10 tips to make parenting cheaper

With the cost of raising a family at an all-time high, it pays to find ways to keep costs down. Here’s how some small changes can make a big difference to your bank balance…

By Fiona Gibson

‘Mummy, can I have…’

As soon as children are old enough to ask for things in shops, they’re also old enough to understand that mummy’s purse doesn’t magically refill itself, and that not every item which catches their eye will be bought.

If you can manage to resist pester power at an early stage, you’ll have a far easier ride as your child grows older. Sure, he might truly believe he ‘needs’ that toy (whereas TV ads aimed at children were banned in Sweden in 1991, here in Australia, children are targeted at an increasingly early age).

Yet it’s also important that he grasps the concept of money - and realises that nagging won’t work.
What shall we do today?

Don’t feel guilty if expensive days out are reserved for birthdays only. In these cash-strapped times, few of us can afford extortionate entry fees - and fortunately, we don’t have to.

For ideas for free or cheap trips check out family-friendly websites such as Essential Kids.
Present tense?

When your child’s birthday’s approaching, consider asking grandparents and family friends to chip in for one major present. It’s far more useful than showering your child with more gifts than he knows what to do with.

Sure, opening lots of presents is part of the fun - but you can tick this box by picking up inexpensive bits and pieces over the weeks leading up to the big day. Sharing the cost of his main present sure helps to reduce the ‘ouch’ factor.
Cooking up a storm at home

While cooking for scratch works out cheaper than buying ready meals or take-aways, it can also be time consuming and hard to find tasty recipes.

Check out amazing sites like The $120 Food Challenge
Dive right in

As the cost of children’s activities mounts up, do your homework and find out what your local council offers for free.

Bear in mind, too, that much of what children enjoy is actually free such as playing in parks. In one study, when asked about their favourite activities, primary-aged children cited going to the beach or visiting grandparents. Bless…
Your support network

With babysitting costing an average of $8-$10 an hour a night out can seem frighteningly costly.

That’s where your friends come in - now, more than ever, we all need reliable mates who are happy to babysit (everyone needs the odd night out, after all). Babysitting circles range from the highly organised, with ‘token’ systems, or operate on a more relaxed basis.

The important thing is knowing that you and your friends are happy to swap favours and that childcare won’t ramp up the cost of your night out.
Not new…but who cares?

Likewise, get together with friends to swap toys which are no longer needed. ‘Last birthday, all of my daughter’s presents were either passed on by friends, or from Vinnies,’ says mum Simone, 31, mum to six year-old Grace.

‘I found a beautiful musical box which was in perfect condition for $2.50, and a friend passed on a whole pile of Playmobil too.’

Do bear in mind that, while a pile of presents is thrilling, those gifts don’t have to cost the earth. Our fear of ‘disappointing’ our children often leads to us spending more than we can afford - on gifts which are soon cast aside and forgotten.
Just you and me

It might sound corny, but so much of raising a child isn’t about showering them with gifts and possessions, but enjoying being together. ‘Whenever we reminisce about when the boys were younger,’ says Marian, 48, mum to 15 year-old twins Aaron and Michael, ‘it’s always, “Remember that time we built that fire on the beach”, or, “Remember the time we all camped out in the garden?”

Recently, I asked Michael if he could remember the fort we have him when he was about four - and he had no recollection of it at all!’ Although we’re all time-starved these days, do try to carve out time to simply hang out together, as shared memories are something money can’t buy.
Pitching in

Exotic holidas might be off the agenda right now - since 2006, the number of families who can’t afford a week away has risen by a third. Yet you can still enjoy family time away from home.

If the thought of wrestling with a tent makes you shudder, consider that camping has been found to make families feel closer and less stressed - 77 per cent of campers are happy with their quality of life, compared to just 59 per cent of non-campers, according to researchers at Liverpool John Moores University.

Time to dust down that camping stove and brew up, perhaps?
Play away

While we battle to keep on top of finances, it’s easy to forget that most of what children enjoy is absolutely free. With so much emphasis on ‘doing’ and going places, children often lack the chance to play imaginatively with friends - which doesn’t cost a bean.

Having a small number of toys can actually boost a child-imagination (think of how overwhelming she can appear at Christmas, when she’s surrounded by stuff). It also helps her to value and take care of what she has - and takes the pressure off you. Luckily, a child’s rich imagination comes with no price tag attached.
Next Up: You know that smacking your child is not okay? Now read this
As parents, we all know that smacking is a big no-no - yet occasionally, we're pushed to the limit.