10 Great Money-Saving Tips To Save You Hundreds

One thing I think every mom can agree on is that kids are EXPENSIVE!  It starts with a giant hospital bill and just keeps going from there – clothes, food, toys, school supplies. 

best money saving tips to save you thousands

Being a stay at home mom is very rewarding but living on one income can be a challenge. Even if your family make sacrifices to save money, but still it is difficult.

But don’t fret! 

Saving money as a stay at home mom is possible with these simple money-saving tips mentioned here. Whether it’s getting to set a grocery budget and still eat healthy or finding ways to provide for your children without breaking the bank, I have got you covered!

10 Great Money-Saving Tips That Could Save You Hundreds

With a little creativity, you can find ways to live frugally as a mom without feeling like you’re living a cheap quality of life.

These 10-great money-saving tips will help you keep those expenses in check.

1. Add Items To Your Cart, Then Leave Them There

Leaving items in your online shopping cart is one of the most genius money-saving tips I’ve ever heard. No! It’s not just because if you don’t buy them, you won’t spend money on them. 

Adding items to your cart and then stepping away for a bit will actually help you save money in a couple of different ways.  Partly because, yes, there is the chance that you won’t come back to purchase that item. 

After taking some time to think about it, you may decide that you don’t need to spend money on that item after all.

But you will also save by getting alerts about the items in your cart.  Online retailers HATE abandoned shopping carts, and rightfully so. It can wreak havoc with their inventory tracking.

So, many of them will send you reminders that you have a shopping cart with items in it.  They’ll often offer a discount when you “buy now” or send you a notice any time there is a price drop on the item.

2. Sign Up For Rakuten

Rakuten used to be Ebates.  And they are still one of the easiest ways to save money when you are shopping online.  All you need to do is visit Rakuten.com first. 

Then you can select the retailer you want to shop with, follow the link to their website, and voila!  You are earning cashback on any eligible items. 

They send out deposits quarterly if you have at least a $5.01 balance. You have the option of receiving your rebates by check, in American Express reward points, or like I do, by having it deposited into my PayPal account. 

Pro Tip – There is a Rakuten browser extension you can install if, like me, you never remember to start at Rakuten.com.  It will alert you any time the site you are shopping on has a rebate through Rakuten.

Sign up for Rakuten here!

3. Install The Honey Extension In Your Browser

Another great money-saving tip is to install the Honey browser extension.  This little gem does its thing just before you check out with any online retailer. 

Honey alerts you to any recent price changes (if it just went up you may want to apply money-saving tip #1 and leave it in your cart for a bit), as well any coupon codes for the items in your cart. 

It only takes a few seconds for Honey to attempt to apply the codes, and you’ll be able to make your purchase knowing you’ve gotten the best deal possible.

4. Earn Gift Cards With Fetch And Receipt Hog

I’m sure by now you’ve heard about Ibotta.  And, although, I love Ibotta they are far from the only receipt scanning game out there. 

There are a ton of apps that will reward you for uploading your store receipts.  Two of my favorites are Fetch and Receipt Hog.

They both reward you for uploading your receipts with gift cards.  Fetch offers gift cards from all kinds of retailers, restaurants, and even movie theatres.  Receipt Hog offers Amazon and Visa gift cards. Or, you can opt for a PayPal deposit. 

I always choose the PayPal deposit from Receipt Hog because I’m all about getting a little cash in my pocket whenever possible. 

From Fetch, I typically choose the Visa gift card because it’s basically the same thing as cash. Be sure to take the time to explore all your options, though. 

You may be able to get a little extra bang for your reward buck by choosing a gift card from a different retailer.

5. Sign Up For Reward Programs To Earn Free Stuff

Don’t make Rakuten, Ibotta, Fetch, and Receipt Hog the only rewards programs you sign up for. 

Sign up for ALL of them!  If the program is free to join and there is even a 1% chance, you’ll be spending money with that company again – SIGN UP!

If you’re worried about giving away your email, create a separate email account just for rewards programs.  That’s what I do!  Just don’t forget to check it every now and then. 

You may receive coupons for additional free stuff!  Buy Buy Baby frequently sends out 20% off coupons and that saved me a FORTUNE on the Kiinde bags I used for my son’s bottles. 

I’ve also earned free coffee from Starbucks, and free sandwiches from Firehouse.  I even paid for an entire meal for my family while we were on a road trip at Chic fil A with just points.

6. Get A Target Red Card

My sister turned me on to this opportunity to save money.  Did you know Target offers a Red debit card? 

That’s right, I said DEBIT not CREDIT card, which means you pay no interest on it. 

The amount is deducted directly from your checking account just like when you use your bank card.

But you still get all the same benefits as a Target Red credit cardholder.  Free shipping on all online purchases, 5% off online and in-store purchases, and 15% off when you use to subscribe and save for any baby items.

We absolutely LOVE Up and Up diapers and pull-ups so, the Red Card was a great money-saving tip for us.

We also had our diaper cream automatically shipped to us through subscribe and save saving us 15% on that as well.

7. Use A Meal Planning Service

Meal planning services always alluded me a bit, to be honest. I didn’t see how suggesting that I pay someone to plan my meals was a great money-saving tip.

But then, I was approached by The Dinner Daily. They wanted me to try their plan for 3 months and write a review. (My review could be good or bad, as long as it was honest.)

I must admit the experience completely changed my point of view. The idea behind their service is to create meal plans based on items on sale at your grocery store of choice each week.

So, not only did I save money by not buying more than what I used each week, but I was shopping primarily for sale items.

If that sounds like a win-win to you, you’ll want to read Can The Dinner Daily Save Me Money on Groceries? because it gives you an in-depth look at my experience.

If you’re new to meal planning and wondering how you can eat healthy while on a budget, I have found another best way for you. The $5 Meal Plan!

This plan is perfect for anyone who wants to save money and time with their meals. You will get one week of recipes that are easy as well as a list of groceries according to your dietary needs or restrictions- all delivered every Friday right in your inboxes at just 5 bucks per month! Sign up now just for $5!

8. Shop Different Grocery Stores

Speaking of shopping – STOP only shopping at one store!

Don’t panic!

My great money-saving tip for you here is not to compare the cost of every item on your list at 5 different stores and then purchase them at the one with the lowest. (No mom has enough time for that!) But do pay attention to what each store offers.

In my area, my grocery store options are Wal-Mart, Winn Dixie, and Publix. I absolutely LOVE the deli and bakery at Publix.

And truthfully, the prices for those items aren’t bad. But NO WAY am I paying Publix prices for laundry detergent.

Winn Dixie runs the most amazing BOGO deals, especially on their meat. But they tend to want an arm and a leg for anything not explicitly on sale.

So, I look at the sales ads for the week and the items on my shopping list. Does my meal plan include 3 chicken dishes and it’s buy one get one free family pack chicken breasts at Winn Dixie?

That’s probably where I’m going to choose to shop that week.

Do I already have most of proteins and deli items on my list, but need a ton of household items like toilet paper and dish washing liquid?

Well, then it’s off to Wal-Mart I go.

Don’t over complicate it. And don’t stress if you end up buying one or two items at a less than desirable price.

Just be aware of what is on your list and who has the best prices for the majority of those items and you‘ll save money.

9. Make Your Own Baby Food

My favorite item on my list of great money-saving tips is to make your own baby food.  I love recommending this as a way to save money for two reasons. 

First, because making your own baby food costs almost nothing!  You can purchase just a few inexpensive fruits and vegetables and make enough puree to last you for a week or better.  

They don’t even have to be fresh.  You can buy frozen if it suits your budget better.  (Frozen can actually be healthier sometimes because they are frozen right after they are picked sealing in all the vitamins and nutrients.)

Second, because it’s so much better for your little one.  By making your own purees you’re eliminating all the additives and preservatives that come in the store-bought ones. 

You can even make your own pouches.  I highly recommend you read Homemade Babyfood in 4 Easy Steps if you have a kiddo in or approaching the puree stage because it will show you how to easily make your own baby food and save yourself A LOT of money.

10. Swap Babysitting Favors With Friends

My final great money-saving tip is to swap babysitting favors with other parents. 

Taking time for yourself, having a date night with your spouse, and finding time to stay connected with friends is so important when you’re a mom. 

It’s way too easy to become burned out and frustrated with your kids, your partner, and even yourself when you don’t. 

But babysitters are not cheap, and you can only ask Nana and Aunt Kelly so many times before they start dodging your calls! 

Trust me I get that.

So, find a couple mom friends that live nearby and swap babysitting favors.  That way all of you can get a little me time and an occasional date night without breaking the bank.

Final Thoughts On Money-Saving Tips For Moms

These are my 10 ridiculously simple money-saving tips for moms to save to save hundreds!

Here is the deal, it might seem totally overwhelming to save money when you have kids and the responsibilities of being a mom.

Some days you won’t be able to save money and go out and spend money you should be spending.

There are days when you might fail budget your finances. Its ok! I have been there.

The best is to have a financial goal in your mind and work towards it. This way it gets a way lot easier!

Start small and before long you will be saving tons of money as a stay at home mom.

How do you save money as a mom? I love to hear about your frugal living tips in the comments. Be sure to leave one!

Related Articles:

17 Best Frugal Living Tips For Moms In 2020

35 Best Side Hustle Ideas For Moms You Can Start Now In 2020

Financial Advice For Married Couples To Regulate Finances Mutually

Don’t Forget To Pin It To Later!

money saving hacks for moms. money saving tips for moms. frugal living ideas for moms with kids.
*Our blog posts contain affiliate links. These don’t cost you anything extra, but they allow us to continue running this site and providing free content for our readers. Please read my full disclosure here.

10 Great Money-Saving Tips That Could Save You Hundreds