Daily Preparedness

Everyone knows that raising children is a very expensive proposition! From the moment you receive the exciting news that Junior is on the way, it seems that cash literally rolls out the door. But STOP, you can have and raise a Provident Child without breaking the bank. Forget nearly everything the world tells you about feeding, clothing, housing and educating your child by simply writing checks. There are a million and one ways to raise a happy, healthy and successful child without a millionaire paycheck.

The upper most thought in your mind should always be, ‘I will love and protect this child with everything I have.’ Your job as a parent is simply that! Regardless of your income, attempting to accomplish that goal with an endless array of wasteful and unnecessary expenditures will most likely prove fruitless. Marketing to parents is savvy, sometimes deceptive and nearly always aggressive. Ignore it!

Though we don’t have a million and one ideas, here are a few things to get you started:

CHILDREN (Raising them economically & teaching them to be frugal)

• Breastfeed your babies. The savings are HUGE and the health benefits for you and your baby well documented.
• If you cannot breastfeed, use generic baby formula. FDA requirements mandate the standards for baby formula, so it should all be created equal. Utilize coupons and sign up for manufacturer’s coupons.
  
• Consider using cloth diapers. Not only are they economical, they are more ‘eco-friendly’ and the cloth diapers can be used later for a variety of uses. Babies with sensitive skin will usually fair better with cloth diapers. Save the disposables for trips out of the house.
• If you must use disposable, shop for the best prices, use generics & utilize coupons!
  
• Make your own baby wipes. There are plenty of free instructions on the web.
• Make your own baby food. Simply smash or process in the food processor fruits and veggies. Baby cereal is merely rolled oats processed into smaller pieces–you can do the same thing in your blender for a fraction of the cost.
• Baby juice? It is merely regular juice that has more water added to it.
• Decorate the nursery in ’shabby chic’ with colorful, but mismatched furniture and equipment.
• Clothe them from yard sales, thrift stores & consignment shops. Of course, carefully launder your finds before putting them on baby. Cleaning is a good idea for all baby items–new or used.
• Instead of purchasing a changing table, purchase a pad that converts a dresser top to a changing table.
  
• If you are registering for baby gifts, concentrate on what you REALLY need for the baby! Don’t hesitate to return items you receive if they are duplicates, unnecessary or simply over-priced fluff.
  
• Teach your children to eat a variety of foods. Picky eaters, in the majority of cases, are created by parents.
• Utilize your local parks for outdoor play and your parks and recreation department for a variety of low-cost or free activities.
  
• Teach your children to work and find joy in a job well done.
• Trade clothes with friends and family members! This goes for equipment, toys, etc.
• Don’t fall prey to excellent marketing schemes. Your baby doesn’t ‘need’ Baby Einstein–just borrow a CD of classical music from the library.
  
• Utilize the library for children’s activities, books, music, DVD’s.
• Limit toy purchases–again don’t fall victim to the advertising agency. Think before you purchase items–does this really teach my child something? What values is this toy imparting to my child? Will they REALLY play with it? The smallest of children often find greater entertainment value in simple household objects such as a metal bowl, a wooden spoon and some canning rings, than in another plastic creation.
• Teach your children to take care of their belonging. They will develop life-long abilities and habits that will serve them well later on.
• Teach your children to pick up after themselves.
• Always check freecycle for equipment you may need.
  
• The one exception to ‘free’ or ‘used’ may be a car seat. Unless you know the complete origin of the car seat, I would always suggest purchasing new. Engineering continues to improve and a car seat that is not cared for properly or has been in an accident may not protect your child!
• Many insurance companies, hospitals and government agencies offer free or greatly reduced car seats for new parents. Look into these programs early in your pregnancy and watch for clearance sales. Car seats are sometimes ‘redesigned’ just for looks and you might find a great deal.
• Your child doesn’t really need a designer dresser or baby wardrobe. Inexpensive plastic drawers fit easily into the bottom of a closet and the smaller drawers help divide baby’s little clothes. Fabric boxes designed to hang from a closet rod are also great for storing baby’s clothes. Utilize over the door shoe bags for the same purpose. It is much easier to grab a pair of socks from a clear vinyl compartment than it is to dig through a drawer.
• Crib sheets are super easy to make and there are free instructions online. You can make a crib sheet from an older ‘adult sized’ sheet or from fabric purchased on sale.
  
• Bath time does not have to be bankrupt time. Unless there is a medical necessity, babies can be washed with plain water and a very mild soap. They rarely need (nor should have) scented lotions, baby oils, etc. Check with your pediatrician and other Moms for less expensive options. You may also be able to buy tears-free baby shampoo from a beauty supply house in bulk and then water it down for baby wash.
• Nearly every Mom is given at least one free diaper bag. You might also consider picking up one of the very roomy purses available now while they are on the clearance rack.
• COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS, COUPONS,….for everything from baby wipes to diapers to toys to clothes. Use them and ask friends to save them for you!
• Government and company freebies. Everything from activity books to learning guides to posters and DVDs can be found for free from a wide variety of government and company websites. Just search for ‘free activity guide” or ‘free learning guide’ or ‘children’s activity’ to see what is out there.
  
• You may qualify for programs such as WIC. Check it out in order to save on food bills.
  
• Teach your children to entertain themselves with simple items. The concept of parents entertaining their children or providing commercial entertainment for them is a very new concept that is not serving the children well.
• Teach your children the joy of giving of themselves. Volunteer work is not only inexpensive, it is character building.
• Encourage your children to learn provident living skills such as cooking, home repair, clothing maintenance, sewing, etc.
• Develop an attitude of adventure in your children. Teach them to ‘roll with the tide’ of life, to find joy in simple things and to acclimate themselves to a variety of circumstances, people and cultures. By doing so, your children will be more adaptable as adults, better able to be happy in a greater number of circumstances and not require high-maintenance in order to be happy.
• Purchase seasonal items in gender neutral colors. Winter coats, snow boots, snow pants, roller skates, hats, mittens, backpacks, lunch bags and sleds are just a few examples. Little Johnny can use Big Sister’s roller skates more easily if they aren’t ‘Barbie skates’.
• Try to avoid the ‘tie in’ merchandise with your child. Begin when they are very little purchasing items that are not covered with cartoon characters, TV personalities or the latest kiddie movie.
• Teach your children to be wise shoppers and encourage them to be bargain hunters.
• Teach your children the value of money. Consider granting them an allowance which would be a small (very small) share of your discretionary income. Pay it frequently when they are small, such as weekly. Make it clear what the allowance is for and how to care for their money properly. If your child continually wants an item that is a dollar, make their allowance a dollar, but require that they save 10% and tithe 10%. They will now have to wait at least a week to purchase that dollar item.
• Teach your children to work for what they want. If you can afford it, consider ‘hiring’ them for small jobs when they want extra money. Set forth the terms of the job and payment clearly before they begin.
• Utilize community centers and other less-expensive resources for preschool (if you child really needs it). swimming and lessons.
• Join co-ops for babysitting, play dates, etc.
  
• Young children don’t really need a large number of group activities and ‘lessons’. Let them be children and have free time for creative play.
• Encourage creativity and creative problem solving instead of more ‘classes’ and ‘groups’. A few art supplies at home can be much cheaper and often more freeing for a child than another art class.
  
• Watch yard sales for clothing and equipment in good condition.
• If your extended family exchanges birthday and Christmas gifts, use those gift-giving occasions to acquire needed equipment, especially for very young children. Let family members know what your child might need or want. Most grandparents appreciate this sort of input.
• If your extended family is open to it, suggest they limit gift giving and instead deposit those dollars into a savings account for your child’s education.
• Teach your children to shop at home before running to the store. This applies to clothing, school supplies, gifts, and food.
• Take snacks with you wherever you go with your children!
• Do all you can to keep your children healthy. Avoid junk food, sugary substances and promote the eating of fresh vegetables and fruit.