Cost Saving- Changes I’ve Made

Life can be expensive. It is no secret these days that EVERYTHING costs more. On top of that, life can throw you curveballs and your financial situation can change in a heartbeat. That was somewhat the case for me this year. After welcoming our second son, I asked my employer if I could return on a part-time basis. They were going through a hiring freeze when I left for maternity leave and it had apparently gotten worse, so they were not able to accommodate. In short, I ended up jobless without that ever being the intention. We are incredibly fortunate that my husband has a great job, so we were not in a position where we were strapped for money, but I was used to be an independent earner for as long as we had been together. No matter how much it annoys him, I don’t feel comfortable just spending money on clothes and personal frivolous expenses when it is not coming from my own paycheck. While I am understanding that we can continue to spend the way we did prior to my job ending, I want to do my part and find ways that I can save money to lessen the burden. So far, I have come up with a few!

PAINTING MY OWN NAILS

I would get my nails done every 3-4 weeks when I was working full time. This was usually about $100, so it certainly adds up! I ordered a no chip kit, polish, and base/top coat off of Amazon and have been doing my own nails for the past 7 months. They last 1-2 weeks depending on how well I apply them and how rough I am with them. The positive is that I can usually just peel them off after a shower as opposed to having to soak off. I will likely still get my nails done for the holidays or special occasions but this has been both a time and a money saver that has worked out great with little ones at home.

BEAUTY PRODUCTS

I switched over a couple of my products to save money. For body moisturizer, I alternate between Aquafor and La Occitane oil. The oil is great for when I am feeling dry, but is certainly not cheap. I started buying Grapeseed Oil on Amazon instead and it has been great. It barely has a scent, is very moisturizing, and absorbs well as opposed to some other natural oils I have tried.

CLEANING LADY

It took me a long time to finally give in and get a cleaning lady. When I was at the tail end of my 1st trimester with my second son, I finally threw in the towel and hired someone to come twice per month to clean floors and bathrooms. It was a HUGE help, but I know that I can do it better and save several hundred bucks per month. I kept her through my maternity leave with Maverick and then, when I found out I was not returning to work, I cancelled her immediately. I won’t lie, it’s a lot to try to keep things clean with two kids and all of their appointments, but so far I have stayed on top of it.

COFFEE AT HOME

I am not going to sit here and tell you I cancelled Starbucks and my local coffee shops. They bring me too much joy and that will never happen. However, I have cut down on buying coffee out significantly and have started using the Nespresso to make lattes at home. I probably get a coffee out 1-2 times per week most weeks (mainly after Mav’s appointments) and am ashamed to admit I was going at least 4 times per week when Maverick was first born.

COOKING AT HOME

Josh and I used to Doordash food or eat out 2-3 times per week every week. It gets expensive and it is hard to find healthy options. We mainly just stick to one time per week now. Friday nights we either go out on a date or Doordash food after the kids go to bed and have a date night at home. If we have friends over or are just so over cooking, we will get the occasional delivery during the week, but we have really been good to sticking to meals at home for the past 7 months.

GROOMER

While our Corgi does not require haircuts, he sheds terribly and needs his nails trimmed. We had tried to do it at home for a while but he takes forever to dry and brush out, the house is covered in fur, and he HATES getting his nails trimmed. We typically take him to a grooming school by our house that we love, but they take several hours and you never really know when he is going to be done. When I was working from home with Ari, it never lined up with my work calls and Ari’s naps for me to be able to go get him. This resulted in me booking a mobile groomer to come to our house. Honestly, it was fantastic. He was done in an hour, never left the driveway, and it had zero interference in our schedule (several times I opened the door to grab him while still on a muted work call). This issue was that the mobile groomer was 3x time price of the grooming school. We have since cut out the mobile groomer and reserve them for emergencies and worked the grooming school back into our schedule. $50 for a bath, blow dry, brush out, ears cleaned, and nails trimmed- yeah we’re going to stick to that.

PRIME DAY/OUTLET MALLS

People are not kidding when they say kids are expensive. The boys are constantly growing out of their clothes, needing a new coat, new shoes, etc. I thought we wouldn’t have to buy anything for Maverick given that we already had a boy, but their sizes have no overlapped seasonally, so all of Ari’s old clothes that we would need for Maverick in December are swim trunks and Hawaiian shirts. I’ve learned to shop ahead so that I am not panic shopping when nothing seems to suddenly fit them. Every Prime Day, I stock up on the next size up of their staple items- jeans, t-shirts, pajamas. I also go to local outlet malls 3-4 times per year to shop Gap, Janie and Jack, and Nike and am able to find cute outfits to add to the arsenal. It is a great feeling knowing that I am able to get them quality clothes that last without spending anywhere near full price. Because, let’s face it, boy clothes are a nightmare and it is a straight up HUNT to try to locate items that are not covered in construction vehicles and fire trucks.

The list could go on and on but these are a few of my top methods to cost savings that I have implemented the past few months. I am of the mind that whether you are in times of hardship or have excessive income coming in, it is always smart to try to save where you can. I also think of the example that I present to my kids when it comes to spending. I don’t want to create an image of a lavish lifestyle or not thinking twice before spending on a product or service. I would like to keep my kids as humble as possible, while still providing the best life that we can. These habits have helped me to feel like I am making a favorable effort to helping my family and I hope to keep them up in the future!