Frugal Vs Cheap: The Kiddie Edition
We’ve all heard both sides to the argument on being frugal vs being cheap.
While both can lead to cost savings for a household, the former is more about getting quality products at lower costs, while the latter is getting something simply because it has the lowest price (or comes free!) without much thought to its make, functionality, and how it could affect other people (not leaving a tip in a restaurant for instance IS cheap).
Adults can live without those unnecessary luxuries or make those small “sacrifices” in the name of frugal living and being eco-friendly. But just how much of our frugality should be applied to buying for our kids without crossing the line to cheapness? Here are some great ideas for frugal moms, which can bring in huge savings for you without sacrificing your young ones’ comfort and little pleasures.
Having at least three children or more will definitely make a dent on your clothing budget. When shopping for kids’ clothes, try the following:
Buy at consignment stores. Babies especially outgrow their clothes in a matter of weeks so it wouldn’t really make much sense if you splurge on new clothes for the little tykes. Try your hand at second-hand shopping. Many consignment stores carry great selections of babies’ and toddlers’ clothing for under $1. Garage sales can also be a goldmine of children’s clothes.
Shop when it’s off season or be first in line during inventory or year-end sales. It may feel a bit strange looking for shirts, shorts and mini- dresses when it’s chilly outside but it really doesn’t matter considering you’re getting as much as 30 to 50 percent off in discounts.
Decorate some of your kids’ clothes yourself. If you want holiday-themed clothes for your kids but don’t care for the cost of buying from the mall, why not get your creative juices flowing and do the decorating yourself? Solid-colored shirts and sweaters will definitely get the Halloween makeover with a bright orange pumpkin painted across the front. Try browsing the internet and you’ll find hundreds of ideas for artistic shirts and costumes too.
A child’s birthday that’s just around the corner can be a stressful time for parents because birthdays are typically associated with costly parties. As frugal moms know, birthday treats don’t necessarily have to be bank-breaking. A few suggestions:
Have them play-all-you-can. Take the kids to McDonalds for an early birthday breakfast and the kids will be sure to have the playhouse all to themselves.
Surprise him with that Spidey cake. You may skip the big party and just have family and a few friends over, but getting him a cake themed in his favorite character should be a big hit with the celebrant. Balloons and a lot of ice cream wouldn’t hurt either.
Don’t forget: birthdays are all about toys. Who cares about the mascots and magicians if she’s got Barbie for company? Sure she may need a new pair of shoes or would definitely enjoy that amazing book of children’s stories you found online but nothing can elicit bigger smiles from your young children on their special day than when they unwrap their gifts and find toys.
Now, I’d like to think that the ideas mentioned above were certainly within the bounds of frugality. So what for me would be ‘cheap mode’ for kids? Off the top of my head, just two:
Used car-seats. A few dollars more should never be an issue when it comes to your children’s safety.
Used children’s shoes. This would obviously depend on the condition of the second hand shoes. That said, be sure to check out the quality of used shoes first before buying. If the insoles show some wear and even just a hint of a foot imprint, they shouldn’t be handed down at all. More importantly, the shoes should be a good fit to your child’s feet.
As with everything else, it’s all a matter of perspective. What may be frugal for some, could be thought of as cheap by others.
As a parent, do you have these “frugal vs cheap” debates within yourself?
Written by Carolyn Joy Villanueva
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I always look at the difference between being frugal and being cheap this way. Frugality considers value, cheapness only considers price.
A cheap person will buy the cheapest possible item: A frugal person will buy one that’s a little more expensive but lasts twice as long.