BEST Money Saving Tips For Stay at Home Moms

My husband jokes that, “I have champagne taste on a craft beer budget” meaning I like nice things but raising two boys on a single income means we have to budget accordingly. It is so important that our family has wonderful EXPERIENCES so when it comes to material things I make sure I save money. In order to have the lifestyle and things we desire, saving money where possible is key! Here I am breaking down 10 of my ALL TIME BEST money saving tips.

1. Shop at bargain grocery stores: With rising inflation prices at grocery stores, I have been able to lower my weekly grocery bill by 20-30% shopping at Lidl, a bargain grocery store. While I have to bag my own groceries and they do not have some of the brands we like (I go to Kroger or Target for those), I am able to buy many items at a fraction of the cost at other grocery stores (I buy organic items at the same price of conventional items at “regular” grocery stores).
2. Save Things in Amazon Cart: If I find things that I like, I will put them in my Amazon cart to save for later. Whenever I go onto the App to shop, it will show me if the price has dropped on the item or not. Around Christmas, this is my go to trick on Amazon.
3. Google “promo code for” : This was a tip my sister shared YEARS ago and I still use it today. Simply google “promo code for ______” whatever store you are shopping and you will have lots of websites like coupon cabin and Groupon pop up. While this trick doesn’t always work, I have had a lot of success with it.
4. Google Shop and Compare Prices: Google is king when using a search engine for shopping. Almost always, I will type in an item and shop around using Google. It is one of the easiest ways to see you are getting a good deal (I use this mostly when I want an item now).
5. Know stores that price match: Lots of big box stores (Best Buy, Dicks, etc) will price match for you if you find an item at another store for less money. A lot of times, I will search online while at a store to make sure I am getting the best deal and I will ask the cashier if they price match.
6. Buy Items on Sale and Freeze Them: When grocery shopping, I freeze a lot of meat that is on sale. Around holidays, prices of meat dip which is a great time to stock up. During Fourth of July, I get ribs, ground beef and around Christmas I will get tenderloin for a fraction of the price and save for later. We use a Vacuum Sealer and have a deep freezer in our storage room. Bread and frozen pizza freezes really well too!
7. Facebook Marketplace: I love Facebook Marketplace for buying things, especially for my boys. I have purchased so many of their jon-jons when they were little, to sports shoes, winter jackets, toys and even our swing set. It is one of the first places I check as many items people sell are brand new or like new condition (since kids, especially babies, grow so quickly!).
8. Get a REDcard and Executive Level Costco Membership: These are two things that I didn’t do for such a long time and honestly, got convinced by store members when I was shopping to sign up…and now I am so thankful I did. Target is the most convenient store for me (if it isn’t for you, then this probably doesn’t apply), so getting a REDcard and saving 5% (basically sales tax) on every item is amazing. The Executive level membership gives us a check for 2% back each year–if you buy enough it is worth the extra expenditure (especially if you vacation or get tires through Costco).
9. Get APPs for your Favorite Stores: Warning this makes shopping super easy and convienent, so you may want to set your shopping limits on your phone! Most apps allow you to add extra discounts and coupons and get special deals. Additionally, having the store’s app allows you to see what is on sale so much easier–the same goes for Costco, Kroger, Walmart, and any other store you frequently shop. My Chick-fil-a app is constantly giving me rewards for sandwiches and my Lidl app saves me an additional $5 almost every trip!
10. Call to Negotiate: This may take more time than it is worth, but I love saving money when I can. Sometimes when you call directly, you can negotiate shipping costs, price match or get an added discount you may not have seen online. I recently purchased an item and a few weeks later saw that it was on massive sale, so I called the store and was credited the difference. I would say a 2 minute call was worth $20 🙂

Hope these shopping tips help you save money and still get the items you and your family want and need!

What is your favorite bargain shopping tip??