Money is always a concern, even more so when you are a single parent. Kids need lots of stuff. They start off so small but quickly seem to take up so much space and need so many things. Some things you should not scrimp on, car seats, cribs, things that are important for your child’s safety. There are plenty of other areas to save money.
Let’s start with clothes. Babies and toddlers in particular grow so quickly, clothing is usually outgrown long before it is outworn. Take all the hand me downs that are offered. They won’t all be to your taste but really, your baby doesn’t care,and even if the feet are cut out of the sleeper, put some socks on your little one, eventually you would have cut the feet out anyway. Plus it’s nice to have some clothes for your toddler to do art projects in that you are too worried about. When they are outgrown, box them up and hand them down again. Thrift stores and yard sales are also wonderful places to find children’s clothing and toys.
Most things can be made new again with very little effort. Take bikes for example. You can buy a bike at a yard sale or thrift store for very little money, take it home, disassemble it and with a little bit of sanding and spray paint you can customize the bike for your child. The same goes for most bedroom furniture. Hailey’s first twin bed frame was bought at a thrift store, painted white and decorated with craft paint. I’m not particularly artistic so there were blocks and swirls and polka dots, just perfect for a little girl. The entire thing cost less than $20.
As the kids get older thrift store clothes become “vintage” and most teenagers will snap them up. They are also old enough to redecorate thrift store furniture or furniture they already own to make their room uniquely their own. There are so many things that cost money, food, doctor’s appointments, braces and school books. Try to think outside of the box when it comes to everything else.
Use Google a lot, you can find inexpensive ways to repurpose everything from worn out jeans and t shirts to single dresser drawers. Not only will this save you money but it will give your kids a sense of pride to know that their room is one of a kind, and they helped with the decorating.
Start when they are young so there is no stigma to having “used” things. By the time your kids are adults they will understand the value of a dollar and know the pride that comes from doing it yourself. That’s good for your wallet, good for their self esteem and gentler to our planet.