WAHMs and SAHMs: 10 Ways to Stretch Your Family's Budget

Staying at Home and Still Saving Money

As a general rule, SAHMs and WAHMs are not usually swimming in money. Often, these dedicated women make many financial sacrifices because they view spending time with their children as more important than financial gain. As a WAHM myself, I understand what it's like to live paycheck to paycheck while I look for ways to make some extra money on the side. When I started staying home with my first son, I thought I was pretty thrifty. I did my shopping at Walmart and outlet stores and didn't buy expensive meats or specialty foods for our family. However, when our family moved and my husband got a different job, I was faced with finding yet more ways in which our family could cut back so that we could keep our family priorities the same. Here are some things I do that save our family thousands each year.

1. Keep a small vegetable garden, if you can. I realize that not everyone has the wherewithal to do this, but if you can, consider planting just a couple of tomato plants in pots. They can get sun indoors by a large window, or on an apartment deck. Tomatoes can cost upwards of $3 a pound. You can buy a plant, or seeds for a fraction of the cost. If you have the space to plant outdoors, plant things that are spendy in the store. For example, I plant peppers, melons, tomatoes, zucchini and beans every year. Peas, though they are fun to grow, take up much space and give little yield, so it is worth buying them in the store.

2. Make your own baby food. Pay $.95 for a jar of stage three baby food? No way! Don't believe the marketing lie that baby food in the jar is the best nutritional option for your little one. Instead, buy bulk vegetables such as squash, peas, carrots, beans and corn. Steam them (bake the squash) and run them through a blender. Then, store the blended vegetables in ice cube trays in your freezer. When you need a meal, pop two or three cubes in the microwave for forty five seconds. You will save hundreds of dollars by doing this. Plus, you will know exactly what your child is eating.