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Waah - Frugal Baby Tips!
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Nothing is as adorable as a little bitty baby. Beautiful, innocent, endearing, pricey… Pricey? Well, it doesn’t have to be that way. So without further ado, here are my frugal baby tips:
- Have a baby shower - I think baby showers are great. Everyone will compliment your maternal glow, and they’ll give you and the baby gifts! Really, baby showers are a great opportunity to share your joy with friends and family, and the helpful items you’re sure to receive are icing on the cake.
- Accept hand me downs - If you have friends or family with older kids, they’re bound to offer items that their kids have outgrown. Graciously accept such kind offers, a penny saved is a penny earned, after all.
- Shop second hand - The idea of buying designer clothes for infants is ridiculous to me. Especially considering how fast the clothes will be outgrown, and baby’s disinterest in wearing more than a diaper in the first place.
- Make homemade baby food - There is nothing in a jar of Gerber that you can’t make at home cheaper. Also I know I’d much rather have my baby eat something healthy that I prepared with love!
- Breastfeed - Breastfeeding is more natural and healthy for infants, and will strengthen the mother-baby bond. With the price of formula what it is, try to breastfeed if it’s an option for you.
- Cloth diapers - I know, cloth diapers may not be the most convenient things in the world. There is indeed a lot of washing, but if you’re willing to go the extra mile, ditch the Huggies and do it oldschool. You will save hundreds of dollars.
- Make your own baby wipes - As long as we’re not buying diapers, ditch the store bought baby wipes and make your own natural cloth wipes. It’s not difficult, and is better for the environment too.
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If you like this then please subscribe to the Frugal Thursday - A conglomeration of ideas
There are so many frugal ideas around - Some you might have thought have, some you might already do, and some might be brand new to you. I find, it’s always helpful to have a reminder or two of what we can be doing to improve our fiscal health. In that spirit, here’s array of frugal ideas that I hope you’ll find insightful.
- Don’t buy an iphone - You’re not a sheep, are you? Most cell phone companies will offer a free phone to their loyal customers, or to those who sign contracts with them. Sure the phone offered might not have all the cost-incurring extra features of the expensive iphone, but it’ll get the job done. Cheaply.
- Stop wearing make up - Mascara, foundation, eyeshadow, blush, eyeliner — it all adds up, and I bet you look better au naturale anyway.
- Walk everywhere you can - stop complaining about the price of fuel, and boost your spirits by taking a brisk walk to the post office, bank, or grocery store, instead of using your car. Both your heart and wallet will be richer.
- Track your finances and budget, budget, budget - You can’t know how much you save until you know how much you spend. Whether you use a pencil and paper, or an online software like mint.com, budgeting is an essential part of frugality.
- Live in small spaces - Mortgage costs or rent are most people’s biggest expense. Slash yours by living large in a small space. Added bonus: Less to clean!
- Enjoy the challenge of a money free weekend - Instead of a trip to the movies and night on the town, look for creative, free ways to recharge this weekend.
- Read Dave Ramsey’s Total Money Makeover -Dave’s plan for getting out of debt is simple, proven, and inspiring. If you’re in the hole, follow his advice and you’ll crawl out of it and into financial prosperity.
6 Tips to help you pay off your mortgage sooner!
The birds are singing, the deer and the antelope playing, the llamas frolicking, and you’re mortgage free! Sounds good, doesn’t it? Here’s how to get there — fast:
- Make an annual lump sum payment: Inheritance? Birthday boon? Work bonus? Tax refund? I’ve got an idea - put it towards your mortgage! I don’t know of any better gift than living mortgage free.
- If at all possible, take a short term: I can’t stress this enough - Choose the shortest mortgage term you can comfortably afford. 40 year mortgages are astoundingly popular, and will leave you making payments well into your golden years, not to mention paying a fortune in interest over the life-span of your loan. Long mortgage terms should only be used as a last resort, with the intention of speeding up the payment process somewhere down the line.
- Go bi-weekly: Shave time and interest off your mortgage by opting for bi-weekly payments over a traditional monthly payment. You can sync these with your paycheques, and because you’ll be paying bi-weekly, you’ll painlessly end up making what equates to one extra traditional monthly payment a year.
- Use the round-up technique - If your payment is $773? Pay $800. Why is this an excellent idea? The small extra payments this equates to really add up, and cuts down on the amount of interest you’ll pay over the lifespan of your loan. So For the price of a large pizza a month, you’ll save a ton on your mortgage.
- Continually reevaluate - Don’t let the bank be in the driver’s seat of your financial situation. Stay on top of the market’s fluctuation in interest rates, and refinance when appropriate.
- Don’t buy until you’re ready - Be strong and don’t rush out to buy a house, just to buy a house. Save up a significant down payment, so that you can avoid throwing your money away on Private Mortgage Insurance, because if you put down less than 20%, you’ll probably end up paying this.