Tighten Those Belts!
Think Borrow, Not Buy
Instead of buying new books and DVDs every time my toddler wants something different to read or watch, we make weekly trips to the library every Monday and get a new array of books and videos. The media can even have a theme: When he was going on an airplane for the first time, I borrowed books and DVDs about travel.
Make Your Own Toys
OK, you probably are shaking your head and thinking, “I barely have time to take a shower. How can I possibly craft something?” Fear not, friend. One easy toy requires no assembly: Simply save baby jar lids, run them through the dishwasher, and voila! Instant counting/sorting/stacking toy for a toddler. I also throw a pile on my 8-month-old’s high-chair tray as something to keep him occupied while I’m busy in the kitchen.
Buy in Bulk
My cousin Eileen points out that buying individually wrapped food such as peanut butter crackers, pretzels, etc., can drive up the price. Instead, she buys the food in bulk and then distributes it, herself, in snack-size baggies for her girls' lunches.
RELATED: 10 Chic Ways to Pack Your Lunch
Buy Last Year's Car Seat Model
Eileen also had this idea: Don't get this year's hot car seat model. "What I did do, however, was purchase last year’s patterns and colors, and got them for close to 50 percent off compared to this year’s model," she says. "They don’t match our car’s interiors perfectly, but they were much more affordable.”
Shop End-of-Season Sales
My sister-in-law Renee, who has a 5- and 7-year-old, buys clothing during end-of-season sales in the sizes her children will be during the same time next year, and saves them.
RELATED: Best Online Fashion Sale Sites
Mom Swaps
Some towns have large swap groups through social networks such as Facebook or Meetup. Also, try sending out a text before a group playdate, asking each parent to bring one toy their kid no longer plays with. Placing your child's old toy where he can’t see it—like, say, your purse—might curb a case of “seller's remorse,” aka a tantrum.
