The Frugal Father

 Raising Children on a Budget in America

Sometimes, including college costs, raising a kid can cost half a million dollars.   This is daunting, to say the least.   But it doesn’t need to be that expensive.   Heck, what about in human history, the Native Americans, say?  They didn’t need baby bouncers, piano lessons, Vision Pro goggles, college, and the rest.  In any case, I compiled a bunch of tips for frugal family fathering, or whatever the case may be.  

Consult parenting and frugality bloggers.  Even if you’re more fortunate than most, you can still be frugal, thrifty, economical.  SO.  Buy used (second-hand) clothes (from churches, goodwill, thrift stores, consignment stores, garage sales, flea markets, etc.), get freebies and join giveaway groups (facebook groups, say), buy beds, swings, strollers, bouncers, etc. from friends or on craigslist.  NextDoor can be a resource, too.  Keep your eyes open.  Buy things in advance (like for Christmas or birthdays).  Look for special offers, like for camping or theme-parks.  Talk to other parents to share costs and activities, get free food from food pantries (if not food stamps, aka CalFresh, SNAP, EBT, Link), use coupons vouchers discounts deals sales bargains (you get the idea), have only ONE snack time per day (they will finish dinner, as well), budget and plan healthy batch meals (crockpot? for the freezer, to save time), buy in bulk and generic and from warehouse stores (like Costco or Sam’s Club), limit the frequency of (eliminate?) eating fast-food and takeout meals, do free activities (like outdoors, free concerts, parks and playgrounds, back yard, etc.), the LIBRARY especially, have your housing expenses be underbudget, use cloth diapers (cheaper AND less landfill waste), avoid “toy chaos” and get, say, one nice gift per child for Christmas, instead of many cheap ones…  Public schools, and limiting the number of sports to one per child, and not buying all the garbage that you don’t want or need, or to “keep up with the Jones”, or be pressured into fundraisers, etc.  Fill your calendar with fun and free activities.  Libraries don’t just have books, magazines, audiobooks, and computers/tablets.  They have story time, and other family programming, and dvd’s, for example.  Swap baby-sitting with other families, to trade the service instead of pay for a sitter.  Sock money away in a 529 college savings plan. Make a list of all your expenses, and prioritize them, and regularly review your budget, to put your family’s needs first and cover the essentials.  Avail yourself of the child tax credit.  Save for an emergency.  Make money last until payday.  Use comparison websites for things like your phone/utility/broadband bills, and switch to cheaper options.  Laundry can be cold-washed and air-dryed to save energy bills.  Maybe you can get solar panels installed, and even get paid for your surplus electricity.  Weigh your options.   Don’t automatically buy stuff;  give it a couple days, “needs” dissipate.  Daycare is said to be the biggest expense:  instead of $300+ a week, you can find an in-home daycare provider (you trust) for less.  In the teens, or junior/high, your child(ren) can earn spending money, do odd jobs, and be taught to wait for things.   Delayed gratification is a valuable lesson.  We live in a capitalist society, and it’s absurd, really.  All of us live, reproduce maybe, and die.  Don’t worry about it.  You don’t have to be Bill Gates or Elon Musk or Jeff Bezos or Warren Buffett or anybody but yourself.  You can't take it with you.  What people call “poor” is freaking filthy-rich relative to both space and time, geography and history.  Be happy.   It’s not all about money.   To me, it’s not even a third about money, to put a number on it.  But money never hurt. 

I have a disability and get SSA, SSI, Medicare A and B, Medi-cal, and free dental.  I haven’t researched all the programs available to low-income families.