14 Ways To Save Money When You Have A Baby

Here’s How to Save Money When You Have Children And Toddlers

Having toddlers and children can be expensive, however, don’t spend lots of money when you don’t have to.

Here Are 14 Ways To Save Money When You Have Children

1. Find Out What Free Childcare Hours You Are Entitled To

Children at ages 2,3 and 4 are entitled to free hours of childcare each week. Find out if you are eligible in our post on childcare in the UK.

2. Rent Items Instead Of Buying

It may be cheaper for you to rent rather than buy child-friendly items to try them out. If you have a local Library of things you can borrow lots of items for a small fee, including gadgets like ice cream makers or popcorn machines, or bigger items like games consoles or tents.

3. Find Out What Benefits You are Entitled To

Make sure you find out about all the family-friendly benefits you are entitled to when you have a toddler or young child. Read this government guide to financial help when you have children.

4. Ask Around For Hand Me Downs

If you have friends or relatives that have older children, we bet they will have lofts full of items they are itching to give away. You can also find a local ‘buy nothing’ group, a community-minded initiative where items are given away for free. Find out more here.

5. Buy Second Hand Items

Clothes, toys and books are all good items for getting second hand and nearly new. Check charity shops, eBay or Facebook Marketplace for local bargains.

6. Find Clothes In Children’s Charity Shops

Some charities have specific baby and child-only branches and sell nearly-new items at bargain prices. Check out Fara Kids charity shops, which had boutique-style baby shops, and also sell online.

7. Use Store Loyalty Cards And Schemes For Discounted Tickets

Make sure you use store cards or loyalty cards to collect points, which can often be used to buy cheaper tickets to big attractions. Tesco Clubcard, for example, offers a points-based system with money-of items from cinema tickets to theme parks. You can also use National Rail’s 2 for 1 deal when you book train tickets, more here.

8. Save Money On School Uniform

School uniform can add up, but read our post on saving money on school uniform to shave money off the total.

9. Craft Using Recycled Items

While young children love crafting, you don’t have to shell out a fortune on supplies. Use what you already have around the house – read our post on recycled craft ideas for inspo.

10. Visit A Museum For Free

A huge amount of museums in the UK are free to enter and are a great day out for families. Read the MSE guide to free regional museums.

11. Take An Online Museum Tour

Don’t want to leave the house? You can also take An Online Museum Tour for free.

12. Join A Library

There’s a wealth of opportunities available at your local library, all for free. As well as books, you can now take out e-books if you have a Kindle or eReader. Libraries offer the free summer reading challenge, which is a fun thing to do with your child over the holidays. They also often fun free activity workshops for children too, check your local one for details.

13. Print Off Colouring Sheets Online

If your little ones love colouring, printing off colouring sheets is a fun way to spend some time for very little. Google their favourite cartoon or character + colouring sheet, and print off black and white pages for them to colour. You can also see our range of Peppa Pig activity sheets in our Wellkid Peppa Pig activity centre.

14. Remember Fun Doesn’t Have To Be Expensive

You don’t have to spent a lot of money to enjoy your time with small children, and there’s lots you can do for very little. Going for a nature walk, take a trip to your local park and play football, build a den and sleep in it, have a movie night or reading books together can all be enjoyable for practically free..

Look out for our ‘three-for-two’ product offer, where if you purchase any three products across any of our ranges, including Wellbaby, Wellkid Marvel and Wellkid Peppa Pig, the lowest priced product will be free. More details at https://www.vitabiotics.com/