Money Saving Tips

We all like to save money, don't we? I mean, who wouldn't like to have the extra money to spend on something else?! I have never had problems with money, and I have always been very careful with how I spend budget and spend. I got my first job when I was 16 and started saving from my first pay cheque. I eventually saved up enough money to start Driving Lessons, buy my first car, and insure it which I am very proud of! 

I fell pregnant while Chris and I were still at University. We were both working part time jobs alongside studying so neither of us were earning that much. However, between us we were able to save up enough money to buy the pram of my dreams, clothes, nappies, and everything else a new baby could dream of. 

Chris and I have always lived off a very small wage. This has actually done us so much good because we have learnt how to live off of minimal money while providing Florence with everything she could possibly need. We are still living off of one wage as my Maternity Allowance has stopped and I will be returning back to University in September.

Being a parent can be expensive, but learning how to budget and cut costs can be beneficial in the

long run. Here are some things that we have found to save money since starting a family!

Amazon Subscribe and Save 

We signed up to Amazon Family Prime while Chris was still at University as it cost half of the usual price. Subscribe and Save is a money saving feature that is exclusive to Amazon Prime Members (I think?!) With Subscribe and Save you save even more money on Amazon products and receive free standard delivery. You are also able to schedule your delivery for a day that suits you!  As we are Amazon Family Prime members we receive an additional 20% off of nappy subscriptions through Subscribe and Save. This month we bought 152 Pampers Baby Dry nappies for £16 instead of £30.  We save 5% on other products such as Water Wipes and Tommee Tippee Prep Machine Filters. It all adds up and the free next day delivery is fabulous!

Discount Codes 

 

Before I buy anything online I will always Google for a Discount Code for that particular store. For example, if I am shopping with Mini Boden I will search “Mini Boden Discount Code.” I don’t think that I have ever paid full price for clothing from Mini Boden which suits me down to the ground. I’ve recently stumbled across this brilliant Mums Net thread for Discount Codes. You can either search for a code or start a new thread asking for a code. I’ve saved a fair amount of money by using Discount Codes, from Car Experience Days to Nappies. It’s always worth a try because there have rarely been times that I haven’t been able to find a money off code.

Meal Planning 

 Chris and I are absolutely terrible for Food Shopping. I’ll send Chris out for a pint of milk and he’ll return home with everything but the kitchen sink. We used to buy enough food for a family of 5 and so much of it would get wasted! I have recently started to make an inventory list for our fridge and freezer so that I know exactly what food we have. I will then decide on meals that I can make with what we already have and then create a small shopping list to top our supplies up and compliment the products that are in the cupboards. It’s worked well so far and we have certainly spent less on Food Shopping since starting. We have also just joined up for Tesco’s “Scan and Shop” which helps me to spend less because you can see how much you have spent as you go. 

Do you have any other money saving tips that you'd like to share?