Today it seems impossible to save money. I know in our family it seems like ever since Christmas, we haven’t been able to catch a break. This spring I’m really committing to reigning in our finances and making a strong effort to budget better and save more. Here are some of the ways our family is tackling rising costs and cutting back.

1. Think needs versus wants. As simple as this sounds, it can be hard in practice. Needs are things like your mortgage, groceries, gas, and daycare. Wants, that can be trimmed from the budget, include dining out, gym memberships, coffee from the coffee shop, and entertainment. Take a hard look at what your needs are and the “wants” that you could consider cutting back on.
2. Groceries: One of our biggest culprits is dining out. Instead of eating out multiple times a week or having food delivered, we’ve started making a list of meals for the week on Sundays and then shopping for those meals from a list. We will also toss in a “clean the pantry” night for dinner where we make something that’s been in the pantry or freezer for far too long.

3. Celebrate Simple Birthdays: Social media has done a great job making moms feel like a birthday party needs to look like a small wedding to be nice, but we keep birthdays simple in our house. A cake, a gift or two and a few friends over if we’re feeling up to it.

4. Free Fun: I am off work on Tuesdays and Thursday with Baby G. At first I felt the need to plan days packed with outings to museums, the zoo, etc. These days we head to a local park, draw outside with chalk or hit up the local library’s free story time. Fun doesn’t have to come with an expensive price tag.

5. Shop Secondhand: I cannot stress how much you can save shopping secondhand. As we prep for Baby #2, we’ve been scouring Facebook marketplace or local secondhand shops for used baby furniture, gear and clothes to save some cash. Additionally, consider selling back what you no longer need or use. It’s a great way to get rid of toys your child no longer plays with, or clothes they’ve outgrown.

6. Cut back on subscriptions: Take a look at all the subscriptions you have and think hard about which you actually need. You can always consider sharing accounts with a trusted friend or family member to help save.

What are some ways you help keep your budget under control? Let us know in the comments below!