Raising a family on a tight budget can be a challenging endeavour. From birth until adulthood, having children is expensive, and it requires a lot of creativity and technique to keep the finances in order. Here are some of the best money-saving tips for staying on top of family finances.

1. Plan your weekly menu

For busy mothers, creating a menu at the start of the week will help save you time and money. Start with planning your meals for the whole week, and then make a grocery list of the things you will need. Purchase in bulk wherever possible, and adhere to your grocery list to prevent impulse buys.

2. Buy the generic version

In most situations, generic items match their name-brand alternatives in quality. To cut costs, go generic with dry products like baking powder, sugar and seasoning, along with dairy products and produce. Other items to buy generic consist of cleaning products, over-the-counter medications, cosmetics and nappies.

3. Accept hand-me-downs

You have no idea the amount of money you’ll save on anything from clothing to toys by accepting gently used things. And in case you don’t end up making use of them, you can easily donate the items you don’t want.

4. Shop out of season

Purchasing the following size up for your kids in clothing or shoes during the off-season or late season can score you discounts that are hard to beat even in a second-hand store.

5. Visit your local library

As an alternative to buying new DVDs and books, make weekly trips to the local library and borrow a new selection of books and videos to occupy your child.

6. Visit playgrounds, parks and free mall play centres

These types of activities cost nothing at all and can keep young children amused and entertained for a long time.

7. Focus on presence, not presents

Giving your child 100 % of your attention for as little as Fifteen minutes each day improves your connection and decreases the need to compensate by purchasing gifts that will never fill your child’s desire for a relationship with you.

8. Make your own toys

Save food jar lids, run them through the dishwasher, and you’ve got instant counting/sorting/stacking toys for a young child. You can also throw a pile on your baby’s high-chair tray as something to keep them occupied while busy in the kitchen.

9. Make your own baby food

Save money by pureeing fresh food including blueberries, squash, and carrots, and then freezing it in a baby food tray.

10. Grow your own vegetables

Think of a rainbow when planting, for example, strawberries for red, and kale for green, to make sure your kids get the proper nutrients for a balanced diet. You can plant in containers if you don’t have a lot of space.

11. Save Money at Restaurants

To save money when eating out, eat at a family-friendly restaurant offering free meals for children.

Visit zebraloans.co.nz regularly for more money-saving tips.