Everything is expensive nowadays and it only seems to be getting worse. We first wrote this article in 2023, but now we are in 2024 and things are not really getting much cheaper. From health insurance to your home insurance to groceries and clothes, the costs continue to rise.
The average American spends over $6,000 per year on food alone, and as the cost of things continues to increase, this is even higher for bigger families. That means that even though you might be spending only $1,500 per month on groceries, you are still wasting hundreds of dollars every year.
Thankfully, you don’t have to live off of Ramen noodles like you did in college if you follow some of these money saving tips.
At 127 Pediatrics, our mission is to provide great care for children, but also to equip parents to be their very best.
Save Money By Planning Groceries
Have you ever wandered the grocery store aisles and just put stuff haphazardly in your cart? Or do you take your young child with you and end up buying more junk food than you need in order to just stop the begging and whining? These are very common things that parents do when they go to the grocery store without a plan. And they could be costing you hundreds of extra dollars each month.
Plan ahead and save yourself time and money
- Take an hour each week to survey what you have in your pantry and refrigerator
- Sit down and write out your planned meals for the week.
- Look at your calendar while you are doing this and plan food around activities
Do the kids need to bring their lunch 3 times this week or 4? Do we need a quick meal on Tuesday night because of baseball practice?
This upfront investment in time you use to plan out what you are going to buy at the grocery store and cook for the week will save you not only money, but time.
Meal Preparation Saves Money
Another thing that can save you money on groceries is to buy items in bulk, especially meat when it is on sale. Once you buy the roast or a 10 pack of chicken, then you can divide it out and freeze portions of it to use throughout the week. Often, I will cook a roast in the crock pot on a Monday and then we use it for several meals throughout the week. Or I will ask my husband to grill several different kinds of meat on Sunday afternoon and then I can heat and serve them for dinner throughout the week. This prevents us from buying expensive meals out on busy nights.
Examine and Eliminate Expenses
Have you been buying things that you don’t need? Maybe you get your hair done every 6 weeks when really you could stretch it to every 8 or you get your nails done weekly instead of monthly. Maybe you are paying more than you need to for your household items or even your car insurance.
As you start the new year, sit down with your bank and credit card statements and look at the things that you buy each month. Find out where your money is going and decide on some things that you can cut out of your monthly budget. This will also motivate you to check in with your insurance agent or your accountant to see if there are different products that may save you money.
Buy Baby Items Second Hand
Let’s face it, kids are expensive. They are especially expensive when they are babies. These small humans grow so fast and require so much “gear” that you could easily spend hundreds or even thousands of dollars on them in the first year of their life. First of all, as a pediatrician, I advise families that babies don’t need all of that gear in the first place. Think back to when we were babies and how our parents did not have access to all of those “necessities.” Babies need a safe place to sleep, food, clothing and shelter. They don’t need unsafe docking stations, baby “containers” and extremely expensive car seats with all the bells and whistles.
After you have pared down your list, now you can look at ways to get baby stuff for less cost. Baby items (with the exception of a car seat) can often be bought second hand or even rented. You can buy used items such as cribs, bassinets, swings, toys and clothes. These items are often used for such a short period of time that they remain in good shape for the next family.
Discontinue Unused Subscriptions
Do you have a gym membership but never go? Or maybe you signed up for a newspaper subscription or a radio subscription that you never use? The beginning of a new year is a great time to examine these types of expenses and discontinue things that you are not using. Monthly subscriptions can be useful ways to accomplish things, but if you are not using the services, it is time to get rid of them.
Maximize Cashback and Loyalty Programs
Is there a restaurant that you frequent often? Or maybe your weekly treat to yourself is a cup of fancy coffee at a coffee shop? If so, find out if they have a loyalty program and make use of it to save money. My family and I have a weekly routine of getting a bagel for breakfast at a local restaurant before we head to church every Sunday morning. We make use of their loyalty program in order to save money on our meals.
Cashback programs on credit cards can also be a great way to save money. Just be cautious though that you are not overextending your credit card by putting things on it and not paying it off each month. If you are using your credit card and leveraging their cash back incentives well, this can be an excellent way to save money. Each credit card company has different stipulations on this and may incentivize you to use certain brands to get more cash back. Examine the fine print and make use of these programs to get more cash in your pocket each month.
Consider Direct Primary Care
Believe it or not, paying directly out of your pocket each month for yours or your child’s primary care may actually save you money. Direct primary care is a different way of doing primary medical care. Most pediatric practices use the insurance based model that predominates our country. DPC is a membership based model where you pay a monthly fee directly to your child’s doctor. This fee acts as a way to retain medical services for your child. Joining a direct primary care pediatric practice also allows you to have direct access to your child’s pediatrician.
So how does it save you money?
As a family, we are a part of a direct primary care practice. We have direct access to our physician and she offers same day appointments, management of chronic conditions and easy access for well visits. We save time by not sitting in a waiting room or waiting for hours to be seen. As small business owners (both my husband and I), this is huge because our time away from our businesses means that we are not making money. Additionally, we save money by not going to several specialists for our care. Under the DPC model, our family doctor has the time to manage our chronic conditions and medications.
Choose 127 Pediatrics
At 127 Pediatrics, we work under the direct primary care model. We offer all home visits to families in our practice as a way to provide additional convenience for our services. We also offer direct access to the pediatrician, same day sick care (via phone or in person) and on time well child care visits. Paying us directly keeps our overhead low and our patient panel small, so we are able to give our full attention to the members of our practice.
In addition, you can choose a direct primary care doctor and pair our services with a less expensive health insurance plan. This is a route that many of our patients go. While we are not experts in health insurance, we refer our patients to our local insurance broker. There are many different plans available to meet your family’s health care needs while also saving you money and time. And let’s face it, time is money so it’s a win win any way that you look at it.
© 127 Pediatrics; January 2023, updated January 2024
Please note that this article is purely for informational purposes and should not be interpreted as medical advice.
Dr. Andrea Wadley owns and operates 127 Pediatrics, a pediatric and lactation practice in Colleyville, TX. She specializes in pediatrics, breastfeeding medicine and offers house calls only. Additionally, Dr. Wadley is the owner of the 127 Pediatrics Online Breastfeeding Medicine and Education Center. We have many free resources for breastfeeding mothers. Subscribe to our YouTube channel or download a free breastfeeding checklist.
