10 ways to save money on your child and stay a good parent

2024 Author: Malcolm Clapton | [email protected]. Last modified: 2023-12-17 03:44

How not to splurge on baby clothes, toys and diapers.

The maintenance of one child in Russia costs an average of 387 thousand rubles a year. At the same time, the average monthly salary in the country in April 2019 was 48 thousand. It turns out that even in a complete family where both parents work, a third of the earnings are spent on the child. And this is by the most conservative estimates: if children need expensive medical care, babysitting services, a private kindergarten or school, the costs will be many times higher.

But there is good news: you can save money on a child. And in this, by the way, there is nothing to be ashamed of - if, of course, the savings do not concern health and education. Here are some ideas on how to reduce spending on your child.

1. Postpone large purchases until large-scale sales

For example, until "Black Friday" and "Cyber Monday", when discounts in some stores reach up to 90%. This is a good opportunity to save money on a crib, stroller or bike.

2. Buy used clothing

As well as books, toys and scooters. Many parents display children's products in good condition on special sites, and they will cost you at least a third less than similar new ones.

Thus, you can save a lot on outerwear, furniture, designers and other things. And also on clothes for babies, which the child wears for only a couple of months (if not a couple of times), and which ends up being sold in whole packages.

Also, do not forget to subscribe to local groups and Telegram channels like "Give for free", "Exchange", "Money changers". Sometimes there you can find and pick up something interesting and useful for free.

3. Get a child tax deduction from your employer

The savings are small: 1,400 rubles a year for the first and second child and 3,000 rubles for the third and subsequent ones. To get a deduction, you need to write a statement to the accounting department and bring copies of birth certificates of children and other documents. More details can be found on the FTS website.

4. Don't get carried away with toys

Play is very important for a child's development. But a toy is just a tool. The same as crafts, household utensils, or your own imagination. You can fight like a superhero with a new LEGO set, or you can cut a mask out of cardboard, tie a pillowcase behind your back and save the cat from the closet without spending a single ruble on all this.

Show your child that you can play without constructors, transformers and dolls. And that this is also very interesting. By the way, this way you can save not only money, but also space in the apartment.

5. Sign up to the library

Books on good paper and beautiful illustrations are expensive and often have to be bought. Next time, instead of going to the bookstore, try taking a walk to the nearest children's library.

You will hardly find new items there, but you can easily pick up something from the children's classics. In addition, many libraries periodically hold events for children: quests, performances, meetings with writers. Some of them are free.

6. Participate in joint purchases

You can team up with other parents to buy clothes, toys, and other baby products at a small wholesale price rather than a retail price. There are also announcements about joint purchases on parent forums, websites and in thematic groups in social networks.

But before transferring money, do not forget to look for reviews about the organizer of the purchase: enter his full name, phone number, page id in the social network, bank card number into the search engine. This will save you from scammers.

7. Watch out for seasonality

Buy winter clothes in the spring. Yes, these will be sets from last year's collections, but they will cost 20-30% less. The same applies to children's transport: in the cold season, prices for bicycles and scooters are lower. And a school uniform: you can look for it in winter or spring, and not in summer and autumn. True, things will have to be bought for growth, and there is a risk of miscalculating the size.

8. Buy on AliExpress

You can find anything there: clothes, shoes, toys, furniture and gadgets at relatively low prices. Do not forget to read product reviews, carefully study the dimensional grid. Look for groups where parents share their shopping experiences on AliExpress. Or check out one of our selections.

9. Potty training early

Diapers-panties for a Toddler cost, depending on the brand, about 4-5 thousand rubles a month. At the same time, from one and a half to two years, children are already able, although not without misfires, to control excretory processes. This means that you can teach them to use the pot in order to quickly cross this line of expenses from the budget.

10. Study with your child on your own

Early development is a fairly new trend. Experts are skeptical with him - especially the idea of teaching a child to read until 5-6 years old. But children's centers offer developmental programs even for babies 6-8 months old. This pleasure will cost at least 2-3 thousand rubles a month, depending on the region and the number of lessons.

However, you can work with a preschooler on your own: make applications from natural materials, develop motor skills with the help of sensory boxes, sing performance songs. Yes, it takes time and patience, but as a result, you will not only save money, but also strengthen your bond with your baby. There are many free blogs and sites on the Internet with ideas for educational and creative pursuits.

Personal hygiene items, books and clothes are things a child cannot do without. But often we spend money on things that are needed not so much by children as by ourselves, trying to drown out the feeling of guilt - almost 90% of mothers experience it. And this is actively used by marketers, forcing us to buy everything. Therefore, before any purchase, think carefully whether your child really needs it.