Any parent knows that having kids is super expensive. I read that, on average, it costs parents upwards of $230K to raise a child from birth through age 18 (this was a stat from 2015 so I assume that number has gone up since then, too). That averages out to $13,000 a year! And that number doesn’t even include the cost for college. Yikes. I don’t know about you, but that number scares me a little bit, especially when I think of having more than one child (though I would guess that some of that cost would be shared between kids).
With that rising cost in mind, I’m always on the lookout for new ways to save some money while raising Ivy. I tend to analyze many items before I pull the trigger and buy something to make sure I’m getting the best price. That’s not to say I do that for everything, or that I won’t buy something at “full price”, but I get such a thrill out of finding a good deal. I have to admit, I was like this before having Ivy but I think having a kid made me up my game a little bit.
Those of you with young kids know how fast they grow, how dirty they get and how reckless they can be. To me, it’s not always worth it to buy expensive things just to be disappointed when it breaks, gets stained or torn or she grows out of it quickly (I’m talking clothes and toys here). Because of that, I’ve bought quite a few things used or I find ways to buy things during peak sale times. I wanted to share with you a few of the ways I save money and am able to get Ivy items we both love.
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Saving with Online Shopping
- Ebates – for those of you who love to online shop (which I assume is most moms with younger children, or moms of multiple children) signing up for Ebates is an absolute MUST. In a nutshell, they work with retailers to provide you certain cash back percent for your online purchases just by activating the discount through them (it’s literally the click of a button when you’re checking out). They also have bonus days where you can save even more (I recently got $10 back from a $100 Old Navy order I placed; it felt like I was getting one of my items for free). If you use this link and make a $25 purchase, you’ll instantly get $10 back as a sign-up bonus (that’s in addition to the cash back percent for the store you’re shopping at). The way I see it, I’m going to buy online anyway so why not get the extra savings. To date, I think I’ve received over $100 in cash back… not too shabby!
- Honey – This fun little plugin that you install to your internet browser helps you save money by scouring the web for coupon codes when you’re doing your online shopping. There’s also a feature to add items to a “droplist” and it will alert you via email when there’s a price drop. I have a lot of items on my Amazon wishlist and “saved for later” droplisted because Amazon prices change all the time. Additionally, it will show your price trend for certain items and let you know if you’re getting the best deal or if it’s higher in price than it’s been lately (again, this is super helpful with Amazon because of all the fluctuating prices).
- Amazon Family – A great way to avoid in-store shopping is signing up for Amazon Family with your Prime account. By using their “Subscribe and Save” feature, you can save up to 20% on kids necessities including diapers, wipes, formula, food, and more.
- As a side note, I recently tried out the Amazon-brand (Mama Bear) diapers and I’m totally loving them. I had been using Pampers Swaddlers for the longest time and then decided to try out a few different brands (Target’s Up & Up brand, Costco’s Kirkland brand and LUV’s) but didn’t end up liking any of them. I came across the Amazon brand as I was about to buy a new box of Swaddlers on Amazon and saw the price difference (at the time it was almost a $20 difference, but my most recent box saved me almost $25) and decided I’d give it a shot. They have a money-back guarantee if you don’t like them, which made me like it even more. I’m on my second box and have no complaints yet! They’re not quite as soft as the Swaddlers, but pretty close! And they’re all white (while still including the wetness strip), which I love.
- Buy Online, Pick-up In-Store – This can be more time-saving than cost-saving, though I think there’s possibility for both here. I’ve noticed quite a few stores providing this option, which I think is awesome for busy parents. I’ve found that many retailers often have better prices and/or coupon deals if you purchase items online and then pick them up when they’re ready. I love this option for certain stores that can be a little hard to navigate or aren’t always the most organized (Kohl’s and Michael’s) because the store associate has to find the item and all I do is show up to the Customer Service counter to grab my items. I also find this guarantees I’m only purchasing the things I need and not adding additional items to my cart that weren’t on my list (this is how Target gets me all the time). If you’re looking for a great way to have both financial and time-savings, be sure to think of this option in the future.
Saving with Social Media
- Facebook Marketplace – this has been a goldmine for toys for Ivy. Kids, especially toddlers, lose interest in toys so quickly so everything I’ve purchased has been in like-new condition. A few of my favorite items I’ve bought from Marketplace so far: a Hearth & Hand dollhouse, a kids Pottery Barn table, a teepee tent and a Pottery Barn anywhere chair. Additionally, there’s a lot of kids clothes and shoes for some great deals (I’ve found that they’re usually priced a little higher than what you’d see at a garage sale).
- BST (buy/sell/trade) groups & local “Garage Sale” groups on Facebook – man has Facebook evolved since I joined 15 years ago (wow, that really made me feel old). I found out about BST groups from a fellow mama and I’m warning you, they can be quite addicting! It’s a group for moms (and dads, but I don’t ever see men posting) to sell their kids shoes and clothes to other members in the group who live around the country (and in some case, Canada). My favorite groups are those that only allow certain brands (such as Old Navy, Gap, Zara and H&M) but there are a ton of different “specialties” to choose from – including other brands (Tea, Boden, etc.) and groups that cap on prices (Less than $10, Less than $15, etc.). In addition to BST groups, search Facebook for “garage sale” groups in your area. I’ve joined several local parenting garage sale/swap groups where it’s only kids clothes and toys for sale – it’s a perfect place to go when I’m looking for a certain item but I’m not looking to pay full price. I’m also apart of a couple of other local garage sale groups that have no inclusions, meaning you can post whatever you want for sale, which is similar to marketplace but it’s required that you live within certain city limits (or are at least willing to meet in certain city limits). I like this option because I do not have time to drive all over the state of Minnesota (or even the Twin Cities metro at that) to pick up a toy for $10.
Saving with In-Store Shopping
- Kids Consignment Stores & Sales – They have these all around the country but they go by all different names. The most well-known ones in Minnesota (that I’m aware of at least) are called Just Between Friends (JBF) and Munchkin Markets, though there are a few others as well. These types of sales include it all: clothes and shoes in all sizes (from newborn up to children’s sizes), toys, furniture and baby accessories (e.g. rock n play, bouncers, etc.). If you’re on the hunt for high-ticket items, or like to try and avoid large crowds, I would suggest buying a pre-sale ticket to enter the event before it’s open to the general public. While you end up paying a little bit more to get in, you have first priority to look at everything and have a better chance of coming out with more items that you actually want. The last JBF sale I went to I think I bought 10-15 things for Ivy (a couple toys, a few pairs of shoes and boots and quite a few pieces of clothing) and spent like $40.
- The Target Cartwheel App – So you might know about this one already, but I wanted to include in case you didn’t. This used to be a separate app that you download on your smartphone but within the last several months (or longer, I honestly can’t remember when it happened) they combined the Cartwheel app with their normal Target app. Anyway, this is a great way to save money at Target if you find yourself giving them all your money (which we’re totally guilty of in the Haines house). The app only works on in-store purchases, but I’ve found you can get similar deals when you’re online shopping, too. It’s a pretty easy app to use; they have the savings separated out by categories (e.g. home, holidays, food, etc.) but also give you the option to scan barcodes to see if there’s a cartwheel offer available for items you know you’re for sure buying, regardless of sales (I use the scanner frequently because I don’t have a ton of time to scroll through the various categories). I tend to use Cartwheel for a lot of the groceries I buy, but have seen the biggest savings in clothes and shoes when they have them. Extra tip: it’s great to use the app during Black Friday shopping and around the holidays as they usually have better offers for toys and clothing that time of year. I just checked my app out of curiosity and since I’ve started using Cartwheel I’ve saved over $350… that makes me feel a little better about how much of my money they get each month. 🙂
So there you have it, some of the ways I’ve been able to save a couple of bucks since I joined the parenting club in 2016. I hope you’ve found them useful! Please be sure to share any sites or apps that you also use/live-by for finding deals or saving some money – as I said earlier, I just get so much joy from it!