Stack term policies.

 Once your considered your life, you can reasonably plan the timeline of what you will need for insurance throughout. By stacking policies, you can lock in at the best rates and only add on additional amounts as needed. These additional amounts can then be removed as you move out of those phases of life.

		Child Support
		Mortgage & College Funds
		Income Replacement
	Adjustment Period to Return to Work
Burial Costs
Single Person	Young Married Spouse	Young Married with Kids	Married with Older Kids	Married with Grown Kids

Have a will.

 (Try to get it written for free.) Not having a will can be very costly. If you die without a will, your estate will be tied up intestate and its fate decided through your state. THIS is not what you want, make sure they know what you do want. Free wills can be found through sources online but there is debate as to how good those wills are without the personal assistance from actual legal aid. If you do create your own will, be certain to get it notarized.

Upromise.

Create a Upromise account. By creating your own account you can earn money for your child's education when you use linked loyalty and transaction cards. Plus you can share your Upromise ID with friends and family and they can choose to connect their cards to your account as well for earnings when they make regular everyday purchases. 

Make your own party decorations and invitations.

 Themed Birthdays with something you can supplement from a recent holiday (closeout sale) or a current trend. By using the available products for something trendy, like a current movie, you'll save a lot of money on shipping and on the products themselves. This can also be really exciting for the party goers because they are familiar with the theme of the party.  Capture big item concepts to use in your decorations and stick to a main color theme. Buy one set of themed plates and use your color theme to buy additional plates that you  need. Go online, find, customize, and print designs for all of your needs; design your own wall decor, invitations, welcome signs...

Don't buy what you can make.

Don't underestimate your creativity or overestimate the need of your child. Often parents could make an accessory or toy at a fraction of the cost. The comparison is hilariously more dramatic when the items we're talking about are seemingly homemade. Make your own hair bows. Make diaper covers for your diapers or just for under dresses. Create costumes of all kinds out of scrap fabric. You can even go to a neat store to shop for what you want to make.  Here are some wonderful princess inspired aprons: http://giggleberrycreations.blogspot.it/2012/10/princess-dress-up-aprons.html or superheroes: https://www.etsy.com/listing/111711716/kids-superhero-apron-for-girls-or-boys

Stock up on good sales.

If there is a clearance sale or summer sale on something you know your kid will be ready for and love next season or next year - buy it now. School supplies are discounted a few months after the big day - stock up. See some great toys or even things for every person - create a gift closet for when you need birthday gifts for your child's friends or your co-workers. BUT don't overdo it.

Pillowcase dresses!

The full tip here is to look differently at everything you have and see what you are no longer using that you could use a different way. Very simple instructions are all over the web showing you how to turn grandma's old pillowcase that you love but will never use into an adorable dress for a daughter.

Expand child's time to fit clothing.

 Learn to sew. If your child (particularly girls - these are so cute) grows too tall for a pair of pants, consider making a ruffle or frill for the bottom of the cuff to make the pants last longer. Boy designs don't usually look very appropriate/good but could work when they are still 0-5. Here is one pattern: http://www.themotherhuddle.com/tutorial-ruffle-cuff-pant-legs/ or another: http://craftstew.com/sewing/quick-and-easy-way-to-lengthen-pants

Repurpose clothing.

By learning to sew and being creative you can turn a shirt around into shorts, make brother's shirt into little sister's dress; and as things shrink give them a new purpose. Daddy's big button up shirt can also be made into a super cute little girl dress. http://thegirlinspired.com/2011/09/his-work-shirt-to-her-school-dress/   This one might be a little easier to sew: http://sewing.craftgossip.com/cool-idea-little-girls-dress-from-dads-shirt/2009/03/27/  

Hand me downs!

When someone offers you clothes in the size you need or will be needing - SAY THANK YOU! Hand me downs and hand me across is a great way to boost your child(ren)'s wardrobe which will be grown out of soon anyhow. It if has a stain, find a cute bow, button, flower, or patch to put over the stain. This can make the item even more personal and appropriate to your child.

Netflix

It's tempting to subscribe to a cable package when you have kids. There just isn't enough entertainment for kids (maybe they should go OUTSIDE!). Get a Netflix subscription. I understand that now they have more of a family package understanding which allows more people to share together to pay the $8 per month between friends, family, roommates, and neighbors. Netflix is a cheap alternative to constant movie rentals, theater trips, or cable packages.

Swap-out, trade, and borrow kid toys.

Whether this is through an official toy swap circle where each mom passes two toys to the next parent on the list or a swap meet where you go and pick a few, find a way to trade kid toys. Meagan of http://www.joytroupe.com/ created toy sets and would switch out the toy sets occasionally to keep toys interesting.

Borrow books, videos, puzzles, music… from the library.

Kids are such wonderful creatures. Save your family budget from purchasing shelf after shelf of new books by going to the library regularly. Check out videos and music, too. Our library also had a checkout section for wooden puzzles, audio books, and curriculum packages. Many big libraries even have a variety of tech gadgets that you can try out to see what you like.

Join a playgroup.

Sometimes playgroups and MOMS (MOMS Offering Moms Support http://www.MOMSclub.org/) clubs come with a required cost while others do not. Don't let this deter you if the amount is reasonable enough. Mom's groups can be a great source of last minute help, resource suggestions, free entertainment, and even a meeting ground for cooperative preschools. 

Split an entree with your child when eating out.

If your kid doesn't eat all of the meal you buy for them why get it? Order something they'll eat in a bigger variety and YOU eat most of it. We divvy out together and everyone is happy. And all of the food gets eaten for less $$$.

Cloth diapers!

Got babies? Then you know how expensive disposable diapers are! I LOOOOOVED our cloth diapers.

When I brought my first baby home, I joined a mommy group and someone mentioned these diapers. Bum Genius One Size diapers. http://www.cottonbabies.com/ They are super absorbent, have a plastic layer to stop leaks, and resize from birth to potty training! Plus if you have additional children you can keep using them.

Real costs: New 4.0 versions will cost $18 per diaper. You can get them on sale "buy five get one free" or you can buy "seconds" which have a cosmetic flaw and have been returned but are less expensive. There are also cheaper repairables for those who are needle-inclined. So for a set of 12 you have an investment of $216 or less. You can buy more and will have less stress over when to wash but they should be washed every other day.

So $216 for diapers plus $122 for cleaning is about $338 for using one size cloth diapers and washing them yourself. http://www.diaperdecisions.com/pages/cost_of_cloth_diapers.php cites the cost of disposables full time as $2577. $2000 in two years for basically doing your own laundry and not piling up the landfill. No brainer.

Cloth Rocks - so feed your pig!

Package your own individual sized snacks and foods.

Package your own individual sized snacks and foods. If your kids eat Goldfish Crackers, don't feel compelled to buy them five small size bags each week. Buy the cheaper large box and use baggies or washable plastic containers to divide them up into even more appropriate servings. By making the conscious decision to make your own portions, you can choose what an appropriate portion size is for every part of your meal.

Breastfeed.

This isn't right for everyone but everyone should at least realize it's an option. Besides it being free, it's the best and healthiest thing a mom could ever do for her child. Because of X, Y, and Z I had no idea or plan until the day the baby was born. You want me to do what? Hmm....  Be prepared and consider the idea. Nothing is better than being able to pick up a crying baby and feed them without having to go to the kitchen to prepare a meal. 

Make baby food.

This can be quite easy or more complicated. There are so many recipes online for full value meals for babies. Consider steaming a vegetable and putting it in your blender. Or use a food mill to grind a tad bit of food that you are having as a family into baby mush. Creating food for your baby is very simple and can be a very intimate experience.

Garage sales

Garage sale with the kids or without them, each is their own experience. Look for new toys, books, and clothes but you might end up hooking up with a fun mom of kids who lives nearby, too. Often you'll be able to haggle down prices if you are reasonable. Consider offering a bulk price for several things that you are wanting.