Budget Momma

Top 7 stores I go to buy baby / kids clothes (for cheap prices!)

It is undeniably true that our little ones outgrow their clothes so fast! I sometimes find it hard to keep up; making sure I have the right size for the right season. For this reason, it could get quite expensive buying clothes constantly for our children.

Luckily, there are so many stores that sells children clothes at very good prices.

7. The Children’s Place. This is a specialty retailer of children’s apparel for newborns to pre-teens. I find they always have good sales (upto 60% off! – depending on the season)

6. Carter’s – OshKosh B’Gosh.

5. Old Navy.

4. Winners / Marshalls.

3. Once upon a Child.

2. Thrift Stores. (I.e Value Village) – I love going to thrift stores for almost everything! This includes children clothes. It’s so fun because you just don’t know what you’ll get and when it’s your lucky day, you could get the best deal in the store!

1. Facebook Marketplace. – Here you can buy clothes off directly from the original owner. Aside from the possibility of negotiation, you don’t have to pay tax. Double win!

Nevertheless, nothing beats the “Hand me downs”. Free stuff is always best! I am so thankful to all the people who passes it on to the next.

How to travel within budget

Travelling is essential for a lot of people.

There are a lot of travelling opportunities for families wherein you don’t have to spend too much. Your budget should determine how long your vacation will be.

Buffalo International Airport. Waiting for our flight to Orlando, Florida. We got our tickets $200CAD/person roundtrip taxes in!

First of all, you want to determine whether you are travelling by car or plane. In our current economy, driving is not the best option since gas prices are high. So if you are thinking of going somewhere far, flying would be your best bet. Whenever we travel, we always go to skyscanner.com to compare prices between different airlines and dates. I find we always get the best deals there!

Secondly, let’s talk about accommodations! This is usually the most expensive part of travelling. So, if you have a family / friend / relative who will be happy to host you – gladly take the offer! If not, there are a lot of affordable hotels and AirBnBs available as well. In our experience, we like to book directly with the hotel website to avoid thirdparty hassles.

Staying with my brother for a night at their house in Florida. We saved approximately $200CAD/night! + Extra Family Bonding

Last but not the least – Food! Try to budget your food spending per day. It is easy to go over budget with food and I can’t blame you. This is the reason why we love to stay in accommodations where there is a kitchen so that we don’t have to eat out everytime we travel. We try to consciously eat out maybe once a day and the rest of the meal will be in-house.

At the end of the day, a wonderful travel experience depends a lot on the people you are with. Enjoy the present and as clichè as it may sound, the best things in life is free – family . love . happiness!

How much does it cost to have a baby (First year)

As a first time mom, I had no idea what to expect financially!

Babies cost depends a lot on the parents’ preference and circumstances. I know a lot of parents who spent almost nothing on their first year. On the otherhand, I also know some parents who spent thousands of dollars on their first year.

In my own experience, I only spent money on diapers, wipes and some toys for my baby’s first year! I would say, I approximately spent $50-60/mo. (I used 8-10 diapers/day for the first 3months and 5-7diapers for the rest of the year)

How was I able to do this?

1. Luckily, I was able to exclusively breastfeed and therefore did not need to buy formula. Although, I spent $18 for a nippleshield on amazon since I had an inverted nipple.

2. Baby Shower! Even through COVID time, my mother-in-law was able to host a virtual baby shower for me. A lot of my essential items in my baby registry were gifted to me.

3. I was open to hand me down clothes from friends and family. Most babies outgrow their clothes so fast that you don’t necessarily need brand new ones!

Although I tried to be cost effecient, I am guilty of buying baby things that weren’t very necessary but it did make me happy and life easier so I guess it was still worth it!