I think we can all agree that being frugal in general is smart, but I think it’s especially smart for moms. I grew up with a mom who was frugal by necessity; the phrase “wait till payday” came up more times than I can count. As a tail-end baby boomer, I grew up in an era with very few credit cards, so cash was king for us.

Frugal Moms Pay Cash

Well, not all the time, but whenever possible. There are a few reasons for it, first, not using credit means you really must be mindful of where the money goes. As my favorite debt guru Dave Ramsey says, when it’s gone, it’s gone. Which makes it far more difficult to overspend. His other great point is that you can often get a better deal when you pay cash because businesses pay fees to accept credit cards. Think about how there used to always be a cash price at the gas pump, that’s why.

Frugal Moms Buy Used Clothes

Babies and children grow so fast; there is no point in buying all new clothes for them. If they are clean and in good condition, pre-owned clothing is a great way to save money. Just like with your own clothes, there are some things you will probably want to buy new, socks and undergarments come to mind. And once the kids are walking, shoes should probably be new as well. Worn out soles can be slippery, and cause falls.

Frugal Moms Buy in Bulk

There are lots of things you will be using in large quantities as a mom and buying your favorites in bulk can be frugal in a few ways. For instance, you don’t want to run out of wipes, diapers, or other baby basics. A last-minute trip out to get something you ran out of can cost you more in time and money, and both are precious to you! The other way to make sure you don’t run out of basics is to set up automatic orders through Amazon, Target, or Walmart.

This also applies to things for you, too. I have plenty of my household basics set up to auto-deliver, like coffee, tea, snack bars, laundry items and shaving supplies.

Frugal Moms Use Coupons

Companies put out coupons to get you to try their products, and hopefully gain a new customer. There are things that you are probably always going to be loyal to (I’m looking at my mother and her irrational love of a certain brand of paper towels), but lots of things are worth trying. You might even find that there are several different brands of an item that you are satisfied with! A great resource for coupons and how to use them wisely is The Krazy Coupon Lady website. She has deals galore and can save you a bundle.

Frugal Moms Menu Plan

I’ve talked about it before, but it bears repeating. Sit down once a week and plan out the entire week. It’s perfectly fine if you have 12 dinners in a 2-week rotation with pizza night built in there somewhere. The less you have to think about it, the better, and kids are happy with familiar foods.

You should also plan breakfasts, lunches and snacks, that way all your needs are covered on your grocery list. I have a large magnetic chalkboard on my fridge with a running grocery list at the top and a meal plan at the bottom. As I use up basics, I add them to the list, and I’m less likely to forget to buy them. On the meal plans, I make a note after the menu item if I’m planning it for multiple meals or if I will freeze half for a day when I can’t face cooking.

Frugal Moms Know Their Kids are Watching

I learned a lot about life by watching my parents. I saw my mom cook regular meals, sew a lot of her own clothes, keep a budget, volunteer her time, read library books, and find affordable ways to spend time together as a family. We didn’t live a fancy lifestyle, but we were well-fed, happy, and healthy. To this day I try to do as much of that as I can, and I hope I have been a good example to others.

Frugal Moms Want Lower Bills

I couldn’t skip a plug for BillCutterz! BillCutterz is here to save you money on your regular bills and save you the hassle of trying to do it yourself. Take a few minutes to sign up and then go back to focusing on the really important things in your life, your family members.