So we are on a budget. We are young parents of a 10 month old managing on our own! So here’s my silly way to not go overboard and save some mullah @ the end of the month 🙂
#1: Replace my high end toiletries (read: Body shampoos, Cleansers, Sunscreen, Shampoo, Conditioner etc) with not so luxurious, but good brands – I have been doing this since almost 6 months now! So my 3000 Rs suncreen is being replaced by a 1000 Rs sunscreen. And frankly my skin looks and feels the same, and my wallet is happier than ever!
#2: Cloth diapering – I am a big fan of cloth diapers – they are softer for my baby’s cutsie bum, they are cheaper and more eco-friendly. Read more about my experience with cloth diapering here.
#3: Online shopping – I buy most of the baby stuff online after checking out the best deals and bargains available at that point of time. I have got some really cool deals on cloth diapers, bum leggings and baby cutlery! My fave online sites are the discounted boutiques on http://hopscotch.in/ and the sales on http://www.firstcry.com/
#4: Home workouts – who really has the time to hit the gym? Certainly not a new mumma on block! So if running behind my sonny boy does not make me feel that I have burnt enough calories, I indulge in some yoga therapy! Quiets my nerves and is equally refreshing, well and I also don’t have to pay a fat cheque for gym membership and die of guilt if I’m not able to make it to the gym everyday!
#5: Ditch the extra-help: So here in India we have the luxury to hire a help for anything and everything – I had a Massuer to massage and bathe my boy and also an evening maid to help me look after Ritwik whilst I work from home or do household chores. So I decided to chuck them both! First, it gave me immense satisfaction to be a hands-on mum… second, we saved a bit of our hard earned money which used to go in paying their salaries!
So that’s my money-saver list so far. I know this is just a start…but hey as they say “money saved is money earned.”
What are your smart tips on saving some cash? Please let me know ’cause I know I have a lot to learn when it comes to budgeting and money management! So do write to me 🙂
Amu, great initiative. Your valuable insights will help all the first time parents like you and Sahil. I am sure Sahil mush be very happy that the expensive cosmetics bill is come down and he must be thanking Ritwik for giving his mom this great wisdom 🙂
The chucking off the maid seems to be preparation for living on your own in the US of A (your dream destination) 🙂
keep writing as its a satisfying and liberating to share personal experiences.
Sanjay
Thank You so much for those motivating words!
Sahil surely is happy and thanking Ritwik everyday to see a totally new budget-conscious wifey 🙂
Yes, Dream Destination have been put up on our DREAM BOARD, So fingers crossed for that!!!
Meanwhile, do keep encouraging the ‘naive writer’ in me! Thank you once again 🙂
Awesome, we have a lot in common. I’m a fan of cloth diapering too! I love it. you save a ton of diaper waste. I use something called bumgenius for Kanika. And I use it when we go outside to. Ofcourse not when we travel though 🙁
Online shopping… ohhh, how did our mom’s manage without online shopping. I buy everything online, including my clothes 😀 just so that I can share it with you I;m a devotee of babyjoe.ch
Extra help.. huh? whats that. Me and Suman can proudly say that we do EVERYTHING, including washing dirty cloth diapers to make all her food at home. We’re very proud of that! We even took a massage course and we do the massage ourselves 😀
Thank you Ramya 🙂 We sound like soul sisters!! haha…we have bumgenius here in India too, but it is like way too expensive. So i use this brand called bumchum which is kinda fab too 🙂 Tell me, how many pre-folds do you generally get with a cloth diaper, as i am just trying to find some good deals online on pre-folds. And do you machine or hand wash the cloth diapers? Wow, i guess you should be a guest blogger for my Blog! 🙂
Oh and massaging n bathing the baby is a real treat! I also love to make all his baby food at home. I do not use the packaged stuff. I guess i might just do a blog post on that one! Once again thank you for stopping by, and my love to your lil doll! xoxo
Haha! Soul sisters! I would agree!!
I got two prefolds with bumgenius, small and big one. I machine wash them and they are really robust.
You should put cooking and making home food as number 6! 😀 But in India it is very common to cook baby food at home. Would love to see your recipe blog and, I will gladly send you mine too, my little one relishes it. Of course it was a lot of trial and error and getting spitted at.
Saw pics on FB. Ritwik looks so cute and handsome! Will pass on the love to Kanika and my hugs and kisses to the little hero!
Haha, i know! I should put that down as point no.6 🙂 Will definitely do a post on baby food, and would love to read your baby recipes too! i have to constantly innovate my cooking style for Ritwik, as he gets super bored eating the same stuff! So maybe i can steal your recipes for him 😉
I totally loved you guys in the traditional-avatar in your FB Display Pic! You both look adorable! Cant wait to meet Kanika 🙂