Since the moment I knew that baby number two was on its way, I became hyper aware of how much we were spending as a family of 3.
I was very concerned that our spending habits, which in my opinion, were out of control (they are better but we are still a work in process) would never accommodate the addition of another child to the tribe.
I knew this was an issue before we became pregnant, however, this was the event that really woke me up and moved me to action.
The cost of day care alone would be a huge hit to our budget. Plus being out of work for 3 months without pay was a daunting task to cover. I wanted to make sure I had three months with my second, just like I did with my first.
So, I was turned on to any and every idea that would save us money.
Great Savings Ideas
One thing we did a lot is a no spend weekend. If you have not heard of it before, it is exactly as it sounds. You do not make any purchases during the time period in question. In this case Saturday and Sunday. I would then estimate what we would have spent over the weekend and put it into a savings account.
Here is a list of some of the things we did to keep from spending money on the many weekends that we did this. I hope it helps you on your journey to savings and better finances.
No Spend Weekend Ideas
- go for a walk
- take a bike ride
- go to the park
- go to a free museum
- attend a free concert in the park
- play board games
- read a book
- watch TV / movie (not paid)
- play with your children
- take a nap
- de-clutter your home (sell what you can and earn some side hustle cash!)
- do a DIY tutorial with items you have in the house
- plant a garden
- exercise
- complete a puzzle
- take an online survey for money
- journal
- color
- hang out and talk to your family (pretend it is 1980…)
- go to the library
- paint
- clean your house
- do the laundry
- write a letter to your children for when they are older
- listen to music
- take pictures
- go to the beach
- make a budget
- go fishing
- play a sport in the backyard (soccer, catch, football,…)
- play a game outside (tag, red rover…)
- play a card game
- organize your photos
- try a new recipe (use what you have in your house only!)
- mow the lawn
- volunteer
- join a website like Swagbucks or Inbox Dollars to make some side hustle money
- have a picnic
- make a list of items that need to be done around the house (i.e. honey do list)
- hang out with friends or neighbors
- attend church
- work on a meal plan for the up coming week or month
- scrapbook
- complete a craft from supplies you have in home
- make art with your family
- learn a new skill
- go through your closet: donate, recycle, and store off-season
- sit down
- meditate / do yoga
- bake
- teach your kids how to do something new
- make your own beauty products
- make your own cleaners for the home
- have a cup of coffee or tea
- start a blog
- start a home business (or brainstorm and research one)
- learn a foreign language
- rearrange a room in your house
- do a crossword puzzle or Sudoku
- look at a magazine
- build a fort
- baby sit
- take a bath
- use any gift certificates you have on hand
- paint your nails
- make a homemade gift for someone
- look for free items on Craigslist or freecycle (be safe!)
- donate
- have a picnic
- make something from your pinterest page (check out these awesome oui jars.)
- take a free online course (Udemey or Harvard has them)
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