50 ways for SAHMs to save money
So you want to save money on your household bills and other expenses?
If you’re considering quitting your job to be a stay-at-home mum or are struggling to make ends meet now that you are staying at home with your children, then spending is probably top of your list of worries.
Assuming you live with your partner, then at least you have one income coming in. The trouble is your income was helping to cover the bills and mortgage.
Now you’re not working and there’s a baby to feed too!
It is possible to make significant cuts to your spending, you just need to take a step back and take a good, hard look at your outgoings.
Be brutal. If you need to slash £1,000 from your monthly spending, then you will need to take radical action.
Some cuts might be painful, but remind yourself at all times about want vs need. You might want something. But before you spend the money, consider whether you actually need it.
Here are 50 ways you can save money as a stay-at-home mum.
1. Analyse your spending
Write down all of your outgoings, right down to the coffee that you buy every morning and television subscriptions.
Try to break it down into weekly, monthly and annual expenditures. There will be some items that jump out at you right away as things you can cut back on.
2. Switch supermarkets
You will get way more for your money at Aldi and Lidl compared to Sainsbury’s and Waitrose.
Try getting your usual shop from one of the cheaper supermarkets and see how much you save. If you’re unsure, you could always compromise and get your meat and veg from your preferred supermarket and other items such as nappies and wipes from Aldi, Tesco or Lidl.
3. Shop for bargains at the end of the day
Look for the yellow stickers! These are items that supermarkets will slash the price on towards the end of the day as they need to shift them before they go out of date.
You can always freeze certain things if you won’t use them on that day.
4. Plan your meals
Meal planning is a very effective way of cutting back on your grocery bill. However it only works if you stick to it, and don’t do any top-up shopping in between your main weekly grocery shop!
Make a list of all seven days worth of dinners, lunches and breakfasts. Make sure you have everything you need. It also helps when you plan to use the same thing twice for meals.
For example, split a cauliflower over two meals with one using it for cauliflower rice and the other as a boiled vegetable side.
5. Cut back on visits to the hairdressers
Do you get your hair highlighted? You can save hundreds of pounds a year by switching to DIY home colour. The packs of hair dye from supermarkets cost around £5 and are easy to do yourself.
You could also invest in a decent pair of hair scissors to do your own trims every few weeks and save you visiting the hairdressers as frequently.
6. Ditch the car
Choose activities that involve walking to reach your destination instead of taking the car. You could save £££s on petrol and parking costs.
7. Cut back on cleaning products
Mrs Hinch has an enviable array of cleaning products and it can be hard to resist the latest Zoflora scent.
On the other hand, you don’t actually need dozens of sprays and potions to clean your home. Cut back to just a decent anti-bacterial cleaning spray, some bleach, soda crystals, vinegar and bicarbonate of soda. You can do pretty much any household cleaning job with these items, including whitening your whites in the laundry.
8. Get a decent flask
Stop buying expensive coffees when out, instead have a flask that you fill up at home.
If you’re struggling to give this up, think about how much your daily coffee fix costs then multiply it by 360. That’s how much it’s costing you every year.
9. Take a picnic with you
Stop buying lunches when you’re out and about. Making up a packed lunch will save you serious money when added up over the course of a year.
10. Make your own fun
Expensive days out really drain your funds. Although places like LegoLand do frequent buy one get one free offers on tickets all year round, they are still pricey days out.
Try making your own fun doing cheap things at home and in your local area. Invite people over for a picnic in the garden.
Give yourselves a 50 park challenge over the summer holidays where you seek out 50 new playgrounds you’ve never been to before in your local and surrounding area.
Make play dough at home, or get the kids doing other crafty activities. Rent a film with them. It’s about £30 cheaper than taking them to the cinema!
11. Bake
Do your kids love grabbing a cake as a treat when you’re out? Try baking your own batch of brownies or fairy cakes instead.
It’s a fun activity, and you’ll find it cheaper in the long run if you’re always stocked up on flour, sugar and eggs.
12. Switch provider
This is applicable for your mobile phone, landline, TV, broadband, water, electricity and gas services.
You can start with one of the price comparison websites and take it from there. Some providers do not submit information to the comparison sites, so shop around a little and do your research.
You could save hundreds of pounds in just one day by really looking at these regular outgoings and whether another company will do you an identical service for less money.
13. Ditch your Sky/Virgin TV subscription
Are you forking out hundreds of pounds a year on a Sky subscription? There’s so much available on Freeview now, that you may find that giving it a month or two, you won’t even miss the Sky channels.
Try to switch to Netflix instead, if you don’t already have a subscription.
You may also find that if you tell Sky you are leaving, they may offer you a substantial discount to keep you as a customer for a little longer.
Here are more tips for haggling with Sky.
14. Make Christmas gifts
Save money on Christmas by making the gifts. Food is a particularly nice one. You could make a nice jam or chutney, then pop them into jars and write on your own labels.
15. Have a babysitting rota
If you have no family around, it can feel like you will never get a chance for a break!
Get together with your friends and agree a monthly babysitting rota so that each of you gets a chance to go out with your other halves.
A babysitter can cost up to £80, that’s before you’ve even spent any money on your night off.
16. Stop cleaning clothes after just one wear
We can all be guilty of just chucking worn clothes into the wash straight after use. Take a second look and really assess if the clothing is actually dirty.
Most things can be worn a second time around and using your washing machine less will save on your water and electricity bill.
17. Join your local library
Not only can you save money on buying new books for you and your kids, but they also have amazing free events at your local library.
18. Make a wish list
Have a rolling list of things that you need. This way when family ask for present ideas, you know what to ask for them right away.
19. Start a blog
Running a blog costs money. However, in the long run you not only make cash from advertising and sponsored posts, but you may also receive gifted items you would otherwise have spent money on.
Of course, you will have to spend time writing reviews and plugging the items you are gifted on social media. However I have received hundreds of pounds worth of toys for my kids that I otherwise would have spent my own money on.
You can find out more about starting your own blog here.
20. Get couponing
Although many avid coupon fans say the art isn’t what it used to be, with fewer decent deals out there, you can still save £££s by seeking out vouchers and coupons.
Look in magazines, online and in coupon groups to find the best deals.
21. Get cashback
Cashback sites are a gateway to big brands. You purchase through their links, they gain a commission. The cash back site then offers you part of their commission back to you.
22. Investigate cheap but exciting spots to visit
Do you have a local fish shop? We have one at our local garden centre where the kids can get fish food to feed the giant koi for just £1 a go. They love doing this and it gets them out of the house for an hour.
23. Give your kids a cardboard box
Kids keep telling you they’re bored and want something new to do. Make sure you save all large cardboard boxes because there is nothing kids like better than a huge cardboard box to play in.
Give them pens and pencils to colour the inside with too for a zero mess activity.
24. Check your council tax band
You could be overpaying on your council tax! Check your council tax band is correct with this handy guide.
25. Grow your own
Save money on vegetables and herbs by growing your own in your garden or in a window box.
This is also a great activity to do with your kids.
26. Switch to own brands
I’ve tried this with Corn Flakes, and I still prefer Kelloggs! But, try it with things like aspirin and paracetamol, dish washer capsules, juice, and the list goes on.
Many factories that make products for branded items, will also be making pretty much the same thing for supermarket-own products. Shop around, see if you can make a switch here and there.
The savings will add up.
Here’s a great article from Good Housekeeping about some fab branded swaps that add up to £240 saved in just one year.
27. Make meals in bulk
Ingredients such as mince is cheaper when bought in larger packs, or if you can get it in a multipack offer. Make extra portions and freeze what you don’t eat for another day.
28. Wash your own car
Stop forking out for the car wash and do it yourself with a bucket and sponge. You can even get the kids to help. They’ll love it.
29. Try the 30-day rule
Wait 30 days until you buy something to be sure you really want and need it.
30. Organise a toy exchange
Have a toy exchange with your friends and their kids! This is a great way of getting exciting new stuff to play with every month.
31. Shop for Christmas all year
Keep an eye out for offers and promotions throughout the year, and keep a rolling list of what people in your family may want for Christmas.
Having the expense to deal with all at once in December can be stressful, plus you may panic the closer you get to Christmas and spend more than you budgeted for.
32. Ditch bad habits
Smoking and drinking cost a lot of money. Quit smoking by any means possible. You’ll find lots of support from your GP.
It can be easy to fall into a trap of having a glass of wine every night to relax. Have one night a week where you allow yourself a drink and you’ll save £££s on booze.
33. Upcycle
Don’t ditch outdated or donated furniture. You can paint, replace door handles and add your own stencils to decorate old pieces.
34. Try simple activities
Young children don’t really need a whole lot to keep them happy. A trip to the park is free for you and exciting for them.
You could also try taking them for a ride on the bus. It won’t cost a whole lot and they will love the experience if they haven’t already ridden one.
35. Look for loyalty schemes
By signing up for a points card, or simply offering up your email address, many shops and brands will give you money off in return.
36. Declutter and sell your stuff online
Need more space? Get rid of unwanted clothes and sell them on Facebook Marketplace or eBay. Facebook is a great place to sell your stuff because you won’t be charged a fee for the listing.
37. Research the cheapest fuel in your town
Petrol prices can vary wildly from one station to the next. Save money on refilling your tank by checking out the prices of all the petrol stations in your area. Plan ahead for refilling so you aren’t forced to visit the most expensive one.
38. Pay your bills on time
Even better, cut up your credit cards altogether too!
39. Remember your shopping bags
Are you one of those people who gets to the checkout and realises they don’t have a bag for life with them?
Try keeping three folded up bags for life in your handbag at all times. You can also get lovely reusable bags that fold down really tiny into smaller container bags and then clip to your handbag. They’re lightweight and it will save you at least 10p per trip to the supermarket.
40. Fill your freezer
A freezer full of food is more efficient that an empty one. Bulk cook some meals and fill your shelves with them!
41. Air dry your clothes
Tumble dryers are tough on your electricity bill! Try to air dry your clothes, especially in summer when they will dry very fast in the sun.
42. Swap bank accounts
Many current accounts will offer great deals and cash incentives for switching over to a new bank.
Look at the latest deals and see what cash you could get!
43. Get on Twitter
Many brands will feature their best offers on social media first. Make sure you’re following them on social media to catch any bargains first.
44. Swap it
Websites such as Swapz let you switch your stuff with other people.
45. Plan your annual expenses in advance
Renewing your car insurance, home insurance and other expenses will usually be cheaper if you pay in a lump sum rather than monthly. Try to save up in advance for this expense.
46. Get a water meter
A water meter can save you hundreds of pounds a year by not only ensuring you only pay for what you use, but also making you aware of your own water usage so you can cut back.
47. Be wary of offers
Black Friday. Cyber Money. Buy One Get One Free. It all sounds so enticing!
The trouble is, when you look at the supposed saving, it can sometimes not be what it seems.
Be careful of being sucked into BOGOF deals, especially for perishable goods that you may not get a chance to use.
Keep an eye on prices, as some retailers may inflate prices for a short time before then slashing the price. The saving may not be as much as you think. Do your research, shop around.
48. Make clothes last longer
Buy clothes for your child in a size up. For trousers, look for ones with a button adjustable waistband so that you can bring them in a little, then just roll up the legs.
Make sure you save all of your first child’s clothes if you plan to have more children. Store them in a vacuum-seal plastic bag and keep them in the loft until you need them again.
Check out local Facebook groups for people selling second-hand clothes for bargain prices. You may find some really nice brands for just a 10th of the retail price.
49. Try a reusable menstrual cup
Tampons and sanitary pads are an essential expense every single month. Although it’s only a few quid, it adds up over the years.
Switch to a reusable menstrual cup and you’ll never have to buy tampons or pads again. They are extremely effective and cost around £19 (that’s cheaper than your annual sanitary pad/tampon costs). They last for years and years.
50. Invest in a slow cooker
Chuck meat, veg and stock into the pot in the morning. Let dinner simmer while you go about your day, then you have a healthy meal made from scratch for the evening.
By doing this you can buy cheaper cuts of meat, as they often cook much nicer when slow cooked.
