Family Friendly Budgeting Tips
As a nation we seem to becoming more and more savvy when it comes to spending our money. We want to know the best deals and where to find the cheapest prices. Instead of doing our shopping all in one supermarket, we’re going to a few different ones each week to help lower the cost of our food bills.
I’ve certainly noticed an increasing trend in ‘money features’ on TV, radio and in magazines and newspapers. It’s always been there, it’s nothing new, but there just seems to be more of a focus on it lately.
More and more people are ‘wombling’ – the practise which sees people collecting discarded receipts from carparks, shop floors and pretty much anywhere else you may expect find a receipt, and is it any wonder really? The cost of everyday essentials seems to be increasing, whilst wages are at a standstill.
It’s even harder for families who have childcare costs to add to the equation, and when you throw in a couple of hungry mouths to feed, it can be pretty stressful trying to make the pennies stretch as far as they need to. Saving money here and there can be pretty easy, but knowing where to start is often where mums and dads trip up and slide back into old habits without noticing. So without further ado, here are some of my family friendly budgeting tips:
Take a fresh look at your TV package
Everyone knows that kids enjoy watching TV. Whether it be the Teletubbies, Mr Bloom or Sunday Kitchen! However, are you actually making the most of your current package or is it simply money down the drain?
Do you have sports and movie channels that you’re simply not watching? Extra ‘paid for’ channels so that you can watch TV from across the globe? Now, think about whether or not you actually watch these channels enough to warrant the extra cost that leaves your bank account every month.
It’s a common pitfall that a lot of households fall into. Mine included. We used to have all of the movie and sports channels, and boy did we pay for them. One day, my husband and I realised, that we never really watched them. In fact the only channels that we really watched were the ones that you get with a freeview box. We quickly cancelled our TV subscription, invested in a Freeview box and hey presto we’ve quickly saved around £60 a month which equates to £720 a year! That’s a massive saving!
Need a new car?
Sometimes in life we face our worst possible moments, at the worst possible time. You’re three weeks away from payday and your car decides to pack in. What do you do? Your car isn’t worth very much, in fact it would cost you more to repair your car, than what the car is actually worth, so in truth there’s not much point forking out when you’ll likely have to do so again in a few months time.
Quite often a car loan is a good way to help spread the cost of a big purchase when you’re perhaps a little short or left in the lurch at a moments notice. UK Credit is one such company that can help. You don’t need a deposit and you can even buy your car privately or from a dealership.
You can spread the cost and still have enough money each month to put a little something away for a rainy day. And when you have achieved your goal of getting a new car, you can consider commemorating this by adding personalized touches. This can include adding Personalised Number Plates or customizing the interior to show your style. These small details can make your car feel truly unique and special.
Free Days Out
Yup, free days out do exist and I’m not just talking about a picnic in your garden! As a mum of four year old twin girls, I like to take them to new places, but I don’t like having to pay each time.
Museums make great places for children to explore and learn in a safe environment, plus it’s free. Our local museum even has special toddler days where they’ll get some crafts and sensory boxes out for the children to play with.
Parks are also great on a warm, sunny day. You can take a ball with you to have a kick about or maybe even some bubbles, hula hoops or chalk! My girls love drawing with chalk outdoors. We draw circles like stepping stones on the ground and they hop from one to another. My sister drew hopscotch for them and they had lots of fun colouring in the paving stones! The great thing is it washes away with the rain!
Local council run leisure centres also offer free swim sessions during half terms. Although, be warned! It can get pretty busy so I like to arrive early and prepared! Bathing suits on under our clothes before we leave home and towels and underwear at the top of our bags so we can make a quick getaway too!
Do you budget? What are your top tips?
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