Ultimate Guide to Money-Saving Strategies for Busy Moms

As busy moms, juggling family and finances can be challenging, but a few smart strategies can help you save more without feeling deprived. From budgeting tips to expense-cutting ideas, here’s a guide packed with realistic money-saving tips to get you started.

1. Create a Realistic Budget

Creating a realistic family budget is a foundational step for better financial control. A good budget gives you insight into where your money goes each month and helps identify areas where you can cut back. For a straightforward approach to budgeting, check out You Need a Budget (YNAB), a highly recommended budgeting tool that helps families stay on track.

2. Trim Your Grocery Bill

Groceries are one of the biggest expenses for most families. Start by creating weekly meal plans and shopping lists. Apps like Cozi Family Organizer can make meal planning easier, and it’s free to use! You can also save by buying in bulk, purchasing store brands, and using cashback apps like Ibotta for additional savings on your grocery bill.

3. Manage Monthly Subscriptions

Subscriptions for streaming services, gym memberships, and monthly boxes can add up. Go through your accounts to see if you’re still using everything you’re paying for. Consider apps like Rocket Money, which identifies recurring charges and helps you cancel unused subscriptions in a few clicks.

4. Cut Utility Bills with Simple Changes

Reducing energy usage is another easy way to save. Make sure your home is energy efficient by turning off lights when not in use, using LED bulbs, and lowering your thermostat a few degrees. Some utilities offer free home energy audits to identify potential savings opportunities—check with your provider. For more tips, read our post on reducing energy costs at home.

5. Shop Smarter

When it comes to shopping, timing is key. Consider shopping around holiday sales and seasonal clearance events. For online shopping, install browser extensions like Honey to find available coupons automatically and save money without any hassle.

6. Save on Family Entertainment

Entertaining kids on a budget is easier than it seems! Local parks, museums, and libraries often offer free activities. You can also look for discount tickets on sites like Groupon for family-friendly events. For more tips, visit our guide on frugal family activities for ideas that keep everyone entertained without breaking the bank.

7. Use Cash Back Credit Cards Responsibly

If you’re disciplined with credit cards, a cashback rewards card can be a smart way to save on purchases you’re already making. Make sure you’re choosing a card with no annual fee and paying off the balance in full each month to avoid interest charges. For a guide on finding the best credit cards, check out NerdWallet.

8. Automate Your Savings

Automating savings is a great way to consistently put aside money each month. Most banks allow you to set up automatic transfers from checking to savings. Alternatively, try using apps like Qapital, which rounds up your purchases and saves the change for you.

9. Teach Kids About Money

Helping kids understand the value of money can instill smart financial habits early on. Start by giving them small allowances for chores or setting up a “savings challenge.” For more on teaching kids about finances, visit our post on teaching kids about money.

Final Thoughts

Saving money as a busy mom doesn’t have to be overwhelming. Small changes can make a big difference over time. For more ideas on managing your finances and achieving financial freedom, subscribe to our MoneyHipMamas newsletter for regular tips and inspiration.

What are your favorite money-saving tips? Let us know in the comments below!

Is It Worth Starting a Business Through Social Media?

 There’s absolutely no doubt that social media is still one of the best ways to get noticed and bring more attention to yourself. It’s because you can interact with virtually anyone in the world with no boundaries to get in the way, and you can communicate with people from all different walks of life with different interests, tastes, and time zones.

There are just so many people on social media that it really makes sense to start a business there. But while it can be a lucrative endeavor, it’s important to understand what this actually entails and how you can use social media to grow a new business.

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Social media is all about generating buzz

No matter what kind of industry you’re in or the types of products that you want to offer, at the core of social media is the need to generate buzz. It’s about getting noticed, getting people to talk about you, and also forming new connections with people in the industry.

Let’s say you’re starting up your own fashion brand. Getting noticed on social media means that more people take notice of your product, leading to a higher sales volume. However, if you can get noticed with a viral picture, or even work with influences who would be happy to wear clothes from your brand, then you can start building up your business even higher. To make things even better, it’ll help you establish industry connections that you can use to find partners, reach a wider audience, or even collaborate with other businesses.

However, you still need to think about yourself

Although it’s important to generate buzz around your business and get noticed, you also need to think about your personal branding as well. After all, the social media account that you’re using to grow your business isn’t just about your company–it’s probably your personal account, or the persona that you’re trying to adopt.

So while many people try to focus on uplifting their brand, you can’t forget about branding yourself as well. Sometimes this means establishing trust with your audience by engaging with them, it can also mean sharing your story and your successes, or even leveraging multiple social media platforms to further your reach.

Regardless of the positives, it’s still time-consuming

You have to remember that although social media is ripe with opportunities, it’s also extremely time-consuming to grow your brand due to the amount of competition and the consistent effort it requires. Many large companies have entire teams dedicated to building a social media presence, so doing it alone can feel overwhelming and extremely tiring.

Not only do you need to focus on multiple different social media platforms, but you also have to engage with your audience. This includes accepting negative feedback, potential harassment from upset customers, or even being roasted by other brands for your products. There can be a lot of negativity to filter through when you’re trying to build a business through social media, so it’s important to take breaks now and then to reset yourself mentally.

4 Things To Consider Before Writing Your Will

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A will is a legal document that outlines your wishes regarding your death. It tells your loved ones how you would like to distribute your assets and what happens to anything you leave behind.

While it's a rather macabre topic, it's also an empowering one. Without a will, you're leaving your loved ones in the dark about your wishes for your assets, be it money, belongings, property, businesses, or anything else. A will clears up any confusion, giving you the power to allocate different things to different people as you wish. 

Understanding the process of writing a will is crucial. It empowers you to make informed decisions and ensures your wishes are properly documented. While there are many important aspects to a legally binding will, there are also some considerations you need to keep in mind prior to writing your will. You can draw up the best plans possible and know what our options are.

What Assets and Property Do You Own?

Before you start making your will, it's a good idea to sit down and list everything you own. This will give you a better idea of what you need to consider and distribute when the time comes. Things you need to consider include;

• Investments

• Bank Accounts

• Property

• Businesses

• Pets

• Personal Items

• Digital Assets

• Vehicles

Take your time and be thorough in identifying what you own. It might take some time, but it's a responsible step to ensure nothing is missed off.

Know Your Probate and Non-probate Assets

Not everything should be included in your will, specifically non-probate assets. What are these? They are assets that do not need to go through probate, and including them in your will will slow down the probate process. Examples of non-probate assets not to include in your will include life insurance, a 401 (K), payable on death and transferable on death assets, and certain bank or brokerage accounts.

Who Your Executor Will Be

Choosing the right executor is a significant decision. It ensures your wishes are carried out, and your assets are distributed as intended. The executor of your will can be anyone as long as they are of legal age and of sound mind. It can be your lawyer, family member, or friend; it doesn't matter. They need to be someone dependable and trustworthy who will contact those named in your will to discuss your wishes. Talk to those you feel would be a good fit for this role and get their permission to name them as executor of your will so they know what their role will be when the time comes.

Who Receives What

Now that you know what you have to leave your loved one, you can decide who you want to leave certain things to. It might be that you want to leave property to your children, in which case you might need a Quitclaim Deed filed to transfer property between family members; you might need to confirm how you would like to distribute your intended inheritance between grandchildren who are classed as minors at the time of writing a will or leave heirlooms to specific family members. Think carefully about who you wish to receive any or all of your assets and ensure that this is noted down clearly so it can be properly addressed in the will once you compile your final wishes to be legally recorded.

Getting ready to write your will is important. The last thing you want to do is overlook important aspects of writing your will and miss certain areas of your life that can be important in the event of your passing.

3 Great Steps To Make Your Retail Space Look Amazing

 

Image Credit: Clark Street Mercantile from Unsplash.

If you’re starting a retail company, you’ll naturally need to get quite a few things sorted. One of the more notable of these is your retail space, and you’ll want this to look great. As natural as this is, it’s often not the easiest thing to do.

It feels overwhelming and complicated, and you mightn’t know where to start. If you want to make your retail space look amazing, it’s worth looking at a few particular steps. They could end up helping much more than you’d think.

Make Your Retail Space Look Amazing: 3 Great Steps

1. Avoid Clutter

You could sell quite a few products in your retail store, and that can easily lead to clutter if you don’t know what you’re doing. This could be unappealing to potential customers, and they mightn’t even come inside if they see it’s cluttered. You’ll need to make sure that doesn’t happen.

You can work this into your overall design.

Keep clutter in mind, and make sure you keep it as clutter-free as possible. While that could mean making a few changes to the layout you already have, it’ll be more than worth it in the long-term. You’ll have a more appealing and functional retail space because of it.

2. Use Accent Walls

Your walls have a significant impact on how your retail space looks, and it’s worth spending some time on them. Make sure they don’t look boring, and help them work for your company. Spend some time focusing on visual appeal, with there being more than a few ways to do this.

Accent walls can be one of the more notable ways you can do this. All this needs is a bit of paint and a little bit of time. You don’t have to spend a lot of effort on it, but it’ll make more of an impact than you’d think.

3. Invest In Railing

You’ll need to layout your retail space in a certain way, with the design of the building and other factors playing a role with this. That could mean needing to place boundaries or separations between certain sections. You don’t need to settle for something unappealing, however.

Instead, you could go for something a lot nicer.

Commercial railing companies can install visually appealing options that work well in your store. It’ll end up making it look more appealing while also adding a certain sense of style. Railing could end up helping much more than you would’ve thought. It’s worth at least considering them.

Make Your Retail Space Look Amazing: Wrapping Up

Trying to make your retail space look amazing often feels complicated and confusing, but it doesn’t need to be that way. Instead, some steps can be more straightforward than you’d expect. Despite that, they’ll have much more of an impact than you’d think.

Your retail space will end up looking much nicer than you could’ve thought, and you shouldn’t have anything to worry about. You’ll have a space customers will love and where you can relatively easily make a sale.

Protecing Your Family Against Life Changing Events

 

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Protecting your family and your lifestyle in the event of an emergency isn't something people want to think about, but when life can change in the blink of an eye, being able to keep moving forward and limit the disruption caused will serve you well in the long term and give you a better chance of getting back on your feet faster.

But if it's an emergency, how can you prepare?

Savings

Savings are vital when your life's turned upside down. You need to have something to fall back on should your primary source of income be lost or reduced. Ideally, you should aim to build a savings fund or emergency fund or at least one month's worth of expenses, but ideally 6 months or more. Look at your living costs and determine what you need to be able to survive and pay all of your bills for one month, then start building the savings. If you hit one month's worth and you haven't used it, then aim for two, and so on.

Reduce Debt

In the proper context, debt can be a helpful tool, i.e., buying a new car, taking on a mortgage, etc, but loans and credit card debts can drain your finances in an emergency and will increase your outgoings. If you want to put your family in the best possible position should anything impact your life as you know it, having as little debt as possible can be a good idea.

Insurances

How much would it cost to replace all of your belongings if you lost them in a house fire, flood, or weather disaster? It will likely cost more than you think. The same goes for getting a new car or in the event of a death and being able to afford the mortgage. Life insurance, homeowners insurance, flood insurance, and more are all safety nets should anything happen. Talking to an insurance agent can help you to find the right type of insurance for you and your family and the level of coverage you will need should anything happen.

Emergency Supplies

Disasters can happen in many different forms, and being prepared in various ways can give you the best level of protection and support. While all the above are excellent for helping you financially, having emergency supplies to hand can be a practical way to mitigate other problems you might encounter. If you live in a food area and experience hurricanes or extreme weather, you lose power, which can impact your quality of life and cause massive disruptions.

Emergency supplies can look like protein bars, bottled water, a wind up radio, blankets, clean underwear, tinned food, dry food, matches, lighters, candles, batteries, and emergency contact details in a ready bag can be a lifesaver should you experience anything mentioned or anything else that interferes with your life.

Preparing for an emergency might seem a bit excessive; however, if you don't know how you will cope should you experience a life-changing event, then it is not such an out-there concept after all, is it?

Home Repairs To Put At The Top Of Your To-Do List

 Whether you’re looking to minimize the costs of running a home, or simply make your property a nicer place to live, there are many benefits associated with prioritizing home repairs in the new year. 

Photo by Theme Photos on Unsplash

With that in mind, here are five home repairs that should be put at the top of your to-do list moving forward! 

Damage to your roof. 

There are many reasons why your roof could be showing signs of damage. For example, cracked, missing or “curling” shingles are signs of ageing or the product of bad weather conditions such as storms.

However, as a damaged roof exposes your home to the elements, it is important that you reach out to an expert insured commercial roofer as soon as possible. This can prevent further damage from occurring, such as flooding, water damage, or even damage caused by pests entering your home.

Faulty electrics. 

Whether you’ve been debating whether or not you should repair or rewire your home's electrics for some time or are dealing with power outages, electrical repairs should also be a number-one priority when carrying out home maintenance in the new year. After all, failing to address electrical issues puts your health and safety at risk. 

On a similar note, it is important that all electrical work is left to the experts. Reading a guide online about how to complete a complicated electrical project does not guarantee skill. 

Draughty windows/doors. 

Even the smallest of gaps in windows and door frames can allow cold air to enter your home, which could mean that you’re spending far more than necessary on your monthly energy bills. Thankfully, this is a relatively easy, DIY-fix, as you simply need to buy a sealant online and use this to fill any gaps you notice. 

If you are trying to make your home more sustainable in the new year while also preserving heat,  it may be the perfect time to install new, double-glazed windows. After all, they can help keep your home warmer, even on days when it is particularly cold or chilly outside. 

Clogged gutters. 

Clogged gutters may not seem like a major maintenance issue to begin with, but they can quickly cause a lot of damage within your home. For example, a build-up of leaves, twigs and other forms of debris could cause blockages, which lead to flooring or water damage within your home. 

Moisture/Water Damage. 

Whether you’ve dealt with a flood at your property or a burst pipe, it is vital that you rectify water damage as quickly as possible. After all, if left unattended too, a build-up of moisture could lead to the development of damp or mold within your home, which poses a series of risks. For example, it could threaten your immune system, making you more vulnerable to sickness and respiratory perfume. 

Beyond this, moisture damage could threaten the structural integrity of your home - which is precisely why you should respond to any challenges presented by water damage right away! 

Keeping Your Tax Affairs In Order

 If you want to make sure that your finances are in a good place as much of the time as possible, there are many ways that you might be able to achieve that. The truth is that one of the major parts of this is always going to be keeping your tax affairs in order. As long as you do that, it’s going to mean that your finances are generally going to be much stronger on the whole. So here are some of the main ways to make sure you are doing just that.

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Contact A Tax Accountant

One of the first things you should do here is to simply contact a tax accountant. They are going to be able to help you to keep your tax as it should be. There are two main ways in which they will help with this. Firstly, they are going to help you to make sure you are paying what you legally need to. But on the other hand, they can find legal ways for you to reduce your tax burden, which is obviously hugely helpful financially speaking. So it is always worth speaking with a tax accountant just to make sure you have everything in order.

Make Use Of Tax Credits

There are also tax credits for you to consider, and these are very useful to know about and make use of. Essentially, tax credits help you by paying back into your tax account, or in some cases reducing your burden. There are many kinds of tax credits out there, and which you can claim will all depend on what situation you find yourself in. You might want to look into tax credit giving for charitable purposes as an example of one way you can approach this, for instance.

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Fill Out Your Tax Return On Time

Whether or not you have an accountant to help, you do need to make sure that you fill out your tax return if you are someone who needs to do this - and you should ensure that you are doing it on time. There are penalties for doing it late, and the taxman will probably look on you much less favorably in the future as well. Plus, if you owe any tax, then there are deadlines for paying that too, and you will need to make sure you remember that. It’s absolutely not worth failing to pay your tax on time.

Businesses

If you have a business, then there are going to be all sorts of tax issues that you need to be aware of which are not going to apply to individuals. Again this is a situation where you will find that you need to hire a tax accountant to help you figure everything out. As long as you do that and you keep above board, you should find that you are going to really make a difference to how you approach the whole situation.