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    Moms' 10 Weirdest Tips for Saving Money

    By Redbook | Parenting – Wed, Dec 28, 2011 12:16 PM EST

    By Charlotte Hilton Andersen, REDBOOK

    frugal mom
    My three boys didn't potty train until they were 4 years old. While this had many (many, many) downsides, the one upside is that since I spent so many years doing "the potty party" I learned a few tricks. My favorite one is to go to the thrift store and buy a huge plastic bag of Happy Meal toys for a dollar and use those as rewards for not making me change another diaper. The kids loved the toy, and I loved that they weren't all sugared up. But I'm not the only mom who's discovered an interesting frugal tip:

    1. "I save half-eaten apples, cut them up, cook them, and put them through a food mill to make applesauce to feed them that evening." - Lizzy

    2. "Before we went to Disneyworld, I bought real Walt Disney World 'souvenirs' on Ebay at a fraction of the cost." - Shellie

    3. "We buy oatmeal and wheat and sugar (and things like that) in bulk from a grain supply store instead of the grocery store." - Alice

    4. "I never buy my toddler kids meals in restaurants. I just share mine with him cause chances are he will fill up on chocolate milk and his food will end up in the trash anyways." - Sierra

    5. "We use Tupperware for lunches instead of plastic baggies." - Lyndsey

    6. "I save their Halloween candy to use on the gingerbread houses at Christmas." - Lizzy

    7. "I put children's toys in bins in the garage when they stop using them. Last year for Christmas my older two boys 'bought' presents from the bin to give to the 2 year old." - Lisa

    8. "I use square cotton flannel receiving blankets or flour sack towels, fold them into a rectangle shape and lay them into a wrap-style diaper cover and fasten onto baby. You can get one-size wrap-style diaper covers online for as little as about $9 and you only need about 2-4 a day so you could diaper a baby from birth to potty training for less than $100." - Melissa

    9. "Trade talents with other moms. Like cake decorating for babysitting." - Cate

    10. "I take my kids to Costco at lunch time and let them try out all the samples. By the time I've finished my shopping, they've had a well-rounded lunch!" - Julia

    What's your strangest frugal tip?


    More from REDBOOK:



    Permissions:     Reprinted with permission of Hearst Communications, Inc.

     

    11 comments

    • Robin J. Sky
      Robin J. Sky  •  4 months ago
      Seriously, you think Costco samples qualify as a "well-rounded lunch"?
    • Caroline
      Caroline  •  Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania  •  4 months ago
      I bid good-bye to diaper rash by keeping a coffee urn filled with warm water next to the changing table and used paper towels and water instead of wipes! no dyes, no chemicals, no rashes!
    • minngal
      minngal  •  Phoenix, Arizona  •  4 months ago
      Four years old and potty training?
      • Terri
        Terri 4 months ago
        some children strugle with bedwetting, like my daughter, it takes longer for them to train. I asked her DR. he said it had to do with a sensory nerve that didn't send the 'I need to pee' signal to the brain until it fully developed. And, it's hereditary.
    • lev
      lev  •  Okinawa-shi, Japan  •  4 months ago
      We go to different events that have gift give away , we are lucky bacause we always win. When we win all those toys are put away for birthday and christmas, this past christmas didn't spend a dime on gift, and the kids are still having fun.
    • A Yahoo! User  •  4 months ago
      these are the oddest tips I ever saw....must be better ones out there. The best tip...talk to other moms of all ages, all the time...ask questions.
    • Deidre
      Deidre  •  Edinburg, Virginia  •  4 months ago
      Healthier Baby Food, cheaper in the long run, and very tasty - Buy a cheap blender (around $15 in discount stores) and what ever you having for meals, just run a small portion through the blender for your child. Have raised 5 children this way and they are all good eaters, not picky at all, and like to try new foods.
    • V
      V  •  4 months ago
      I agree with not buying kids meals at restaurants. I hate how in Italian or Sushi places, the kids meals consist of chicken nuggets. Why not just share your meal choices with the kids? What works best for us since my daughter is picky, I pack her a meal in a divided tupperware (fruit, crackers, sweet potatoes, yogurt, etc) and bring it with us. She's happy, we're happy.
    • Ghost
      Ghost  •  4 months ago
      That lady who provided tip 3 is buying that stuff at a livestock feed store. Admit it.
    • Angela
      Angela  •  Los Angeles, California  •  4 months ago
      Ok 3-6 really aren't weird at all.
    • I*am*always*right
      I*am*always*right  •  4 months ago
      I use eggs....for facial cleanser :)
    • Paper Aeroplane
      Paper Aeroplane  •  4 months ago
      "I never buy my toddler kids meals in restaurants. I just share mine with him cause chances are he will fill up on chocolate milk and his food will end up in the trash anyways."

      So instead of giving your kids a good lunch you let them fill up on sugar?
      • Alicia
        Alicia 4 months ago
        I didn't like that tip, either. You can request something other than chocolate milk for your child and teach them that they need to actually sit down and eat, not just snack off of mommy's plate.
      • Valerie L
        Valerie L 4 months ago
        Maybe they only eat out once in awhile and they only give him chocolate milk when they eat out. I use to do the same, no need to pay 3-5$ for an extra meal, when i can cut my calories and save money by sharing my food. Now that my girls are a little older, we buy one meal and split it between them. Try not to be so quick to judge other moms, its a mom eat mom world and it shouldn't be.
      • Let them eat cake
        Let them eat cake 4 months ago
        Here's a thought as well... doggie bag. If the kid doesn't eat it then take it home for later. Most restaurant meals are grossly over portioned, most kids meals are actually adult sized portions, and most adult meals are enough for 2 at least. I've split meals with my husband, I don't see why it would be a problem to split a meal with a child. I'm sure the wait staff at any restaurant would be willing to bring out a clean plate so the child can have their own plate rather than literally picking at mommy's food. I would assume that at home the child eats what mommy's eating so what's the issue?
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