Ways to save money for your family

This article was written in partnership with KidStart

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Here at RoosterMoney HQ we know saving for your kids is high on the agenda, but can also become stressful when you think of all the things you’d like to help your little ones with: that first car, university fees or even helping towards a house deposit.  So we’ve teamed up with KidStart to pull together a list of handy tips make saving for your family that little bit easier.

First, let me introduce KidStart, they’re a site that provides an easy way to boost your children’s savings just by shopping online, which we all do most weeks.  It’s free to join,  which is always a bonus, and it allows you to earn money back on over 1,600 retailers including John Lewis & Partners, Amazon, eBay and Sainsbury’s. The money you get back then gets used to top up your child’s savings account and if used regularly you can save £250 a year. There’s also a unique feature which allows you to invite family members to sign up and start saving for your kids too. KidStart’s aim is to help parents give their little ones a brighter future by letting them save money whilst doing something they will be doing regularly – so they know a thing or two about saving!

So, without further ado, onto the money saving tips for your family…

📝 Budget each month

Sit down and create a money plan, work out everything you have coming in and then your outgoings. Give yourself a bit of flexibility in case of emergencies but then any spare money you have left over transfer into yours and your child’s savings accounts. This way you won’t be tempted to spend it on unnecessary things like you probably would if you left it in your bank account.

🛍 Hold ‘swap’ parties with friends and people in the community

Exchange used children’s clothes, toys and games. Kids are constantly outgrowing their stuff so pass good, clean items on. Other good sources of second hand clothes and toys are eBay, charity shops, jumble sales, school fairs and car boot sales. All are great ways to get clothes and toys for your little one for free or for very cheap.

🌲 Get to know your local park

Days out with the kids can be very expensive, when you take into account travel, entrance fees and refreshments. Save money by checking out local free activities in your area, parks, woodlands and the beach are all great places to explore with your little ones. Bring a homemade picnic and toys you can enjoy outside like a bat and ball and save money whilst having loads of fun.

🧒 Childcare

We all know how much childcare can cost so speak to your friends and see if one of them would help watching your little ones once in a while. In return you could watch theirs kids if they have them, if not cook them dinner to say thank you. Your friends may not be able to help every time but every so often will help your bank balance.

💸 Save loose change

Now that we all use contactless having cash on you isn’t as common, but whenever you can keep any loose change you get. Did you know, if you manage to save £5 a week just by doing this that’s £260 a year.

🛏. Sell old furniture and other household items

Don’t always take old furniture to the tip, if what you want to get rid of is in good condition then have a go at selling it online on eBay or Gumtree. These websites are easy to use, you can arrange to have the buyer collect the item and you can earn a bit of extra cash on something you don’t want any more.

🥬 Do your grocery shop online

Going to the supermarket to do your shop if your kids are behaving can be something nice to do as a family but going to the store is an easy way to end up spending more than you would like. We recommend doing your food shop online, write a list and stick to it, it should be easier to not get distracted by offers that usually lure you in when you’re wandering the aisles.

When shopping online you can also keep track of how much you’re spending as you add things to your basket which means it’s easier to set a budget.

Another bonus of shopping online means you can earn money back with KidStart, get up £2 back when you shop with Sainsbury’s.

💰 Use voucher codes

Keep an eye out for voucher codes to save money on your online shopping. There’s plenty of ways of finding them including on the retailer pages on KidStart, in your email inbox if you sign up to your favourite brand’s newsletters or have a go at Google them before checking out.

🔁 Take advantage of referral schemes

A huge number of companies have referral schemes these days, it’s a great way for them to get new customers and also to reward their existing. Before recommending a service to your friend have a look and see if they offer a bonus for referring. Here’s a few great ones that we know about, you can earn £50 with Octopus Energy, £5 with KidStart and £50 with Virgin Media.

We hope the above tips will help you save a little extra each month for your family. Remember to sign up to KidStart for free to earn money back on all of your online shopping.