Becoming a parent for the first time is utterly amazing. There is no experience like it, and it will change your life in countless ways. You’ll go from only having yourself to think about, to having another little person depending on you for constant love, care and support. It is a change that comes so naturally, but one that can also bring times of worry.
Parent life doesn’t come cheap or easy. No matter how hard you save, or how prepared you might think you are, there will be unexpected outlays. New school books, a last minute school trip? How about the countless pairs of new shoes as their tiny feet grow into adult sizes? None of us want to see our kids go without, but sometimes we occasionally have to question where the money is coming from.
Finding some good tips and tricks for money saving when you first become a parent can be an absolute lifeline for those of us on a tighter budget. It gives us the freedom to buy products that we might otherwise have to pass up and can even lead to savings on grocery bills and products for our newborns.
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How to start collecting coupons?
The first thing, you do is buy or make a cheap folder with plastic pockets. This will be your organisation system for your coupons. Gather coupons from online sources such as:
Facebook couponing groups and communities
Facebook money saving groups and communities
Pinterest boards – these will sometimes have coupons and money saving ideas.
Twitter – check the brand pages and interact with them. Don’t be afraid to ask questions.
Brands own blogs and websites
Brands own newsletters – sign up to these, and you’ll never miss their exclusive money off coupons or deals. TOP TIP:- Create a separate email account to use only for couponing and competition entry. That way you can check it on a regular basis, but the hundreds of emails that you receive won’t annoy you or clutter up your regular inbox!
When you’ve got a few coupons gathered, file them in order of date and the type of product. It is sometimes useful to have separate sections for beauty, fashion, groceries and kids products. Each time you go to the store you can then either take your whole coupon file or transfer the correct ones into your purse.
Free samples are often possible. You can get free sample right from Target and various stores if you know where to look. Many children’s brands also offer discounts on their products if you buy more than one pack. Combine coupons with bulk buy deals to double your savings! Good examples to buy in bulk are nappies, baby bath products, children’s hair care products. Creams and lotions. Don’t buy things that run the risk of running out before you can use them all.
Try entering online competitions to win products for your family. There are so many dedicated parenting competitions out there; you’ll be spoiled for choice. Enter the competitions daily and enter as many as you can. Your odds are low, so you need to maximise them by entering a variety of different competitions. If you do this for the whole year, you might be surprised by the amount of products you could win.
