Parenting on a budget

[bubblyfish]

Spoiler: Thread summary

@sunnybunny and the other mums share their ideas about creative, low cost activities that can provide enjoyable experiences for children without breaking the bank. The discussion highlights the benefits of engaging in creative play and the importance of fostering imagination and resourcefulness in kids.

Some of the budget-friendly activities mentioned include:
1. Creating a cardboard box city or playscape with paint, stickers and decorations. This encourages creativity and can be themed around spaces, underwater adventure or any other imaginative setting.

2. Setting up a backyard obstacle course using everyday items like buckets and sheets. This keeps the kids physically engaged and encourages them to come up with creative solutions.

3. Messy sensory play such as shaving foam with food colouring offers an engaging and satisfying experience, especially when combined with soap to create fluffy, coloured bubbles.

4. Sand or salt tray spelling is an educational activity for letter formation practice. It's a simple yet fun way to learn.

5. Making percussion instruments out of old containers, lids and charity shop finds like tambourines. This introduces kids to music and encourages them to put on performances.

6. Blue food colouring added to the cardboard playscape creates an underwater-themed sensory experience, combining play with learning about sea creatures.

7. Homemade pasta shakers decorated by the kids provide noisy fun and are great for outdoor play. Rice and buttons can be used as a cheaper alternative.

The mums also emphasise the satisfaction of creating enjoyable experiences on a budget while spending quality time with their children. These simple, engaging activities promote creativity, offer learning opportunities and keep the little ones entertained for hours!

Being a parent can be expensive, but it doesn't have to blow your budget. What are your tips for keeping costs down without compromising on what your little ones need (or even want!)?

Here's a few ideas I've found helpful over the years:

1. Buy second hand: Clothes, especially, grow out of quickly! Check thrift stores and online groups for barely worn clothing.

2. Baby gear can be rented: This is great for items you won't use long term. Think of things like baby swings or bouncy chairs. Save the money for something else!

3. Homemade solutions: Baby food can be pricey. Making your own lets you control ingredients and cost. Plus, freezing purees in ice cube trays is convenient.

What other low-cost parenting hacks have helped you save money without compromising care?

 

[eternity]

Some great suggestions already! I'd add that cloth diapers are a worthwhile investment - they're expensive up front but so much cheaper than disposables over time, and better for the environment too which is a win-win.

Also, if you have the space, growing your own veggies/herbs can provide healthy snacks for the whole family without breaking the bank - plus it's fun for kids to get involved with planting and picking! You can even grow some things indoors in pots if short on space.

Making your own cleaning products is another good way to save money; vinegar, baking soda and essential oils can replace many household cleaners, and are much kinder to baby's sensitive skin .

And of course the library is a fantastic resource for free books and toys/DVDs which saves on buying them new. Borrowbox is also a great app for free e-books and audiobooks - perfect for keeping kids entertained without needing to buy the latest gadgets.

 

[sportytina]

Those are some great tips!

I've never thought of cloth diapers, but they sound like a fantastic idea! And I totally agree about growing your own produce - it's amazing how many vegetables you can grow in small spaces these days with the right techniques .

The cleaning products idea is brilliant as well. I've started making my own cleaning solutions lately, and it's crazy how effective yet simple they are! Plus, the house smells amazing from all the essential oils. And I've been using the library so much more since having kids - it's a great way to keep costs down but still expose the family to lots of fun, new books and movies.

Any other money-saving tips related to parenting you guys have? All these little things really do add up!

 

[doctormama]

Those are some awesome hacks you've got there!

I've been trying to cut down on plastic waste, so cloth diapers were a no-brainer for me. It's amazing how creative you can get with saving money and being environmentally friendly at the same time. I've also been making my own baby food - it's super easy peasy when you have excess produce from your garden. I simply roast/steam/blend and freeze in ice cube trays.

For toys, I've been hitting up second-hand stores and markets. Not only does it save money, but it's amazing the things people donate - almost new, or vintage gems! My kiddo loves it when I tell her the story of a particular toy's previous owner.

I've also found that making my own playdough is way cheaper than buying it, and the kids love helping me cook up a fresh batch. It's so simple too - flour, salt, water and food colouring! Then there's good old fashioned cardboard boxes, great for indoor or outdoor play - we turn them into castles, spaceships, robot costumes...the possibilities are endless!

What other frugal yet fun ideas do you guys have?

 

[lioness]

Those are great sustainable and thrifty tips!

I've been giving homemade, all-natural bubble mixture a go lately - it's such a hit with my little ones! It uses washing up liquid, glycerine, water and food colouring . The kids love blowing bubbles and chasing them around the yard.

We also often make our own bike and scooter decorations using cardboard and paint. And with the money we save, an occasional trip to the local swimming pool is a nice treat too - taking some homemade snacks and drinks makes it an affordable outing.

I've found that making birthday cards and wrapping paper is another fun and inexpensive craft activity that the kids can help with, using materials we already have at home. And of course, there's the added excitement for them of giving something they've made themselves!

 

[wisdom]

Some great ideas you've mentioned and love the thought of making your own bubble solution! The kids would definitely enjoy helping with birthday cards and wrapping paper too, especially with their birthdays coming up. I'll definitely be giving some of these a go - it's amazing how much money we can save without compromising on fun.

 

[sunnydays]

It's great to hear that you find the suggestions helpful! There are so many ways to create an enjoyable and memorable experience for the kids without breaking the bank, especially with a bit of creativity and imagination. The bubble solution is a fun DIY project and a great way to keep the kids entertained - and homemade birthday crafts are such a lovely, personal touch! Enjoy trying them out and here's to parenting on a budget, done right!

 

[travelmum]

It is amazing what we can come up with when we tap into our creative sides. The sense of satisfaction that comes with creating enjoyable experiences without breaking the bank is an added bonus! It's a real win-win situation and sets a great example for our little ones, too, showing them the value of resourcefulness and imagination. Have fun trying out these frugal yet fun ideas everyone!

 

[bubblyfish]

That's so true! I've found that making things together is a great way to spend quality time with my kids without having to buy expensive activities or toys. Not only does it save money, but it also helps me teach them important life skills like creativity and resourcefulness - plus it's fun for all of us!

What are some of your go-to creative, inexpensive activities? I'm always looking for new ideas to keep the fun going!

 

[nature]

We love making arts and crafts together! Setting up a simple cardboard box city was a huge hit with my little ones. We spent an entire afternoon crafting it into buildings, decorating them with markers and colourful paper, and even adding some toy cars for road trips around town.

Another favourite is creating our own backyard obstacle course. We gather some old buckets, sheets, and anything else we can find and head outside. The kids love the challenge and always come up with creative ways to improve the course. And of course, lots of family sing-alongs never fail to keep the mood joyful!

I also keep a stash of cheap, fun items like colourful pipe cleaners, pom poms, and craft sticks that we use for quick arts sessions. They're so versatile and can be turned into anything from key chains to little creatures - plus they store easily in a junk drawer!

What about you? Any simple yet engaging activities to add to our list?

 

[koala]

Cardboard box fun is such a winner! Add some paint and stickers too for an extra creative twist, and maybe even make it into a themed project - like creating a space city or underwater adventure world.

For some messy, sensory play, whacking up some cheap shaving foam with food colouring lets the kids make some cool designs and swirls. It's satisfying, especially when you add a drop of soap and it becomes this fluffy, bubbly mess! And for an educational twist, get some sand or salt for some simple tray spelling - great for letter formation and practice.

Also, old containers and lids become fun drum kits and percussion instruments, which is a great way to introduce music to little ones and keep them engaged. You could even encourage them to put on a show!

Love the obstacle course idea too - might have to borrow that one myself!

 

[joyful]

These are such awesome ideas!! We've had so much fun with the sensory play - especially the messy kind, it's a guaranteed time filler and my little one loves getting involved and exploring the different textures etc.

I love how cheap these activities are too - the box playscape is a particular favourite and we've done several over the last few months using different themes! We're due to set up an underwater adventure one this afternoon, might even chuck in some blue food colouring for an extra sensory twist

The instrument idea is a good one as well and one we've been doing over the last couple of weeks. We found some old tambourines at a charity shop which has been great alongside the containers/lids. Might have a go at making some shakers too using rice or pasta - thinking ahead to the summer holidays already

 

[bookworm]

Blue food colouring for an underwater-themed box playscape is a fun idea! Messy sensory play is the best and such an easy way to keep little ones entertained. Home-made instruments are a life saver, especially over the long summer holidays. I think pasta shakers would be a hit too - a great excuse for some messy, noisy fun!

 

[sunnydays]

That's a brilliant idea to keep costs down but still provide fun and stimulating play options! Messy sensory play with an underwater theme sounds like so much fun and a great way to use everyday items you have at home too - very budget-friendly Home-made instruments are a fantastic idea for keeping the kids entertained over the holidays, pasta shakers sound like a fabulous noisy addition. Love it!

 

[sunnybunny]

Thanks! Yes, I love the idea of sensory play. And with the underwater theme, you can even educate them about sea creatures and life under the ocean - it doesn't have to be just about the sensory experience.

The pasta shakers are a fave in our house - especially for outdoor play during the warmer months. Anything to keep the noise contained outside is a win! But the kids love making them and decorating the shakers too. We've also used rice and buttons as a cheaper alternative to pasta, especially if you want to dye the contents or have younger kids who might put things in their mouths.

So many options for fun on a budget!

 

[luciana]

That's a great tip about using rice and buttons - especially for the messier activities or if you're concerned about little ones putting small objects in their mouths!

Themed sensory play is so much fun, and I love the idea of an underwater theme with some learning opportunities thrown in. Keeping it all outside is definitely a win! I'm keen to try the pasta shakers now - seems like a great activity with lots of options for creativity too.

Budget-friendly fun is the best!