Wondering how to manage your money during maternity leave? My first experience with maternity leave felt quite traumatic at the time, but I sure did learn a lot and was better prepared next time.
Saving money is one of my favorite things. I am constantly thinking about how we can save money. Whether it’s by flicking the light switches off or constantly price comparing, it’s in my DNA.
That’s why I love sharing tips and tricks for you here on this blog and my Tiktok account.
When I was pregnant with my first daughter at the age of 25, I worked in an office with a fresh college degree.
I was excited to have a salary job and leave my manager position at Starbucks.
But an office setting was NOT for me. Or maybe working for others wasn’t for me, now that I work from home.
Anyways we had no clue who Dave Ramsey was at the time. I honestly thought you were supposed to use credit cards and always pay them off. That’s how my parents taught us and how they lived through much of my childhood.
Paying off a mortgage early was unheard of. We paid our farmhouse off in 4 years after really getting a good feel for the debt-free mindset.
I thought we would be fine.
Until I realized how much daycare costs and everything else that goes along with having a baby.
Here are some quick, easy tips for you to apply to help you save money during maternity leave.
Try Store Brand Diapers
If you have a wholesale club membership like Sam’s, Costco, or BJ’s, buying their store-brand diapers is a great way to save money. Plus, you can get a nice big box which saves you urgent runs in the middle of the night to get more diapers.
I find most wholesale club brands cost you around 10 -12 ¢ a diaper.
*Need a Membership club discount deal? Grab one to all three here.
Sign up for all the FREE Baby Sample Items
There are so many websites that send samples and freebies out to parents. So many, I created an entire list here for you.
Take Control of Spending
Now that you have more time at home, really look at your spending habits. This is the best time to start a budget if you haven’t already. First, figure out what your wants and needs are.
Shopping online for cute clothes and baby accessories is extremely tempting when you are sleep-deprived and nursing a baby.
BUT this will cost you in the end if you are trying to save money during maternity leave.
Get rid of any saved credit cards/debit cards on websites to help stop the spending.
Start Couponing
Couponing is so much fun for babies and toddlers. But, I still see so many diaper coupons and Gerber coupons.
Check out free coupons here.
If you want to learn how to extreme coupons, check out this post here.
7 Apps you need to download to start couponing/saving money!
Save Vacation Time
If you haven’t started your maternity leave, now is a good time to save up vacation and sick time. Not only for you, have your partner start saving vacation time too.
If you can take leave at different times, this will maximize the amount of time you can be home with your child.
Medical Expenses
Keep in mind the medical expenses that come along after your baby is born—the more frequent Doctor Checkups.
Look into the cost through your insurance, and be sure to save up for these items. This is the time to add this to the budget.
Try these 60 dirt cheap meals to make for dinner.
Freezer meal
Before you go on maternity leave, consider making a month’s worth of meals. This is a great time to utilize freezer menu meals. There are so many meal plans to choose from right on Pinterest.
Even if you can’t freeze all 30 meals, have a meal plan for the month to help ease the quick wants of ordering takeout.
Be sure to follow my Frugal Meal Planning board on Pinterest.
Date Night at Home
When our girls were little, we only had one set of grandparents that were an hour away. It wasn’t always easy to have a babysitter. At that time, we couldn’t afford to pay one either.
I found this amazing website that really helped us keep each other a priority during some of the hardest days.
Now that my girls are eight and ten and I can look back at those times, please prioritize date night. Even when it feels impossible. 30 minutes together without distractions can make a huge difference.
Check out 13 ways SAHM can make money!
Make Money
And of course, you can always find ways to make money when you are at home.
Here are seven of my favorite ways to utilize social media.
There are so many more jobs available to us online now.
Think about your skills and what you enjoy doing. Be realistic with your available time when you have a baby at home.
Maybe you want to take the leap and start a blog like me!
Take Advantage of Parks & Library
Going to the library when the kids are little is a great way to get out of the house and change your scenery for FREE!
Storytimes are always something to look forward to as your baby grows. Also, take advantage of strolling through parks when you need to get out of the house but don’t want to spend any money.
I hope this helps inspire you to look for more ways to save money while on maternity leave.
