Summary:
This 700-word article lists several ways that families with children can save money. The idea is that, with a few changes, you can enjoy yourselves without breaking your budget.

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If you have children, you know how important it is to keep the budget within reason. You have to be able to afford everything that your children need. Sometimes, however, that’s extremely difficult. Here are a few ways that families with children can shrink the budget without being miserable.

• Put the kids on the school bus instead of driving them to and from school. Yes, riding the bus is lame as far as some kids are concerned. You, however, probably don’t have to pay for them to ride. Even if you do live in a district that charges a fee, it’s less than what you’ll pay in fuel to drive your kids around.

• Pack lunch for the kids. Small bags of chips aren’t expensive. Sandwiches, fresh fruit, et cetera are also affordable.

• Restrict the number of extra-curricular activities. Your children do not need to juggle four or five after-school hobbies. Your fees, travel expenses, et cetera are eating up your budget. Limit each child to one or two after-school activities. Your kids can entertain themselves on their days off with books, time in the back yard, et cetera.

• Shop at thrift stores. Children don’t need brand-new play clothes. Thrift stores offer gently-used clothing for a fraction of the retail price. This is beneficial to your budget, but also to your blood pressure. If your child gets a three-dollar shirt muddy, you won’t be nearly as stressed as if he did it to a twenty-dollar shirt.

• Buy used items instead of new ones. Used DVDs, for example, are just as good as new ones. The big difference is that they’re about half the price of their new counterparts. You can find all sorts of used DVDs at local movie stores, the pawn shop, et cetera.

• Look at your entertainment budget. Do you need to subscribe to all those extra TV channels? Can you reduce the number of times you go out to see movies? How much money do you spend on “little things” like music downloads? You can save a good bit of cash by limiting this part of the budget.

• Set up a clothing and toy exchange in your neighborhood. Your kids will outgrow clothes and toys. Trade these now-unwanted things with other families near you. Everybody gets gently-used items that their kids can use right now, and you don’t have to worry about a closet or toy box full of unused things.

• Become a library patron. Story hour and checkout privileges ensure that your kids will have plenty of literary fun. Older children won’t like story hour, but they can check out the juvenile section for good books.

• Trim your grocery budget. There are many ways to save money at the grocery store. Clipping coupons and using loyalty cards are good ideas. You can also look at what types of food you buy. Instead of, for example, buying fruit that’s already been sliced, why not buy whole fruit? You can slice up your watermelon at home, for example, and save money.

• Family vacations are important, but you don’t have to travel very far to have a great time. Instead of putting a trip to a huge theme park on the credit cards, stay close to home. Visit local museums, the city park and other interesting places. You’ll save money on gas or airline tickets and get to know your part of the world a little better.

• Birthday parties are outrageously expensive if you host them outside of your home. Some parents pay a few hundred dollars to entertain their children, and their children’s guests, for just a couple of hours. Instead of spending all that money, have the party in your home. You can spend a lot less money but still have a great time. Make party favors, buy a big ice-cream cake, and plan lots of fun games that everybody can play.

Take a look at your family’s budget to find other simple ways to reduce your spending. You don’t have to cut every fun activity, or kill off every luxury item, but you can save a lot of money if you look for ways to curb your costs.

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Written by: Sarah81
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