It’s not easy being a frugal parent these days. Kids love stuff; expensive stuff, name brand stuff, lots and lots of pricey new stuff. Frugality runs counter to kids’ desires.
Being a frugal family means that we do things a little differently around here. We make bread from scratch (it really is easy, and unbelievably delicious); same thing with birthday cakes and cookies. We clip a lot of coupons and eat out only on special occasions. Those are the basics and you’ve probably heard some of these ideas before, but I just want to give you a good starting point.
Now here are some more of my favorite ideas for frugal family living:
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Craigslist 1…Free stuff. We have a puppy now and we wanted to put him on the deck, but didn’t have a gate. I thought of buying one (who, me, buy something?)—never, if I can avoid it. There is a “free” section under “for sale” on Craigslist and people give perfectly good stuff away. I found someone putting out a white swing gate by the curb, my husband picked it up, and it is now on our back deck keeping our pup in. Cost: 0
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Craigslist 2…Buy then resell. My son needed a pair of football cleats for try-outs last fall. I found an almost new pair of Nike cleats his size on CL for $8. He used them, then we resold them on CL for $10. Gain: $2
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Post-holiday stock up…I just love holidays. I love post-holiday shopping just as much. Check out your supermarkets and drugstores for seasonal candy, goodies and gifts. Cost: 50-90% off retail.
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Clothing…I’m a huge subscriber to thrift, such as Goodwill and the Salvation Army Stores. I find all sorts of treasures, many of them with new price tags on them. I discovered a pair of totally cool, virtually new Tommy Hilfiger cargo pants that were originally $55. Cost: $3.75
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Pizza…Almost everyone loves pizza, especially kids. My kids eat pizza all the time, and now they’re bringing large and perpetually hungry friends home who also love pizza. Since my family has a freezer (all frugal families must have a freezer, it is essential for stocking up on deals), I buy frozen pizzas at the “buy one get one free” deal. Last week my supermarket had a “buy 2 get 3 free” deal; I bought 15 pizzas and paid for only 6, 9 were free. With a little olive oil, garlic powder and Pecorino Romano cheese sprinkled on, your frozen pizza is transformed into a feast. Kids will love it, so will your pocketbook. Cost: Approx 2.50 per pizza, or 32 cents per serving.
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Snacks…here’s a great snack that will make use of your leftover pasta in the fridge just waiting for a makeover. Take cooked, leftover pasta (Rotini are the best to use, otherwise known as “corkscrew’ or twist pasta), place in hot oil and fry until crispy. Drain, then sprinkle with chili powder, garlic powder, salt , pepper, lemon pepper, parmesan cheese or whatever else you like. Caution: very addictive. Cost: 0, since you use whatever is currently in your home.
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Fruit drink…This is so easy it’s scary, and it make use of ripe fruit in your home. Just put some ice, orange juice and fruit of choice (strawberry season is just beginning!) in equal parts in a blender and whip up frothy. Delicious, nutritious and easy. You can also use a can of fruit cocktail in place of fresh fruit. Leftovers can be frozen for delicious fruit pops. Cost: Approx $1.12 per serving, 50 cents per serving if you already have fruit in the house that you need to rescue.
Frugal Parenting is possible. The added benefit is that your children will also learn to be frugal, which will help them in this economy, during college, and anytime they need to be creative with their cash.
