Quick Guide to Finances: Money-Saving Tips for Vancouver Moms
Now that summer is drawing to a close, many of us are back home from vacation and settling into our regular routines. Those credit card bills full of dinners out, gas for your road trip and hotel bills might leave you feeling a little bit overwhelmed. And if you’re scrambling to find childcare for your kids during the BC teachers’ strike – or you’re a public school teacher – you might be feeling even more of a financial pinch. To help you get back on solid financial footing, we’ve gathered some of our articles with money-saving tips for Vancouver parents.
Money-Saving Tips for Vancouver Moms
Eat at Home
Cooking at home is always going to be cheaper in the long run than eating out or ordering takeout, which is why this tops our list of money-saving tips. If you find yourself stopping for fast food more often than you’d like because you’re busy and stressed, never fear. Guest contributor Caitlin Boudreau of Wee Nourish has five tips to simplify home cooking. Read more.
At this time of year there’s lots of local produce at the farmers’ market, as well as in grocery stores and at farmstands and maybe even in your garden. These fruits and veggies are more flavourful and cheaper than their imported cousins. One way to save money is to buy in bulk now and preserve the harvest for the winter. Our own Erin McGann has tips for getting started. Read more.
Update Your Wardrobe on a Budget
With fall here, your wardrobe might be in need of a little update. But how to do it without breaking the bank? We have some money-saving tips for fashion-savvy Vancouver moms. Michelle Gadd has the lowdown on thrift store and consignment shopping for Vancouver moms in two articles. Get tips for what to buy and what to avoid, where to shop in Vancouver, and more:
Thrift Store Savvy | Guide to Vancouver Thrift and Consignment Shopping for Moms
You can also refresh your wardrobe with a cheap and easy fashion DIY project. We rounded up some suggestions for you. Read more.
Affordable Kids’ Gear and Clothes
Kids can be expensive, as any parent can tell you. Therefore our list of money-saving tips wouldn’t be complete without some ideas for affordable children’s gear and clothing. Guest contributor Emilie Sarkissian shared her tips for dressing your kids without breaking the bank in a two part series:
Part 1 | Part 2
Consignment shopping is a great way to save money on quality kids’ clothes and baby gear, and we’ve covered it several times. Check out these three articles:
Buying and Selling Kids’ Clothes on Consignment | Consignment Kids Stores | Kids Consignment Stores on the West Side
Consignment shopping is just one way to find affordable baby gear. We have more tips for saving money by buying used in this article outlining thrift stores, Craigslist and beyond. Read more.
Skip the Car
Gas is expensive, so one of our money-saving tips is to ditch the car. One great – and affordable – alternative to owning your own car is car-sharing, and we rounded up some information on doing just that in Vancouver. Read more.
Transit is also an affordable way to get around town without a car. To help you get started, we have five suggestions for where to visit in Vancouver with your kids on transit. Read more.
Back to School
With the school year not yet underway, many Vancouver moms are still stocking up on school supplies and back-to-school gear. Our own Christine Pilkington shared her tips for heading back-to-school on a budget in this segment on Global TV. See it now.
Two years ago we asked Vancouver moms how they were saving money on back-to-school shopping. Read their money-saving tips for ideas to get you started. Read more.
What are your favourite money-saving tips for Vancouver parents?
