We all feel the pinch in the New Year, many of us have overstretched ourselves at Christmas and when you have a new baby in the house too (needing nappies, clothes and baby equipment) household budgets are stretched even further.
It’s easy to feel overwhelmed and slightly panicked especially if your income is suddenly reduced too.
Here are 4 easy ways to make your money go further…
1 – KidStart
KidStart is a loyalty programme for parents designed by parents.
Build your children’s savings for free whenever you shop, invite family to join and their shopping will also benefit your children. Grow your KidStart Savings with the KidSave account
Shop at 1000s of well-known retailers, not just kids’ ones.
The money you save goes into any bank, building society or child savings account you have set up.
Find out more here Kidstart
2 – Batch Cook
Batch cooking not only saves money but its also saves time – something new parents really don’t have a lot of either!
It’s easy to cook large portions of dishes such as bolognaise, chilli, curries, and casseroles. Portion them out and freeze them to use another day…
Another great food budgeting tip is to plan your weekly meals in advance and only shop for the ingredients of these meals and no ‘extras’.
Discover some new recipe ideas here: BBC Good Food Batch Cooking Recipes
3 – Buy Second Hand
A much cheaper and environmentally friendly way to buy your baby (or yourself) new clothes is to buy second hand.
Sites such as Vinted or eBay are secure and easy to navigate and means you can often buy what you need for less than half the price of brand new clothes.
The great thing about both of these websites is that once your little one has grown out of their clothes you can even sell them easily on these platforms to MAKE money!
4 – Reduce your energy bills
It sounds obvious and very boring but truly – every little thing helps.
- turning lights off when you leave a room
- installing energy saving bulbs
- improving insulation in your home
- turning appliances off rather then on standby
- setting radiators to medium setting
- filling kettle to only the amount you need for your cuppa!
Find more energy saving tips here!
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