I had a post in the Festival of Frugality this week, and found the hosting blog (Penniless Parenting) to be a very interesting read. The author is a young (I think maybe 21 or 22?) mother whose frugal habits and wisdom are even more impressive given her young age. I particularly liked her babies with little expense section, and a lot of her ideas are very similar to my own experience. Our son is two now, and our expenses for him are still about the same as ever: $100/month into the college fund, about $100/month for his health insurance, and that’s about it. His food costs are still pretty negligible. All of his clothing is second hand (or gifts – he did get several outfits from his grandmother for his birthday), and entertainment is all free (library, the park, and just playing with him in the house and yard).
Anyway, check out Penniless Parenting if you haven’t already. There are all sorts of frugal ideas over there, including homemade lasagna using homemade pasta and dumpster-dived materials used to build a dehydrator. Enjoy!
GC says
thanks for the suggestion
Wish I had even the first hundred when it came to college. . . your son will be grateful
FrugalBabe says
GC,
We hope so. Both of us had financial help from our parents when we were in college, and we want to be able to help our son too (although we want him to contribute as well, via scholarships and part time or summer jobs). We figure it’s easier to put a small amount of money away each month for his whole childhood than to try to come up with a large amount all at once when it’s needed. And by not spending money on trivial stuff that doesn’t last (new clothing, matching nursery furniture, etc.) we’re able to put money towards something that will make a difference for the rest of his life. Having it automatically deducted from our checking account helps a lot – we don’t have to think about it or remember anything.
Penniless Parenting says
Oh thank you so much! I really appreciate your positive review!
(I’m 22 by the way.)