5 easy ways to save money on kids

Being only 14 months into this parenting malarkey I am still but a mere novice. However, we're also pretty stingy with our cash here in the Cake household, so we've already worked out a few ways of pinching pennies. Since this week's focus is on scrimping and saving I thought I'd share my best tips - I hope they'll help you out.

If you're a bit further through I'd love if you share your tips, too - we're definitely still looking for ways to improve our game!

1. Work out what's important to you

We taught him the importance of our
family priorities at a young age.

There's no right formula for exactly what you need for your kids, but if you start by identifying what's important for your specific family you can rationalise, and spend less on stuff (and activities) that you don't care so much about. Example: we really wanted to have the flexibility to go running with our kid, so we forked out an extra few hundred dollars for a running stroller. We're glad we spent that extra money but it wouldn't make sense for non-runners. We didn't buy it new, either, which brings me to...

2. Check secondhand first
I can't emphasise this enough. Kids grow fast. Trademe is awash with clothes, toys and other gear that has barely been used. As well as saving a heap of money, you'll be helping somebody declutter their house and reducing waste. Winning!
(note: for safety reasons it's recommended to buy cot mattresses and car seats new)

3. Plan ahead
This is true for spending on just about anything. Sometimes it's not possible, but mostly you know what you'll need ahead of time. Watch for sales or put a saved search on Trademe and pounce when you see a bargain. I quite like Marks & Spencer clothing for the small person, and the seasonal split makes it even better; they're always having summer clearance sales just as the season is approaching here.

4. Ignore "must-have" lists...

Toys, pffft, I've got pegs!

... Especially if they're published by people selling stuff (hint: they usually are). There's not much you actually need specifically for kids. Clothes (and nappies), bedding, food... Pretty much everything after that is optional. I have a bunch of things I wouldn't want to be without because they make life easier, but you can usually work that out as you go. Stuff we skipped completely that most lists say is essential: change table, baby bath, bassinet, nursing pillow, infant bowls and spoons. That stuff might be more important to you - see #1 - but for us it didn't matter so we just skipped it. I don't think we've scarred the kid (yet).

5. Share stuff
Who wants to join my commune? There's no religion involved and definitely no Kool-aid, just a good old-fashioned community of sharing. Okay, maybe that's a bit extreme (idyllic as it sounds in the abstract) but sharing stuff is both practical and nice. We borrowed a capsule car seat from friends for a few weeks when the Little Monkey was very small; another friend borrowed our Ergobaby infant insert. This works especially well for newborn stuff, since it's generally needed for such a short time, but toy libraries work on a similar principle (though there is a small cost involved there).

So tell me - what tips do you have for saving money on kids? Were there any "must have" items that you skipped?