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Too Much Month at the End of the Money

Mom Hacks to Stretch Your Dollars

By Kelly Battles May 1, 2015
If you're like me, you have found yourself with too much month at the end of the money at least once as a parent. 

How do we stretch what's in the fridge until payday? Where can I get cheap shoes for my kids? We really need to get out of this house, but how do we find family-friendly entertainment for free or nearly free? 

These are all questions I've asked myself at one time or another. Sometimes being a mom means more than just caring for our children. It means being creative with the family finances to stretch our dollars!

Mom Hacks in the Kitchen
Accidental “mom hacks” in the kitchen are among the best ideas for those times when payday is tomorrow. Recently, I went to make mac & cheese for my kids but we were out of butter. This is after I had already started boiling the noodles of course! So I rummaged through my fridge and found some cream cheese that hadn’t even been opened yet. (How did I miss that?!) I thought, “Hey, this could sub for the butter, right?” Well, all I could do was try. And let me tell you, it was the most delicious boxed mac & cheese we’ve ever had! We all loved it. 

What about those cans in the pantry you’re just not sure how to turn into a meal? That’s when I look for help online. There are websites like Supercook where you can choose just the ingredients you have, and it will find recipes for you. These are great for those times when you just can’t shop yet. 

Did you know you can buy Nature’s Own brand bread at the local dollar store? Twice a week they receive shipments of bread, still fresh! I like to buy at least a dozen and put them in my deep freezer. Since they average $3.25 around town, this is a huge savings for our family. Sometimes they have other name brand items that can help you stretch your groceries to the next payday.

Mom Hacks to Entertain
Although Netflix and Redbox are great cheap entertainment ideas, did you know the library rents movies for FREE? If you’re at the end of the month with no money for movie entertainment, head to the library and pick out a family movie.

Now that the weather is nicer, we like to take picnic lunches to the park. It’ll save you cash if you pack your own.

Don’t forget to check your local Macaroni Kid calendar. It is up-to-date with the best free or frugal activities in town. With this beautiful weather, it’s so much easier to get out and enjoy what your town has to offer! 

Mom Hacks for the Wardrobe
Have your kids outgrown all of their sandals and shoes again like mine have? There are great places to shop around town that have discount shoes (even new!). But one of my favorites is Goodwill. I have even found brand new shoes (with stickers still on them). It’s hit or miss, but it’s worth it to me to drive around to the different stores to find something decent for my kids for much less money.

Another great place to shop for discount clothing is online. I hate dragging my children all over town to shop, so sometimes I skip the trip and opt to stay home and surf for great deals, especially when we are short on cash. Many sites have free shipping or great annual sales.

Mom Hacks to Add Income
If you really just need some extra cash, I bet you have plenty of items in your home that could be sold on Craigslist or any of the local Facebook yard sale sites. Check your closet or your attic and see what you have.

Many of us have gifts from that distant relative that we will never use. Why even bother with online sales sites when you have people in your area who would love to buy your new or gently used items? Some of them will even accept trades! You could get some extra cash today if you are lucky and have items people want.

I hope you've found some help to get you through to payday. Please comment with your best mom hacks!