Save money on your favorite mom time activities with these 5 simple ways!
Guest Post by Victoria of Snail Pace Transformations
I think most moms know it is vital to their health to take a mom time out on a regular basis and do something just for them. It isn’t selfish; it is what refuels moms so they can continue to give of themselves.
So if moms know that doing something that refuels them is good for both themselves and their families, what keeps them from taking the time? Sometimes it might be a packed schedule, but I suspect for others it is tight finances.
Slipping your favorite magazine into the grocery cart can cause mom guilt if you know that it is going to cost your family a few items off the grocery list.
Taking up running isn’t as relaxing as it could be if you know your family is going to struggle to come up with the money for new running shoes every time they wear out.
5 Simple Ways To Save Money On Your Favorite Mom Time Activities
1. Be Flexible
In your current stage of life with your current income you may not be able to do your number one favorite activity that refuels you, but chances are with a little creative thinking you can discover something similar that will work.
Perhaps when you were single you loved picking up the latest book title at your local book store and spending the entire day reading it. Chances are if you have young children at home and/or a tight budget that isn’t currently an option. Instead, perhaps you could pick up your books for free from the local library or through another free or thrifty source and make it a priority to turn off the TV after the children are in bed and spend an hour reading.
2. Keep it Free
There are plenty of ways to keep your refueling habit free. YouTube makes it possible to learn so many things at home for free. Yes, you may still need to purchase supplies, but I will go over how to keep those low cost in a moment.
Pinterest is another great source for free refueling tutorials. If you love working out, you can find plenty of work out at home tutorials on Pinterest. If you love baking, the sky is the limit on Pinterest.
One great way to keep things free is to consider trading or swapping.
Trade childcare with a friend. If what you want to do during your mom time can’t be done at home and your spouse isn’t available for childcare, perhaps you could set up a play date rotation with a friend who has children of similar ages.
Or hold a craft swap night. Invite your friends over and tell them to bring all the craft supplies they thought they would use and never have and then spend the night swapping supplies. Chances are your friend might just have all the supplies you need to try out that craft you saw on Pinterest.
You can also swap your talents for services you want. Perhaps you friend is excellent at doing nails and you love the look of a good manicure. See if she would do you nails in trade for something you are good at that she needs.
3. Be Social
By social I mean use social media to save money. I have found that a great way to get discounted supplies or even free items is by following companies I love on Facebook, as well as making sure I sign up for their emails.
Now, Facebook of course doesn’t allow you to see all the companies you like in you feed so what I do is go directly to the company’s Facebook page and hit the get notifications button. This means I don’t miss out on free photo book codes, free e-book offers and other deals on things I love to do in my refueling time.
In company e-mails I often get coupons for as high as 50% off for running shoes, craft supplies, and more items that I use during my refueling time.
4. Point Reward Programs
I don’t know if point reward programs is the correct term for the companies I am about to mention, but I started calling them point reward programs years ago and it stuck–after all, you collect points and then cash those points in for a reward so my name makes sense to me.
More and more of these types of companies are popping up all the time. I am constantly testing them out to see which ones are worth it and which ones are simply a waste of time.
Sometimes what makes one a winner or a loser really depends on how you shop, what you buy, and where you live. Still, I think it is possible for many moms to earn any where from $5 to $50 or more a month through these companies to use as a “mommy refueling time fund.”
The trick is to pick point earning activities that are not time wasters. Skip the long winded surveys and instead collect points doing things you already do online or for simple tasks that can be done in little time.
For example: when you buy your kids the clothes they need online, use one of these point programs to earn points on your purchases and cash in the points you earn for an Amazon gift card code you can use to purchase a book or supplies for your favorite hobby.
There are even point programs where you can earn free books and others where you can earn free magazines.
How do you like to refuel? Got any great tips on keeping “mommy time” inexpensive?
Victoria is a mom of three who writes at Snail Pace Transformations with the mission of helping moms find the time and money they need to pursue their passions while maintaining harmony in their homes. Her own passions include running, biking, reading and knitting.
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