15+ Ways To Save Money As A Stay At Home Mom

Being a stay at home mom is very rewarding but living off of one income can be a challenge. No doubt you and your family are making sacrifices that are worth it but you could use some extra spending money. An extra $100 a week would be nice! Saving money as a stay at home mom is possible so, don’t worry! You will be saving with ease after reading my frugal mommy tips below!

Despite all of that, do you struggle to find ways to save money as a stay at home mom? Whether it’s figuring out how to set a grocery budget but still eating healthy or finding ways to provide experiences for your kids without breaking the bank, I got you covered, mommy!

With a little creativity, you can find ways to live frugally without feeling like you are cheapening your quality of life.  Below I’ll share with you the best money saving ideas for stay at home moms.

This post contains affiliate links, which means I receive a small commission, at no extra cost to you, if you make a purchase using this link.

5 Money-Saving Ideas For Groceries

Food is a huge part of a stay at home mom’s life.  From buying to cooking we are constantly prepping snacks and meals for our “hangry” crew.

It seems like organic food is expensive and the only coupons out there are for processed food. How do you save money on groceries and still eat healthily? Here are some ideas!

1) Keep A Budget and Use a List

Set an amount on how much you will spend so you have money to use in other areas. Eating is important but you also need to make sure there is enough to pay for other costs of living. To figure out your budget try the following:

• Look at your bank account to see what was spent in the last month. Was that too much or too little?
• Cut out or reduce unnecessary food purchases like eating out or getting take-out.
• Set a new amount that is realistic to keep your family fed but isn’t over the top.
• Divide your monthly amount into 4 so you know how much you can spend weekly.

You can also use the app, TrueBill to do everything mentioned above! It’s completely free to use!

Keeping a shopping list also ensures you are only buying the things you need. Lists help you stay away from extra add-ons. Put a notepad on your fridge and write down items as you run out of things.

2) Plan Meals

This is a huge way to save money on groceries! Plan your meals for the week and only buy what you need for those meals.  That way you aren’t spending money on food you won’t eat.

Meal planning may feel like one more thing you need to do. It’s not that hard, and once you get the hang of things it won’t take that long. To make it easy and get started, do the following:

• • Keep your pantry and fridge well stocked with the basics like flour, sugar, salt, cooking oil, butter, etc.
  • Have a theme for each night of the week and pick meals for that them meatless Monday
    • Taco Tuesday
    • Winning Wednesday (favorite meal)
    • Pasta Thursday
    • Leftover/pizza Friday
    • Mom’s night off Saturday (easy to prep food)
    • Souper Sunday

If you an additional way or just want to simplify your meal prepping process, try out 5 dollar meal plan!

As a stay at home mom, your list of things to do might be already full, so you probably are not to fund of planning out your family meals. What if I told you that there is a way, I am able to plan out my family meals within one hour every week for the rest of the week?! Would you totally, go crazy, asking me what is the secret to my meal prepping madness?!

Well, don’t start pulling out your hair! My secret is 5 Dollar Meal Plan! Before using 5 Dollar Meal Plan, I struggled with planning out my food for my family, let alone looked forward to actually cooking. But, 5 Dollar Meal Plan makes it so easy, to plan out your family meals, save money and time, as well as provide you with even more money-saving assistance (aka Coupons)!

3) Use Walmart Pickup / Delivery Services

If you live close by a Walmart, you should consider using their awesome pickup and delivery services! I have been saving so much money using their pick up services due to the fact, I order everything that I need on the app, pick the most cost-effective items, and prevent myself from walking the store and picking up items I don’t need. You know what I’m talking about momma! It happens every time!

Of course, you will need to be able to download the Walmart Grocery App on your phone.

If you are spending more $30 or more dollars on groceries, you don’t have to pay extra for this lovely Walmart’s service! So, you might want to wait until you need to make a big order for your weekly groceries. I usually wait until Sunday or Saturday, because I plan on meal prepping for the week on those days.

I highly recommend you try Walmart Pickup and Delivery service out!

4) Shop Online

Time saver and life saver right here!  Have you ever gone to the grocery store and been surprised at how much you ended up spending? It can be hard to keep track of spending as you juggle your list, the cart, keeping kids in check and fighting crowds.  Feels awful going over budget though. You didn’t mean to but it happened.

When I shop online I can see the total in my cart before I check-out.  If I go over budget I simply remove items that are not essential or are extra add-ons. This is where I save money! Also, I save time and stress because I don’t have to deal with crowds or fussy children! (#1 reason why you should use Walmart Pickup & Delivery Services)!

I also save money on groceries by picking up my order rather than having them delivered.  There usually is an extra cost having food dropped off on your front step. 

Nothing is more satisfying knowing I stayed within my budget before I checked out!

5) Shop Sale Ads

This one might take a little extra time but the grocery savings are worth it! Sometimes I like to make my shopping list based on the weekly sale ads. There are two grocery stores that are close to each other and I find I get exactly what I need between the two stores.

At home, I go through the ads online and either make my list to shop in person or do online.

I also make my meal plan based off of the specials. After I get my groceries I look at what I have in stock and plan accordingly.  This method is perfect if you don’t want to plan out meals before making a shopping list.

Try using apps like Ibotta and Rakuten (formerly known as Ebates) to earn money from your purchases!

4 Money-Saving Ideas For Kids Activities

One of the first things to cut out of the budget is extracurriculars and outings for kids. Just because you are on one income doesn’t mean you can’t do anything fun.

Special activities can be worth the price because many are educational and all offer great memory-making experiences.  There are great ways to save money on entertainment. Check out the following money saving ideas!

1) Memberships

Is there a children’s museum or zoo you love going to? Check out the membership cost and perks. Usually, the cost of a year membership is the same as two family visits.  If you know you want to go a lot of times it’s worth the price.

Many museum memberships have perks which include free or discounted rates to other venues.  This gets you into other places you may not otherwise see!

2) Library Programs

Check out your local library’s event page. Besides storytimes, many libraries offer special events like community concerts, movies, arts and crafts, and educational activities.

Kids can also sign up for special clubs that focus on activities like gaming, Legos, cooking, and STEM.

Usually during school breaks and summer libraries have special reading programs that offer incentives to read books. In return, kids get coupons to other kid-oriented places.

3) Parks and Recreation

It seems that sports can be costly.  They can be with private club fees. Parks and recreation programs offer money-saving experiences for kids who want to play sports.

Check out your local parks and recreation department and you will find discounted prices on swimming lessons, soccer, dance, basketball, t-ball and much more.

Parks and recreation is a great introduction to playing.  They are usually run by parent volunteer coaches who have experience playing in a sport. Kids learn great skills and how to work as a team.  

4) Mom Groups/Clubs

Looking for ways for some socialization for both you and your kids?  Check your local area for mom groups like MOPS or Mom Club. Local community centers, clinics or churches also offer mom groups.

Gatherings can vary from planned play dates, walks or trips to the park.  Other groups meet at one location and kids play together in one room and moms get some adult time in another area.

Either way, these organizations are a great way to meet friends and get you out of the house without spending a lot of money.

8 Money-Saving Ideas For Clothing and Supplies 

Clothing and other supplies are essential for kids but can be costly.  Luckily there are great money-saving ideas for you to try to keep your kids clothed and equipped.

Clothing

• • 1. Shop next year sizes at this year’s end of season clearance: Have a 1-year-old this winter that will be in 2T next winter? Shop the clearance rack for 2T now.
    2. Facebook Marketplace or other online resale sites: Sell your kids outgrown clothes on one of these sites and use your earnings for new clothes. You can also find great bargains for other clothes on these sites.
    3. City-wide garage sales: Make a day for money-saving shopping and check out a town’s garage sale days. This is a haven for people to clear their bins and sell kids’ clothes for cheap!
    4. Clothing swap with friends: Plan a fun morning with your gal friends and hand-me-down clothes.  Swap your stuff for their stuff!

Kid Supplies

Soap, medicine, bandaids, school supplies, you know the basics you need to keep your kids going. Here are some money-saving tips for these things.

• • 1. Buy bulk: It seems kids go through stuff quickly.  Save money and trips to the store by being well-stocked.
    2. Rebate apps: These types of products are always on apps like Ibotta. Get money back for the things you buy most! It can be used on groceries too!
    3. Amazon Subscribe and Save: If you are a Prime member I highly recommend Subscribe and Save.  You are given a discount when you schedule your delivery. Saves you from having to run out of items too.
    4. Use Dollar Tree: At Dollar Tree, everything is just $1. Yes! Only $1. You can find a lot of great deals at Dollar Tree. In fact, I recommend you check them out first before going into the big name brand stores (Especially for school supplies)!

Last Thing You Need To Know About Saving Money as a SAHM

As you just read there are many ways to live well on a budget and save money as a SAHM. Spending less on the things you do most is the best money-saving idea for stay at home moms! So, now that you have been taught all the best money saving ideas for stay at home moms, what are you going to do? Are you going to start saving money with these money-saving tips or you going to keep trying to live barely making it with your current budget?

As always, sharing is caring! Share this amazing post with your family and mommy friends! Don’t forget to share on social media (Facebook, Pinterest, Twitter, etc) as well! Share your frugal mommy journey below in the comments!

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