Recently, I wrote a post on 6 Things Our Family Has Chosen to Splurge On. This post was one of the most-read posts I’ve shared the past few months and many of you asked if I could do a follow-up post listing things we don’t spend money on.
So, today I present you with the flipside post — 6 things we rarely spend money on:
1. Kid’s Clothes
I’m constantly asked how we save money on kid’s clothes and, to be honest, this is an area where we keep things really simple.
My kids could care less about brand names right now. They do have their own unique styles, but they willingly wear pretty much whatever I find for them on used clothing sites or through online deals. In fact, I can’t remember them really ever complaining about not having certain kinds of clothes.
It probably helps that we homeschool (i.e. they don’t feel left out or less than that they don’t have whatever is the current “hit item” or “hot must-have” item that everyone at school is wearing/talking about). I think it also helps that Jesse and I both are really simplistic when it comes to clothes and we wear the same things over and over again. So they pretty much follow suit.
{A few of Kaitlynn’s favorite pieces from our free Schoola order!}
So the truth is: in the past two years, we’ve gotten most of our kid’s clothes used from Thred Up and Schoola using credit that I’ve earned by sharing deals here.
You might be thinking that that’s not really fair since I do have a blog that a lot of people read and you don’t have a blog. Well, I bet you have some mom friends who would be excited about the current deal from Schoola where they can get $15 in FREE credit + FREE shipping just by signing up.
Sign up and share your referral link with friends and they can get free clothes shipped for free and you can get $15 in free credit for every person who signs up and orders! Score!
We also sometimes use our Amazon gift cards earned through Swagbucks to supplement kid’s clothes purchases — especially if I’m not able to find the right size, etc. on ThredUp or Schoola.
2. Snack Foods
Other than tortilla chips and Greek yogurt or yogurt tubes, we buy very little other prepared snack food. Instead, we usually make our own snack foods.
Some of our favorite quick and easy snacks are cheese quesadillas, popcorn, Energy Bites, hardboiled eggs, and fruit. I also try to have at least a few snack items pre-made and frozen all the time — whether that’s muffins, Banana Bread, burritos, cookies, or Peanut Butter & Jelly Sandwiches.
We save a lot of money by eating mostly homemade snack foods. And as a side benefit, homemade is almost always healthier, too.
3. Professional Pictures
Confession time: We almost never get professional photos taken. I know, I know, that probably makes me a “bad mom” by some people’s standards, but it’s just never been a priority to us.
We do take lots of pictures and I try to document our daily lives on this blog, on Instagram, and on pictures I save on my computer. I prefer the real-life pictures that show some of the mess and chaos over staged pictures in a studio.
Plus, the few times we’ve gotten professional pictures done, it’s been so. much. work to get everyone looking presentable and smiling in pictures. The whole experience felt exhausting. Plus, I’ve not really been too happy with the final results. So, for now, I’m just happy to mostly stick with taking pictures on my own camera and phone.
4. Nice Dinners Out
We budget for eating out once a week — which is definitely a luxury but something that we really enjoy. However, it’s usually an inexpensive meal at Chili’s, Chipotle, Cracker Barrel, or Chick-fil-A.
I can’t think of a time when we’ve taken the kids to a fancy restaurant and Jesse and I usually only going to a nice restaurant maybe once or twice a year, if that. I’d rather stretch our eating out money as far as possible, instead of spending it all on one dinner every other month. 
5. Movie Tickets
Going to the theater to see a movie is also a very rare occurrence in our family. I’d say we probably take the kids to 1-2 movies per year and Jesse and I probably go see one ourselves maybe once a year.
Some of the reason is that it’s expensive, some of the reason is that Jesse and I don’t get babysitters very often, and some of the reason is that we’re so picky about movies that it’s hard to find a movie we think would be worth seeing in the theaters.
Plus, while I love good movies, I usually find it more relaxing to enjoy them all snuggled up together on our L-shaped couch with blankets and popcorn. And when it cost us pretty much zero out of pocket to do so (thanks to free Redbox codes, free Amazon Prime movies, and other shows that are available free online), it just always seems like a better option than going to the theater.
The last movie I saw in the theater was Unbroken and that one was definitely worth paying to see in the theater.
6. Household Furnishings
You all know how minimalistic I am at heart and how much I just plain don’t care when it comes to furniture and decor. I mean, I like clean and uncluttered and I like fresh flowers, but other than that, I care much more about functionality and practicality than I do about how nice something looks.
So over the years, we’ve spent very, very little on home furnishings. The majority of our furnishings have come from Craigslist or have been given to us.
We have kids and we live here all day, every day, so wear and tear is inevitable. Because we’ve paid very little out of pocket for most of our furnishings, I don’t have to worry about something getting ruined or stained or ripped or nicked.
What about YOUR family? What are some things you rarely spend money on? I’d love to hear your list!
Guest post from Asheritah of OneThingAlone.com
You’ll find plenty of great Mother’s Day ideas online, but so many of them require either a hefty sum of money or a complicated project that often results in glue gun scars, broken nails, or Pinterest fails.
If you’re looking for a thoughtful gift for your mom, your friend, or a subtle hint to drop your spouse, here are 5 gift ideas that won’t break the bank (or a nail):
1. Captured memories
It’s always good to be reminded of the good times on hard days. Pick special photos and put them to use. Place a photo in a larger frame with matting to look extra special. Make photo tile coasters or coffee mugs.
If you’re like me and can’t seem to find special photos (because you avoid the camera whenever possible), try to sneak in a picture together before Mother’s Day or find one on her Facebook page.
2. Date in a box
Pack a simple dinner in a picnic basket and give it to your friend (with an offer to babysit her kids, if applicable) for a surprising done-for-you date.
After days or weeks of constant mommy duty, what a relief to relax and not have to worry about dinner or the kids.
Here are some fun picnic basket ideas to get you started.
3. Encouraging quote cards
Write your favorite quotes or Bible verses on little cards and give them as a practical but encouraging gift. This is a give a mom friend the pep talk she needs to keep going.
4. Easy shoulder rub
Sometimes all a mama needs is five minutes to shut her eyes, lean back, and have a friend ease the tension from her shoulders.
Your friendship level will determine whether it’s a good idea to offer this or not, but if you don’t think it would be well-received, a 30-minute professional massage, while more expensive, will rarely be turned down.
5. Everything chocolate
When all else fails, a box of fine chocolates may hit the spot. You can make these easy chocolate truffles or cake balls (keeping some for yourself, of course), or pick up a box at your grocery store.
Whatever you gift you choose, remember it’s the thought that counts.
Your Mom and girlfriends will be pleasantly surprised that you remembered and made time to say, “You’re special to me.”
What are your favorite Mother’s Day gifts to give to others?
Asheritah helps overwhelmed women find joy in Jesus on her blog and through her books & art. She welcomes old and new friends to OneThingAlone.com to share a cup of tea and together pursue a relationship with Jesus. Also, she offers ready-to-print Scripture cards that might make a great Mother’s Day gift idea.
