIOS - usually once you start "inquiring" about leaving one for the other they will lower your rate or throw in some premium channels at no charge for 6-12 months.

Our cable company gave us the "new customer" triple play price for two years because Verizon FIOS came to my area. Our two years is up so they will be getting a call this week especially since FIOS is offering a $300 prepaid Visa gift card with hook up.

You can usually do this with cell phone companies too if your contract is up.

pandadair · December 2013

Mimaloo said:

HatchetFace said:

As @candrew05 said, downgrading phone plans helps a lot. We use Straight Talk and only pay $80 a month, and that includes both of us. I also have a smart phone with unlimited talk, text, and web. My sister pays something like $120 a month with Verizon for one line. Just seems crazy to me!

This is my next move. I'm thinking about using Virgin mobile since you can still have a smart phone. My AT&T contract has been up for a while and I hate paying $150 a month for two phones. How is the Straight Talk coverage/service?

Just FYI, both Boost and Virgin are owned by Sprint and operate on their network. Boost ends up being cheaper, because they reduce your monthly fee by $5 every 6 months, up to 18 months. For a new plan, smart phone with unlimited everything (incl. up to 2Gb at 4G speed), is $55 per month. Eventually that will be $40 and cheaper than the Virgin plans, which I do not believe are unlimited everything. We both just switched to Boost from Sprint and don't regret it a bit.

pandadair · December 2013

Mimaloo said:

Hedgessm said:

The thing that sucks with a lot of the virgin mobile, straight talk, t mobile type plans is you pay full price for tehe phone. So $400-500 per phone. When I accounted for that it didn't make sense to switch plans. That being said I'm on my parents plan as is DH so we only pay for our added lines instead of paying the super pricey base price. Trying to convince DH to give up cable..

So I've learned - that part definitely blows but I'm hoping I can find some kind of deal on a phone. It's a lot up front but I think I'll still be saving in the long run.

We both just bought new Samsung Galaxy SIIIs on a lightening deal on Amazon for $259. I think it's a waste of money to constantly upgrade phones, anyway, and I like that I own my phone straight out and am not paying for it indefinitely via jacked up rate plan costs.

talkthewholetime · December 2013

Not related, but I keep reading this thread title as "Broke Moms Untie"

I can't stop.

cchild101010 · December 2013

I also call our utility companies periodically and tell them my husband says we have to cancel (phone/Internet/cable) because we can't afford and I can usually negotiate a better price or more service for the same price. Might be worth trying.

nicoleee89 · December 2013

I'm the oldest of 4 and i'll be having my mother's first grandchild so she keeps buying everything before I can even think about it.

I still have to pay rent to live with her and my dad and brother (i moved back in after BFP because she practically begged me to, with conditions) as well as my own cell phone bill and car insurance so she helps me out with baby stuff.

I'm so freaking lucky to have a baby obsessed mommy.

nicoleee89 · December 2013

@Hedgessm Not necessarily, you can get the phones in Wal-Mart, K-Mart, and Target for $200 or less. I got a T-Mobile brand Smart Phone for $99 at Wal-Mart and the bill is $40/month with Simple Mobile.

I do know that if you want an awesome smart phone then you would be paying the $400-600 but then you shouldn't be worrying about what kind of cell phone you have when you have children to care for and real bills to pay.

I'm just using a phone that my parents gave to me for my birthday and i'm on their contracted Verizon plan paying $60/month.

Mrsgattis11 · December 2013

We are a one income family. Both our cars are paid off and our house. We eat at home for all meals expect maybe one or two a month. If I don't have a coupon I don't buy it on my grocerys I have a pretty big stock pile that way. Most of our baby stuff has been handed down. Diapers I was going to cloth diaper but my mom and I found a crazy sale where we got diapers less then a dollar a pack so we bought over 2000 diapers in a week. This was right before I knew I was pregnant. And wipes we were able to get free on another deal right after I found out I was pregnant. The car seat was the only thing I wanted new and my mom bought it for me for Christmas. We make it work. Even thought it's tight. It just takes more planning. If I didn't coupon like I do idk what I would do. We also got on wic I plan to breast feed but if for some reason I can't they will give us formula and baby food.

JoelleOK · December 2013

We're on 1 income plus what I get for sewing at home.
I extended breastfed our son. Just weaned at 2 years 3 months and he started eating table food, with the exception of baby oatmeal cereal (which is the same price per oz as maple syrup!) and we mostly cloth diaper.

I do buy Tide for our diaper laundry because borox in homemade detergent is "bad" for the waterproof part of the diaper covers. Now that most of my MS is gone I need to make more laundry soap!

It's sort of a silly thing but I try to keep lights off and appliances unplugged if I'm not using them. Adjusting your thermostat to use less energy helps too. We are replacing bulbs with those coil energy efficient bulbs when they burn out.

When you go grocery shopping look at the price per unit. Walmart is pretty bad about making it difficult to compare, so I use the calculator on my phone. Sometimes even with a coupon it's not a better deal. Food waste is a big money drain too. Something like 40% of food gets thrown away in the USA. Fresh meat that will go bad soon is cheaper, unless you forget to use it!

cnbean · December 2013

If you can sew and plan on cloth diapering, you can make the diapers yourself. I made my stash for my DS last time, and plan to add a few extra this time around. It was definitely cheaper to make them myself instead of buying them. Plus I can get way cute fabrics for them than I could find to buy commercially.

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