Busy Mums and saving money
Firefighting
Being busy lends itself to running into the supermarket and grabbing the first thing you fancy for dinner tonight. It also means that you may find yourself seeking sanctuary from the outside world with the odd latté, chocolate bar, magazine … insert your own weakness here.
And of course we are all creatures of habit and therefore change for most of us is a bit of challenge – in whatever form it takes.
Try the following exercise
So here is a little exercise. I would like you to sit down and think of ten ways you can save money. Some of course should be realistic – things which you can do which are relatively easy, although they may require some self discipline. And others which may really be shifting the way you operate as a family.
Here are some ideas to get you going!
Money Saving Tip 1: Keep a note of everything you spend for a month. It will be very enlightening I promise.
Money Saving Tip 2: Use up everything that is in your store cupboard, freezer in the next month.
Money Saving Tip 3: Find free things to do with the kids rather than taking them to paid activities, whether this is during the holidays or after school.
Money Saving Tip 4: Ask yourself; are all your car journeys necessary? Can you lift share, walk or share school runs?
Money Saving Tip 5: Do you really need both cars? Or even a car at all? Is it worth investigating hiring a car when you really need to, or sharing a car with another member of the family? It is said that if you took a taxi everywhere for a year, this would still cost less than running a family car.
Money Saving Tip 6: Buy second hand furniture, have a clothes swop party with friends.
Money Saving Tips 7: Stop using your credit card.
Money Saving Tip 8: Menu plan. This can significantly reduce how much you spend when you are food shopping.
Money Saving Tip 9: Avoid cafes and sandwich shops. Take packed lunches to work or when you are out and about with the kids.
Money Saving Tip 10: Keep a flask handy and make up a flask of coffee or hot chocolate when you are going out in the car for the day. That way you will not be tempted to buy food at the service station.
