In this article, I share my 7 easy ways to save money. I’ve chosen these super-simple and quick money-saving tips because if you’re anything like me, you’ll be tight for time to implement new ways to do things!
The following money-saving tips for parents are so quick to implement and can be started straight away! So, what are you waiting for… get saving.
7 Quick And Easy Ways To Save Money As A Parent
I’ve always been one to research the best deal, trying to find hacks to save and make money, but I am always looking for more, so I also invite you to share your own tips in the comments!
1. Use A Pocket Money App That Doubles As An Easy Way To Save
Gohenry is a pre-paid debit card for kids, which gives you full parental control.
Your child can buy things online and in shops, as well as draw cash.
You might be thinking “what stops them from blowing all their cash in one go…?”
Well, you do. You set all the limits. Genius.
As well as all that, it automatically load your child’s card up with pocket money (you set the amount) each week, and it has a simple savings feature, too.
The savings feature I particularly like.
You can set savings goals – a brilliant way of being better with money, and I find it makes saving a bit addictive!
Set a savings goal like Holiday Spending Money, and a date you want to hit that goal by, and it tells you how much you have to save each week.
Not only that, it saves the money automatically from the amount in your parent account. Very hands off saving and spending control for kids – that’s what we all need, right?
What’s more, sign up and we both get £10 when you activate your card.
2. Set Reminders To Review Your Insurances Regularly
Let’s face it, it’s a bit of a headache to be on top of all your insurance policies isn’t it?
I dread having to do that sort of life admin. BUT. A few hours of life admin a year will save you money.
Take your home insurance for example. That yearly policy amount generally creeps up year after year. And why? Because you can’t be bothered to look for another provider, so they carry on taking your money, honey.
Unless you’re savvy, and you get on a comparison site like Moneyexpert.com and switch, baby!
Every. Single. Year. More and more money saved.
Car insurance, home insurance, life insurance, the lot.
My personal favourite is Compare By Review – it’s a brilliant insurance comparison site that actually takes consumer’s reviews and experiences into account.
The first and only comparison site that ranks providers exclusively on customer experience and product quality. Compare by Review offers an impartial and unbiased overview of each market. Our review scores are not influenced by monetary bids or commissions.
Set reminders a few weeks before your yearly insurance policies end, and set some time aside to tackle them.
Sometimes you don’t even have to leave your current provider. Some offer you a loyalty discount or will match quotes you’ve obtained elsewhere. You just have to ask…
Give it a go and see how much you can save from your monthy outgoings now!
3. Stop Buying New – One Of The Easiest Ways To Save Money
I made a pact with myself this year, that unless I or my children got total heart eyes for something, they would get pre-loved birthday and Christmas gifts.
Ebay is my go-to, and I have found some incredible bargains over the last few weeks.
It depends on the mood I am in, but I usually snap up quick ‘buy it now’ items that I can get done and dusted and hidden under my bed within days!
A quick wash or clean, and the items are absolutely perfectly suitable!
Ebay is not the only place to get pre-loved bargains. There’s of course Facebook, Depop, and Gumtree, amongst others.
I reckon my three children have about £1000 worth of Christmas gifts coming between them which cost me about £300.
4. Sell Your Old Things
Is your month too long for your money? I feel you.
Even though I am an intelligent person (except when I forget to do the school pick up – not then,) family budgeting is not my strong point.
By that I mean that I am forever running out of cash at the end of the month. Mainly because I buy too many takeaways, too many treats for the kids, and I simply don’t prioritise the time to budget properly each month.
I went through a phase of getting a serious buzz out of buying new clothes for Indi when she was a baby.
But, that feeling soon wore off when I saw hundreds of £££ of clothes being put away in the loft every couple of months.
TTFN beautiful Zara baby clothes.
This is where selling the belongings you no longer love or can fit into really helps to ease you into the end of the month.
I recently sold a 2 year old Serephine maternity coat on Ebay for £80.
I find brands like that hold their value quite well, and when that mum has finished with that coat, providing it’s well-looked-after, it’ll probably sell for near that again!
I am starting to go through my loft and bundling up children’s clothes season by season. I hope by the end of the selling spree I will have enough money to buy the entire next year’s worth of clothes for the kids.
5. Ditch Disposables
I used to use disposables irresponsibly, with no thought for how much I was spending, nor how much damage it was causing the environment.
Over the last couple of years, I have been using:
- Washable baby wipes
- Cloth Nappies
- Period pants and washable sanitary towels
- Washable makeup wipes
- Wash cloths
- Cleaning cloths
- …and anything else washable I can’t think of right now!
Yes, there is an initial outlay, but the rewards are great!
Not only are washable products like period pants and makeup wipes seriously effective, they are an incredible step towards becoming more eco-friendly.
6. Get Organised And Plan Your Meals
How often have you stumbled into the kitchen and asked the fridge “what is there for dinner tonight?” And the fridge’s answer is “Not much, let’s get a take away.”
Well mine does anyway. Way too often.
I have never been very good at meal planning. It’s something I do want to try to become good at though.
Not just for the benefit of saving some money, but for health too; less snacking on random bits when you’re hungry!
I personally use Gousto for my meals, which is my absolute saviour when it comes to meal planning.
I just love how everything is portioned up, all the food tastes totes amaze, and is packed full of goodness.
I love the 10 minute plant-based meals for me, and the family favourites for the kids.
I also love that Gousto are doing everything possible to become more sustainable in terms of produce and packaging.
If you want to give Gousto a try, you can get 50% off here! (This is my personal referral code, so I get some free food if you sign up by the way.)
7. Use A Cashback App
Something that I keep forgetting to do, but really should do, is check a cashback app for deals before purchasing online.
Say you need to buy a bunch of Christmas presents in December, you should search for a cashback app like Quidco before you get buying.
If you know where you are going to shop, search for that retailer, and click on the referral link. Once your purchase is complete, you get a bit of cashback.
You can also get inspired, and shop deals and offers through the cashback apps depending on who’s giving the most cashback.
If you buy a lot online, (and who doesn’t right now?!) this can build up to a nice little saving that you can transfer straight into your bank account!
Now You’re All Set For Saving Money, Pin This For Later…
Last Updated on June 22, 2023 by Lucy Clarke
