Moms may notice their grocery bills getting more expensive since 2022 as inflation in the U.S. has hit its most significant spike in nearly 40 years. As the person who usually handles the family's budget, mothers are forced to make shortcuts and adapt to frugal ways to limit overspending.
Below are some easy tips for moms to save money:
1. Hang dry laundry instead of using the dryer.
Take advantage of the rising summer heat and hang dry laundry instead of using the dryer, which will cost electricity. Use your backyard to let the clothes dry under the sun but if you don't have enough space, invest in a space-saving and easy-to-store cloth drying rack that may cost less than $70.
According to Whirlpool, dyers typically need 1800 to 5000 watts or 1.8 to 5 kWh of electricity. The base charge of power bills varies per state, but you can calculate an estimated expense by the number of hours of usage divided by 1,000 and multiplied by the cost per hour of power in your area indicated on the bill.
In the same manner, you may also avoid using the dishwasher in the meantime and rely on a dishwasher rack. You may also save some money by using your household appliances' eco mode or power-saving function.
2. Make your own household cleaners.
Store-bought household cleaners could be easily replaced with products you can make on your own using a few drops of dish soap, lemon juice, white vinegar, and baking soda. There are many easy-to-follow recipes for homemade household cleaners online. Homemade household cleaners are effective for ovens and other kitchen appliances, carpet stains, greasy pots or pans, and even for unclogging the drain.
If your family uses a lot of paper towels for cleaning, switch to microfiber cloths that you can wash and re-use all the time. Using cloths instead of paper towels will also be good for the environment because there's less waste.
3. Always keep your pantry well-stocked.
Culinary expert Holly Clegg said that a well-stocked pantry allows moms to be more efficient with their weekly meal planning. It saves money and time as moms do not have to rush out to do last-minute grocery shopping since they have what they need in the pantry.
To keep a good inventory of the pantry, moms have to do their grocery shopping efficiently and prepare the menu ahead of time to control the family's spending on food. Savings expert Jeanette Pavini told GoBankingRates that by preparing the weekly meal menu, moms could save up to 40 percent on the grocery bill.
4. Cut back on the non-essentials.
Economic professor Emma Rasiel told ABC 11 that moms could cut back on the non-essentials like subscriptions or gym fees if they never use these anymore. She also advised avoiding online sites because this can lead to impulse purchases.
Rasiel also said it's better to buy generic items than branded products, especially when it comes to grocery items. Generic products also come in bulk for items the family uses a lot.
