KIDS AND PETS
There’s no way around this category if you have a child or pet because they are dependent on YOU to survive and stay healthy.
My biggest tip to save money on kids is to shop for clothes and other needed items at thrift stores. Most cities have kids consignment stores, Goodwills, or Savers. For instance, I bought five pairs of shorts for our daughter at Savers. Each pair was $1.79 and they were in fantastic condition. New, the shorts would have easily been $10 each.
For pets, we don’t skimp on quality food. BUT we do subscribe to save. We know we are going to buy it anyway, so we subscribe on Amazon and get 5-15% off each time. Same thing goes for wipes and diapers. We also save roughly $200 or more a year by maintaining our dog’s hair by grooming him ourselves. We invested in some dog clippers to cut down on the cost of grooming. We’ve loved these Wahl dog clippers in particular, but still rely on a professional about twice a year for a full grooming.
What is your best tip when it comes to saving money for things your kids and/or pets need?
HEATHER: I am one of those crazy coupon people you see on TV. I’ve worked crazy hard to learn how to combine sales, rewards, and coupons in order to get most of our disposable diapers for free or a few dollars.
I use old rags as baby wipes and used to LOVE our cloth diapers, which we have since handed down.
If the girls want something, it usually goes on the list for the next holiday and a grandparent gets it. We lucked out with twins in that they are at the same level of play and we don’t need to worry about different toys and clothes for different stages.
For child care, I trade off days with a lot of my friends, or we will hire a sitter who is willing to watch 3-4 kids at one house and we have a mom’s night out or double date. And the whole reason I “met” Kristi (creator behind The Med School Wife) was because I was avoiding care.com fees!!!! Asking trusted sources for babysitter tips has been such a life saver as we have had to travel so much!
AMANDA: We only have pets, but sometimes they can be as expensive as kids! What I do every month, is “pay myself” a small set amount, like a bill. Most of the time we don’t end up needing all of it so when something pricey like a vet visit comes up, we can afford it!
SAMANTHA: This is tough one because some of our biggest financial sacrifices are for our children and our fur babies. Vet bills and appointments get pricey…and there really isn’t any way around it. My best tip for planning for pet expenses is to call your vet and ask what they are due for in that calendar year, plan it out in your financial calendar and make sure to adjust your budget as needed so you get them the care they require. When you get a dog or cat…or other pet…you automatically acquire the responsibility of caring for their health – there isn’t any way around it! So think twice before jumping in.
As for our kiddos, we do our best to shop for toys second hand – garage sales, Goodwill or family/friends hand-me-downs. We pay attention to their interests and if there is something they are interested in we look for toys or items that help nurture that interest – i.e. our son, Rowan, randomly got interested in dinosaurs at age 2.5… I swear I thought that would be a 5 year old interest. But…without hesitation we spent some money on dinosaur figurines and a couple of books and he will spend so much time playing with them and reading his books in the car. He can name about 8 dinosaurs already! My point is…you don’t need ALL the toys…or the newest toys…I only buy what he shows interest in.
CASSIDY: We have a 115 lb dog, so the money spent on him is most definitely for all the food he eats. I know we save money by not buying treats and not buying excessive amounts of toys for him. I know pets are part of the family, but it’s just not reasonable for us to spend extra on the dog when we don’t have extra. The only toys he has is a tennis ball and a bone, and he is so content and happy with just those things!
KRISTEN: If you don’t already have a pet going into medical school, don’t plan to get one until you graduate! A dog will cost an average of $100/monthly, and if you get a puppy, expect that to almost double in its first year. I’m a pet lover. My husband is not and he has kept me from establishing a small farm on our 3/4 an acre yard.
We shop at Costco/Sam’s for dog food and go to the cheapest vet possible. I purchase year supplies for heartworm and use the Seresta collar because it works and is cheaper and better!
Government has childcare vouchers too! Comes with work of finding a quality place that accepts this but its worth looking into. We have not used this service.
Do you have any money saving tips when it comes to kids or pets? Share in the comments below!
This is really helpful. I’ve been trying to research guides and recommendations to make my financial status better every year. Thanks for this!
I’m so glad you’ve found it helpful! Each gal has got some great ideas!