40+ Money Saving Tips For Moms (2024)

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Saving money as a stay at home mom is the key to successfully budgeting to living on one income. Although I work part-time, we do our best to only live on one income so that we can use my income for paying off our home and retirement planning.

As a result, I’m constantly looking for money-saving tips for moms. If I’m going to work part-time rather then stay at home 100% of the time with my baby, I want to make the sacrifice worthwhile.

I’ve found that saving money as a stay at home mom is really a mindset game. I can always find an excuse to spend money, so I have to always be paying attention to my spending decision or else my spending quickly goes out of control.

My number one focus as a stay at home mom is managing my budget. If you can keep your stay at home mom budget on track then you can continue to manage your household on one income.

These saving money ideas for moms are perfect for anyone trying to cut expenses and stay on track with their budget.

40+ Money-Saving Tips for Stay At Home Moms

  • Budget, budget, budget
    • Every stay at home mom needs a budget. You’ll never get ahead financially until you learn to budget. If you struggle to budget I love these forms or check out Mint or YNAB.
    • One of the best budgeting tools is to use the envelope system.
  • Set a grocery budget and stick to it – I’m sure you’ve already noticed that your food budget is the best way to save money as a stay at home mom. Check out this post on 14 Money-Saving Tips to Lower Your Grocery Bill.
  • Meal plan, Meal Plan, Meal plan – If you are just getting started with Meal planning check out $5 Meal Plans – This is how I got started with meal planning and love their program.
    • If you are an experienced meal planner, you have to check out Favoreats – I’m seriously in love with this app. It is free and links to Pinterest. You find a recipe on Pinterest, add it to your calendar and it will create your shopping list for you – Life changing!
  • Use Grocery Pick up – This is another life-changing find for me. I hate grocery shopping, particularly with a 2-year-old in tow. I use Walmart Grocery Pick-up (which is free) for my regular grocery shopping 2-3 times a month. This link will give you $10 off your first order. I’m not a huge fan of Walmart’s produce or meat, so I still visit the regular grocery store, but I’ve found I can do quick trips.
  • Avoid Grocery Shopping when you are hungry (and really avoid it when you have hungry kids with you).
  • Buy frequently used items in bulk when you see them on sale.
  • I love my Costco membership but have learned that their bulk deals aren’t always the deals you think they are.
  • Order bulk items through Amazon Prime
  • Learn how to preserve your own food – I dehydrate my own fruit and make my own fruit leather. It saves tons of money and is sugar-free.
    • Check out: How To Make Your Own Fruit Leather
  • Don’t shop when you are bored – If I shop to shop because I’m bored I come home with random junk that I don’t need or ever use.
  • Avoid stores that will tempt you to buy extras.
    • I love Target, but can’t get out of there for under $30-40. I just don’t shop there much anymore.
  • Keep a wish list of items you need and watch for good sale prices.
  • If you are going to purchase items online use Ebates to save a bit of extra money.
  • Use apps like GasBuddy to track the lowest gas prices in your area.
  • Shop at discount stores and Thrift stores as much as possible. I’ve gotten some amazing deals over the years.
    • Check outThredUp if you are looking for designer clothing on a budget
  • Ditch the gym membership and workout at home
  • Trade babysitter services with friends
  • To save money eating out time your meals. I love doing late lunches to get the lunch hour specials or early dinners for the happy hour specials
  • Teach your children the value of money and don’t go crazy spending money on them.
    • This one piece of advice will save you thousands of dollars
  • Learn the wonderful art of DIY – Pinterest is seriously the most amazing tool in the world for DIY projects.
  • Find cheater ways of saving money
    • I use Digit to save a little bit of extra money – Best program ever for saving money as a stay at home mom!
  • Don’t be afraid to ask for a discount and always haggle when making large purchases.
  • Use sites like Fat Lama to rent out gear and other household items you don’t use all the time.
  • Revamp your laundry routine and try using wool dryer balls to save money.
  • Research all of your options when making large purchases.
    • Use Facebook Market Place, Craigs List, Offer-up and all the other apps available to find good deals.
  • Sign up for alerts from sites like Groupon.
    • I’ve gotten some amazing deals on Groupon over the years. You just have to keep your eyes open for events and products that you need.
  • Always make having an emergency fund a priority.
  • Do you best to stay out of debt and reduce your debt.
  • If you need certain gear (particularly baby gear) ask friends and families for extra’s.
    • When I had my baby, I was given extra car seats, a rocker, a crib (I bought a new mattress) and tons of other stuff. It saved us so much money.
  • Plan inexpensive and simple vacations using discount online services. I really like CheapAir for flights and Priceline for car and hotel. I’ve also gotten a few good deals using Bed & Breakfast.com.
  • Give your time to others.
    • I firmly believe that when you are serving others you are happier which makes it easier to control your spending. It also helps you avoid boredom which always seems to lead to more spending – at least for me anyway.
  • Focus on simplifying your life.
    • Get rid of the clutter and make a commitment not to purchase extra stuff you don’t really need.
    • Check out this book for tips on how to get started if you are ready to declutter your house.
  • Have an organized pantry, supply closet, and fridge so you don’t overbuy.
    • This is a real problem for me. I’ll get home with a bunch of soup and realize I still have five cans. Being organized makes a huge difference when you are trying to save money as a homemaker.
  • Find a hobby that you love and will allow you to spend time with friends without spending lots of money.
  • Don’t worry about keeping up with the Joneses.
    • Run your car into the ground.
  • Dump your cable or dish network and get Netflix or Amazon Prime instead.
  • Visit the doctor regularly and do your preventive visits. It is a lot cheaper than having major medical issues later.
  • If possible contribute to an HSA or FSA account.
  • Learn the difference between wants and needs.
  • Learn basic skills that can save you lots of money.
    • For example, I dye my own hair and do my own manicures and pedicures.
  • Purchase quality products that will stand the test of time.
  • Organize your personal finances so that you are always paying your bills on time and avoiding late fees.
  • Review your current bills and see if there are ways to save money with your current vendors.
  • Use cash as much as possible.
  • Use the public library.
    • My local library does audiobooks as well – so awesome!
    • If you need more variety of books then the local library provides check out Amazon Audible.
  • If possible plant a garden.
    • I love gardening and have been amazed at how much money it has saved me on fruit and veggies over the years.
  • Start a side hustle so you have an excuse to write off business-related expenses – Check out 48+ Jobs Anyone Can Do To Earn Extra Money.

Saving Money As A Stay At Home Mom Doesn’t have to be difficult and time-consuming

Here is the deal, it seems totally overwhelming to save money when you are dealing with kids and all the responsibilities that come with being a mom.

There are times when I feel like I’m barely treading water and cutting coupons is the last thing on my list. Some days I don’t save money, we eat out, I go to Target just to get out of the house and I spend money I should be spending.

There are days when I fail miserably with my stay at home mom budget.

Fortunately most days I’m able to stay on track and I focus on the little things the help me save money as a stay at home mom.

If you are struggling to cut your spending, start small. Pick a few items on this list and work on them this week. Then next week add a few more items to your list.

You may also want to consider taking my class – How to Find and Eliminate Spending Leaks in Your Budget.

My personal goal is to save money so that we can get completely out of debt. You can read a little bit more about your story here – How We Paid Off $293,000 In Debt In Five Years. When you have a financial goal to work towards making financial sacrifices to get ahead is so much easier.

You can do this! Start small and before long you’ll be saving tons of money as a stay at home mom!

Do you have any other helpful hints I should add to this list?

40+ Money Saving Tips For Moms (2024)

FAQs

How many pennies do you need to make $1000? ›

100,000 pennies is equivalent to 1,000 dollars. To convert 100,000 pennies to dollars, divide the number by 100. It's interesting to note that if you were to weigh 100,000 pennies, it would amount to approximately 250 kilograms.

What is the 30 day rule? ›

The premise of the 30-day savings rule is straightforward: When faced with the temptation of an impulse purchase, wait 30 days before committing to the buy. During this time, take the opportunity to evaluate the necessity and impact of the purchase on your overall financial goals.

What is the 50 30 20 rule? ›

The 50/30/20 budget rule states that you should spend up to 50% of your after-tax income on needs and obligations that you must have or must do. The remaining half should be split between savings and debt repayment (20%) and everything else that you might want (30%).

How can I save $5,000 in 100 days? ›

The 100-envelope challenge is pretty straightforward: You take 100 envelopes, number each of them and then save the corresponding dollar amount in each envelope. For instance, you put $1 in “Envelope 1,” $2 in “Envelope 2,” and so on. By the end of 100 days, you'll have saved $5,050.

Can you save money by being a stay at home mom? ›

While the shift to a single-income household could make finances a little tighter, you may be able to save more money than you think when one parent stays at home. Not only is there the issue of childcare costs, as mentioned earlier, but there are other expenses often associated with work that can add up.

What is the financial role of a mother? ›

But a mother has an important role to play in establishing long-term financial goals. She can set objectives for her child's education, healthcare and other essential needs. She can lead the way in making decisions that align with a clear financial vision.

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