Being a busy mom means you don’t have time for a lot of things: makeup, matching clothes, staying up to date with popular TV shows, or even a simple conversation sometimes. Not only that, but maintaining a budget can be difficult in the throes of motherhood as well. This is unfortunate because being a mother isn’t cheap, and maintaining a budget and responsible spending can be difficult.
If you’re a busy mom looking for easy ways to stay on budget, there are some tricks to help. Things like budgeting apps, spending hacks, living minimally, saving on basic necessities, and getting the whole family involved can help to keep your budget tight while staying busy as a mom.
Using a Budget App
If you’re having trouble creating a budget for yourself, you may want to look into an app that can do the legwork for you. Instead of figuring out how much you should be spending and when, an app can take your income and bills into account and tell you the extra money you have to spend each week or month. Some apps connect to your bank account to give you the best advice possible. Some even find you better deals on things you’re spending money on. Taking control of your budget is a great component of taking control of your life, which can feel chaotic as a busy mother. While it’s so time to consuming to create your own budget, rest assured that there’s an app that can do it for you.
Spending Hacks
Spending money has to happen, but there are ways to do it that can be easier on your budget. By using cash instead of a card, making a meal plan, keeping an eye out for deals, and making purchases that save you money in the future, you can gain more through your spending.
- Use cash: It’s a lot harder to overspend with a set amount of cash in your purse than it is to overspend by swiping a card. Taking out a set amount of cash is one way to ensure you’re not spending more than you intend to.
- Meal plan: Meal prep can be hard on a busy mom, but meal planning is a little easier to handle. Just writing out your meal plans for the week can keep you from eating out, which can be detrimental to your budget.
- Look for the deals: This doesn’t mean spending money because you saw a deal; it means finding a deal for something you planned on spending money on anyway. For instance, if you know you’re going to eat out as a family during the weekend, search for restaurants around town that feed kids for free or have happy hour specials.
- Make smart purchases: Not all purchases are bad for you or your budget. In fact, some purchases do the opposite. A good coffee pot can keep you from buying coffee every day; a crockpot can make cooking at home a lot easier and minimize eating out, and buying a convertible car seat will help you save money on buying a new one as your child grows.
Minimal Living
Adopting a more minimalist lifestyle will make you question every new item you bring into your house, which can really cut on spending and increase saving habits. For example, if you limit the number of items you’re allowed to purchase each month or have a “one in, one out” policy, you’ll cut down on unnecessary clutter without having to overthink things. You don’t have to adopt the minimalist lifestyle all at once, but easing yourself into decluttering and minimizing your need for stuff will help you to feel freer. As a busy mom, it’ll help to have fewer distractions. In order to make the transition easier, store necessary belongings instead of getting rid of them in order to live more minimally.
Saving on the Basics
Having children involves a lot more than diapers and bottles. The money it takes to raise a child changes throughout their life, from onesies to daycare to school supplies and so on. Spending money is a part of life when it comes to having children; the key to keeping with a budget is to find a way to purchase those basic needs in a cost-effective way. Some ways to save on the basics you’ll need to feed, clothe, and care for your family include:
- Bargain shopping: Thrift stores, garage sales, and community forums are your friend! These options are great ways to shop for the things you need at discount prices.
- Cutting coupons: You don’t have to go full coupon queen in order to take advantage of couponing. However, diapers, formula, and baby food usually have a coupon opportunity somewhere, so be sure to track them down before buying those basics. If you prefer to shop online, then Raise offers digital coupons & promo codes so you can still get those deals.
- Using hand-me-downs: You’re bound to have family, friends, or community members around you who have a ton of baby items they would like to get rid of. If you’re looking for something, ask around!
Get the Family on Board
Staying on budget works best when everyone is on the same page. Talking to your spouse about your budget, how you’d like to save, and what your plans are will help to make budgeting a cohesive process for your family. Not only will it help to have this conversation with your spouse or those contributing to your household, but you could also have a similar conversation about money with your kids.
This doesn’t mean having to explain your budget to them, but it helps to allow them to understand the value of money, why they can’t have every toy they want, and how everything has a value. There are fun ways to do this with games and toys. You can also help your kids understand how money works by allowing them to earn it or using a piggy bank. Even giving them a task like looking through the paper for specific coupons or a mission to find the cheapest dish soap can help them understand the idea behind budgeting while making life a bit easier as a busy mom.
Being a busy mom means being able to juggle many different things. When one of those things is your budget, there are times when it’s hard to keep up with it. Fortunately, there are budgeting tips to help you stay on track. Whether you use an app, spend with cash, live minimally, buy from thrift stores, or have the family help with your budget, you’re on your way to sticking with a budget in a way that works for you.
How do you budget with a busy life? Are you concerned about budgeting? Do you have a money-saving hack? Please share in the comments below. I really would love to know.
Until next time, shine amongst the stars!
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