If money grows on trees, I bet none of us would have to endure trying to stretch our measly budget until the next paycheck comes. Or worry about the monthly car or house amortization or school tuition. Before proceeding further on, let me just tell you that I am no expert, + I would really need a master’s degree before I start discussing about anything that has to do with finance + money or I am not really sure whether I can give you a sound advice on business funding or credit card factoring + make it sound believable, but I am mum, anyway, + somehow it comes with the territory to be a jill-of-all-trade of sorts.

Believe it or not, it does not really take a master or a pro to be money-wise + somehow we just need to follow our guts + we can all be budget-savvy mums in no time, in our own little way.

Here are a few tips:

1. Monitor how your money comes + goes by grabbing a notebook + listing down all your expenses, include your budget, too, so you will have a clear picture of how much you earn + spend for an entire month. This way you can easily see where you saved or overspent.
2. Make an inventory of your pantry + make a list of all the grocery items you will need for the next week. This will keep you from buying unnecessary food items in the grocer’s rack the next time you do your groceries, preventing future food spoilage, too. Make a mental note to stick to your list at all times, as well! 🙂
3. Take advantage of end-of-season sales when buying clothes + stuffs for yourself + your kiddos. That way you save by getting exactly what you needed {a pair of pajamas or pants for your toddler or a blouse for you + the little girl} at less, or sometimes even half, the price.
4. Teach your little ones to be money-savvy, too, by getting them individual piggy banks. Now is the most opportune time to teach them about saving. You also need to walk the talk so getting a piggy bank for yourself will also be ideal.
5. If you were like most of the mums I know, you are probably online a lot of time, so take advantage of those online groupon sites that offer deals for children’s toys + books, admission to amusement parks or travel deals, that will enable you to have a great bonding time with your family at a steal.
6. Use them coupons. It is high time you notice those discount coupons handed out in the malls during weekends or those inserts in your monthly mum publications. A 10 to 20 percent discount is better than nothing at all + getting them for free only by cutting + keeping those coupons is not really a bad deal.
7. Use those loyalty cards that will allow you to gain points + hopefully shop cashless in the future.

There are really endless ways on how we can stretch our budget much further + it only takes a dash of resourcefulness + a little bit of creativity. So, here’s to a budget-savvy you in 2012! 🙂