The Rachel Cruze Show - Do These Money-Saving Hacks from Parents Actually Work?

Starting point is 00:00:05 I recently saw an article with money-saving hacks from clever parents, and I'm always in the market for a good budget-friendly parenting tip. You know this about me. So I read the article, got some good points, and we're going to talk through it. And make sure to stick around to the end because I'll share my go-to hacks when it comes to parenting and money. Be sure to like, subscribe, and share this episode with a friend. All right.

Starting point is 00:00:27 First and foremost, someone said, open a 529 and share the contribution link with friends and family. So it was quoted that said, this protected us from any onslaught of toys and baby clothes that they would just outgrow quickly. Okay. So they open up a college fund and send out the link to their friends and family. And instead of buying their kids gifts, they fund their kids college. So I have an opinion on this. I think it's a little tacky. And our friend George Campbell and Smart Money Happy Hour, he did this at his one-year-old's birthday party. So if you do it, you can be on Georgia's team. But if you're with me and I'm like, no, no, no, no. And it's different if they want to give cash, like if the grandparents want to give cash, the little kid, and then you as

Starting point is 00:01:14 the parent, like, okay, we're going to put that in the 529. It just feels funny to me, sending out links. I'm old school. It's how I feel even with like honeymoon stuff of like, don't get us a gift, find their honeymoon. I don't know. I just don't like the link thing. I don't like the, just give the cash. And then you, you as the adult decide what to do. Don't force everyone into a link. I don't know. I don't like it. Okay, number two, try a babysitting swap. So the quote is, if a babysitter costs $20 to $30 an hour, which it does, then you're spending $100 before you even leave the house. So you find another couple that you trust, do a date-night swap. You keep their kids, and then they go out, and then they keep yours,

Starting point is 00:01:50 and then you go out. And I love this. We've done this before, and it's so great. So our friends have older kids, and that's a hack. Get some people with older kids, because the girl, would babysit while all of us, like, went out to dinner, like on a double date even. So when that starts to happen, you're like, oh, gosh, we get to save on costs, it does make you feel like we want to go with that couple because we know babysitting's included, right? But the idea of the swap, and then we've done it, like, where we watch their kids, and then they just went out on a date, too. But the idea of that, I think, is brilliant because we spend so much on babysitters.

Starting point is 00:02:26 I mean, you do. That's not even the date night. That's just getting out of the house for someone to watch your kids. So I love a babysitter swap. Yes. and amen. All right, number three, keep character stickers in your pantry slash kitchen. So the quote is, special edition snacks and drinks with the latest cartoon character, action figure, costs several dollars more. So when you're at the grocery store,

Starting point is 00:02:47 the kids are always wanting a juice box, like with their favorite characters face on it. But this is, you keep those stickers at home and you, I guess, put the sticker on the food or on the generic version. I've never heard someone do this. And I'm like, you know what? more power to you. My kids didn't, like, I don't know, they, this isn't something I don't feel like they care about. There is a kid protein shake at Costco that has like a monkey on the front, and it costs the whole pack, I think costs twice as much of like regular protein, like fair life proteins that Winston and I will drink. And I swear it's just because it's like a kid, it has a monkey. And they do want the monkey. They don't want to drink ours. They want to drink

Starting point is 00:03:26 the monkey one. So like, maybe there, I'm like, okay, maybe. But yeah, you know, why not? It's a little bit more work for me, I feel like this tip, but if your kids are into it, sure, it's great. Number four, stuff your car seat when traveling. So the quote is, since airlines will check most car seats for free, you can stuff them with jackets and other bulky items to save room in your suitcase. Yes and amen. Okay, we've done this. So you gate check your stroller. And then sometimes we can bring on, Southwest used to do this, where you could bring on your car seat if it wasn't a full flight in your baby.

Starting point is 00:04:01 could, like, be in their car seat in an actual seat so you don't have to hold them. And that was a game changer. But with the stroller, even, the way we packaged it up, we would. We would throw some stuff in there 100% to save room. So I love that tip. Beautiful. All right, before we find out the rest, I do want to tell you about one of our sponsors, Christian Healthcare Ministries.

Starting point is 00:04:20 So it's open enrollment time for health insurance. And if health care costs are stressing you out, you're not alone. Christian Health Care Ministries is a biblical and budget-friendly alternative to insurance. and I'm proud to recommend them. With CHM, you choose your provider, submit eligible bills online, and other believers then share in the cost. And members have shared over $12 billion in health costs

Starting point is 00:04:45 since CHM started almost 45 years ago. CHM is simple, affordable, and you can join at any time, not just during open enrollment. So go to CHministries.org slash budget to learn more. That's CHministries.org slash budget. So I can't wait to tell you about one of our new sponsors, Minnow.

Starting point is 00:05:03 Now, we all want our kids watching shows that are fun and safe for them. And that is why I'm so excited about Minnow. It has tons of shows that your family will love, especially The Chosen Adventures, a new show from the creators of The Chosen. So it follows a girl named Abby as she has adventures and makes new friends and even meets Jesus. It is just so good. And as a mom, I don't have to worry because Minow is ad-free and full of biblical truth. So start your free seven-day trial today at gomino.com and use promo code Rachel for an additional

Starting point is 00:05:36 $10 off an annual plan. That's gomino.com code Rachel. All right, number five, do a school supplies audit. So the quote is, go through your kids' school supplies at the end of the year and compare them to next year's school supply list. And so this does three things. Number one, it kind of clears off, you know, everything, all the clutter that comes with after-school. like after school ends, like you just have all this stuff. Also, you can identify the school supplies that they already have for next year, meaning like, again, you're taking inventory here. And then number three, you can know what you need to get when back to school sales start at the end of the summer. So I think those are all great points. And I would say yes. My kids,

Starting point is 00:06:19 I'll be honest, I guess maybe, I think when your kids get older, I feel like this may be easier because they're able to take care of like, I don't even know if they still do calculators in high school, I don't know, but like actual things that are really expensive, that you're like, oh, no, you can keep reusing those. But when our kids come home with school supplies, there's not a ton left in there. It's like some broken crayons. So, like, there's not a ton. I think scissors maybe you can reuse, like we've done that before. But I feel like the age of your kid will depend a lot on if you can really reuse things. But I always recommend this. Like when school starts, I do always say take an audit. Around the house, what do you have? Be smart about it because, gosh,

Starting point is 00:06:55 back to school shopping adds up so fast. All right, number six, set up practice paychecks for your kids. So the quote is, in high school, we automatically transferred money for things like school supplies or activities with friends into their checking accounts. And we set up transfers on the first and 15th to mimic the timing of a consistent paycheck. This taught them that they had a budget throughout the month for bigger expenses like prom. Oh, I love this. This is what the Ramsies did. Okay, my parents didn't do the two.

Starting point is 00:07:22 They only did it on the first. They would fund our account for the month. And then we had to budget. but I do kind of like splitting it up. Like I kind of like, hey, this is the real world. This is usually how you're getting paid. If you're not getting paid weekly, then it is going to probably be twice a month. And so for them to feel that.

Starting point is 00:07:36 And I think it is great too because in high school, when you're able to look and say, okay, how much does it cost to go out with friends, the movies, even back to school shopping, like we ended up having to pay for that out of this account. But it just makes you, honestly, not only budget, but look at prices, be a smarter shopper early than just kind of feeling numb to it all because your parents are just buying everything. So I love this idea. Yes. Yes and yes. Number seven, save money on dental and orthodontics cost. So some dental insurance plans only offer orthodonic coverage after six to 12 months waiting period and with a benefit limit. And so to bridge the gap, we're considering a membership-based

Starting point is 00:08:19 program that is run by a third-party organization that provides immediate savings. I have to 20% to 30% and this will help without a pocket costs while waiting for your insurance to kick in. Okay, I mean, I guess if you find the plan that this works, yes. I mean, I think obviously dental stuff is very expensive. So if you can find ways to save money and you're not stuck, I just always plans with this where you're kind of finagling the system with something like insurance. Insurance already is so wacky. It's such a stupid world out there, I feel like, with insurance.

Starting point is 00:08:50 And so if I can be as buy the book and simple, I feel like the less complicated it gets because it's already complicated. But again, if you can find this, I don't know, this whole system where you're saving 20 to 30 percent, I mean, and it works. And you can keep up with it, then sure. I mean, that's saving some money. All right. The last tip is buy souvenirs for Disney ahead of time. So the quote is, they're cheaper on Amazon and you can give a small surprise to your kids each morning before going to the park. Yes.

Starting point is 00:09:19 Yes. Disney. Oh my gosh. We did all of this. We did buy the kids stuffed animals on our last Disney trip. So I caved at the park. I did do that. But we did all of our t-shirts, all of our hats. I mean, everything before. It makes it so easy. It really does. And even some of like the bubble wand stuff, like I mean, like you can really find some great things on Amazon. And they are a fourth of the price. I swear, than the parks. So I love that tip. All right. Two tips that we have found in the cruise household that help save some money. Number one is to do a no spend month. with your kids. This is like one of the best things we ever did. We started it last summer and we

Starting point is 00:09:54 implemented again this summer because they just, my kids just love stuff. Like, and I don't blame them. Like buying things, it's fun. But they're always like this, this, this. And even if they earn the money, they're like, mom, we want to buy this and that. And it's just constant. So if we can just say as a household, we're not spending any money, it just gives a freeze and you end up saving some more money because usually if you're running to target to get the kids something, like you're usually spent a little bit more here and there. So I love it all the way around. All right, number two for me is I bring my own food and snacks and drinks everywhere, like to the zoo, to the airport, to the movies, like all the things,

Starting point is 00:10:28 because most of the food costs so much more. And your actual place that you're enjoying, not even just the food, right? It's not usually a restaurant. It's usually another activity. And so if you can limit that and throw snacks and waters and drinks in a bag, it's not as exciting. The kids are always like, we want over there. But if you're looking to save money, that is a great place to do it.

Starting point is 00:10:48 So you guys, it is crucial to feel seen in the ups and downs of parenting. It is so real. So make sure to check out my episode. Every mom struggles with this, but no one talks about it. You can click right here, or if you're listening in podcasts, click the link below. All right, remember to take control of your money and create a life you love.

The Rachel Cruze Show - Do These Money-Saving Hacks from Parents Actually Work?

There aren't comments yet for this episode. Click on any sentence in the transcript to leave a comment.