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 Money-saving

• Don't get in a panic over Christmas. Keep a box and put a little in it every week - small gifts, wine, nibbles, napkins etc. This way, you'll be more relaxed and less skint in December! (keriku)
• for cleaning black leather shoes! rub leather with the inside of a banana skin to bring out the dirt, wipe with a damp cloth then buff until dry and shiny. (bloodredcherrymonster)
• Save your 12-18 month and 18-24 month baby trousers and dungarees. You'll be surprised at how many of them fit again once your child is out of nappies. (BikeRunSki)
• When ordering nametapes, put the initial of each child one either side of your surname, e.g J Smith R. You can then fold over the relevant side for both children when you sew them. (mummyplonk)
• Kids don't need expensive garden toys - they'll be equally happy with some water and a drop of washing up liquid in your washing up bowl. Throw in some plastic cutlery, bowls, cups, wooden spoons etc and stand back! (FrazzledFairyFay)
• Keep a record of every penny you spend for a whole month, it will make it easier to see where you could make savings. (kslatts)
• If you can't afford to have your floors sanded, just get the children a sand pit. Two weeks later - job done. (FlyMeToDunoon)
• Fill a thermos flask with boiling water first thing in the morning. Then whenever you get the chance for a cup of tea you don't have to wait for the kettle to boil. It saves energy too! (ntysrja)
• Save money on drinks at the theme parks. Take powder sachets of fruit flavouring with you. They all have water fountains and the sachets cost 79p for 3 which make a litre each. (kelliec)
• If you have baby sick on a carpet and can't get rid of the smell, mix bicarbonate of soda with a small amount of water until it is a paste. Spread it on the sicky patch and leave to dry. Vacuum up and the smell will disappear as if by magic! (Popsycal)
• You can revive dried-out playdough by putting a babywipe at the bottom of the tub overnight. Just don't ask how we discovered this! (Tufty)
• If you are trying to save money then vow to fill your child's stocking this year with only toys from second hand sales or charity shops. It becomes a challenge and the children are just as happy (certainly when small). (Mousie)
• Get together with a group of friends and set up a toy library for your children. This saves you money and means your child gets new toys to play with every month (Esme)
• When buying your first pushchair, try borrowing a toddler. Most pushchairs feel light and easy to push when empty or with a tiny baby on board, but can prove difficult to manoeuvre with a bigger child. (ernest)
• Don't throw away your bottle brushes. they are just the right size for cleaning mud (or worse) from tiny shoes and wellies. (notsoteenagemum)
• If you're planning a trip to a tourist attraction or theme park, make sure to search the internet for ticket discounts and deals. (Tigermoth)
• Instead of getting separate name tapes for each child, get them with your family's surname and a contact number on. Much simpler, and better for hand me downs, too! (Peachy)
• Get chickens - they rock. (electricbarbarella)
• Buy new packed-lunch bags/boxes now ready for September. There are loads of picnic cool bags around for those not wanting characters, and the prices will by hiked up in August. (Posey)
• Keep a clean, dry towel handy for when you are tumble-drying. Pop it in with the wet clothes and it shortens the drying time, saving you electricity, time and money! (wotulookinat)
• Buy some very cheap T-shirts and use them as 'grown up bibs' for messy toddlers. Get a few sizes too big so they are easy to get on and off. (Disenchanted)
• Laminating machines can be bought really cheaply from supermarkets, and you can make your own wipe-clean sheets for the children (forkhandles)
• Get a battery tester ? they're cheap and they will let you know at once if any odd batteries you find lying around the house are live or dead. (PeterandLucy)
• Don?t bin broken crayons, make rainbow crayons instead. Break them into small bits and pop into a microwave safe container. Melt down and let them cool and harden. (LemonTart)
• A helium-filled foil balloon is a great alternative to a mobile over a cot. (Just make sure they can't get wrapped up in the string!) (hollyhobbie)
• Buy neutral coloured wellies - orange, green, yellow - so that younger siblings can inherit them. They are rarely worn out on one child. (Gem13)
• If you're short on cash and need some entertainment for the kids, blow up ballons and scatter them all over the floor - the fun could last for hours! (YellowBrickRoad)
• Keep a diary for writing down details of any low-cost events as you see them. There is nearly always something to do which doesn't involve huge amounts of money. (slotnicki)
• Use baby wipes to clean leather sofas - they clear up everything and smell nice too!!! (yackertyyack)
• Buy a few metres of PVC from your local fabric supplier. For less than £2 a metre you need never be without a painting mat, splash mat, picnic mat etc. It's versatile and easily cleaned. (Keb)
• If you still have t-shirts that fit your children but it's too cold for them to wear them. Slip a long sleeved white vest underneath for an instant fashionable winter look. (CoffeeMad)
• Store wipes in a resealable plastic bag instead of leaving them in their original packaging. They dry out less so last longer. (Rebecca324)
• Don't pay extra for maternity tights - tall and fuller figure sized tights will do the job without costing a fortune. (Degserella)
• If your teenager gets through opaque tights at a rate of knots, buy adult multi packs. They're much cheaper than the children's section, so it's less painful on the pocket if they fall to pieces after just a couple of wears! (janeitebus)
• Revive much loved, much washed bobbly clothes and soft toys by giving them a quick shave with a disposable razor. (Mumbleboo)
• Keep tester pots of house paint to hand. You never know when you may have to touch up walls with pen marks and sticky hand marks! (poppyh)
• Don't bin old baby bottle brushes - they are exactly the right size/format for washing champagne glasses. (BlueberryPancake)
• A large men's cotton hanky works well as a bib, covers more surface area and is soft and gentle for babies' faces. They're easy to wash and once you're past the bib stage can be used as hankies again. (Cll)
• Join a children's book club and opt for the editor's choice each month - you'll always have a handy supply of lovely presents at a fraction of their usual price. (numptysmummy)
• Before holidays, do a trawl of charity shops for cheap toys and books. It won't matter if they get wet and you can even leave them for the next guests. (Gameboy)
• If you're taking the kids to the cinema, visit Woolworth's first for pick n mix, popcorn and drinks. It will save you a fortune. (Monty)
• A plastic syringe costing 13p from the chemist is by far the best bath toy we have ever had. (FrannyandZooey)
• Keep all those junk mail order catalogues and use them on rainy days to make a scrap book. It's cheaper than stickers and you can make some entertaining monstrosities. (Bundle)
• Never turn your nose up at a charity shop - they are great places to find cheap, hardly worn/new children's clothes. (Pamina)
• Don't buy a sledge for the snow we're supposedly getting. An old kitchen tray or black bin bag is much cheaper and just as much fun! (smeeinit)
• A child's waterproof swimming bag makes a great container for dirty real nappies when out and about. Back home the bag can be wiped out and re-used. (unfitmummy)
• Wrap pressies in old pages of comics and magazines, or even pictures your children have done. Saves money and keeps the house tidy! (mustrunmore)
• Never pay full price for baby wipes - there are so many special offers now that you can simply stock up when they're two-for-one or similar deals. (tiredandgrumpy)
• For a cheap and cheerful bath toy, buy a plastic tea set (from the local pound shop). Your toddler will have great fun in the bath filling and pouring... (tealady)
• Clean yogurt pots can make great freezing containers for mini cottage pies, pasta bakes, etc. Great for the next stage on after the ice cubes (Hulababy)
• Buy a packet of cheap plastic spoons for lunchbox yoghurts etc. Washable if brought back home, but not a disaster if they do get lost. (Aero)
• If you're struggling to keep your baby cool at night, cut the legs off old babygrows to make shorties. (WishICouldGiveUpWork)
• If your kids are doing loads of art over the summer holidays, keep the pictures and use them as wrapping paper. (amebee)
• Don't ditch old muslins. Boil wash them, then use them with cleanser to remove your make-up, Eve Lom style. (Willow2)
• A bag of plastic clothes clips makes a cheap and practical way to teach your children colours and counting. (jampost)
• The plastic trays that come with pre-packaged supermarket veg' make great disposable paint palettes. (Athene)
• The plastic trays that come with pre-packaged supermarket veg' make great disposable paint palettes. (Athene)
• Keep your newborn's clothes to dress up their first big baby doll. (chalkie)
• Soak tired bibs in sterilizing solution to remove stubbon stains. (Bafreem)
• I write down details of any 'low-cost' events such as library story times, fetes and museum days in my diary as I see them. It means we always have something fun and economical to do! (slotnicki)
• Buy ahead in the sales for suitable presents for children the same ages as your children. Then, when your child receives a party invitation, you know that you already have something that's age appropriate. (IvortheEngine)
• Buy ahead in the sales for suitable presents for children the same ages as your children. Then, when your child receives a party invitation, you know that you already have something that's age appropriate. (IvortheEngine)
• Buy ahead in the sales for suitable presents for children the same ages as your children. Then, when your child receives a party invitation, you know that you already have something that's age appropriate. (IvortheEngine)
• Baby wipes are great for cleaning leather. The really cheap wipes are the best - use them on your shoes and bags. (monty)
• Wash and keep the lids for baby-food jars and give them to your baby/toddler to play with. If you buy the same brand your child can stack them up, as well as throwing them around! (SenoraPostrophe)
• Old washing up sponges cut up are a great alternative to paint brushes. You can have one for each colour and so do without a water pot avoiding the oh-so-frequent spillages. They easy to clean by rinsing under the tap or can be thrown away afterwards. (ManchesterMum)
• If you have life insurance that your kids could benefit from, put it 'in trust' (involves filling in a simple form and getting guardians to sign it) to avoid them paying inheritance tax in the unfortunate event that they inherit it. (hmonty)
• As cot sheets are so expensive, I use single bed sheets or duvet covers. They are much cheaper and come in a lot of different colours and patterns. (Juliettesmum)
• Buy a baby bath that sits over the top of an adult bath. They are so much easier to use than normal baby baths, and are bigger and deeper, and should last longer. (Dibooth)
• If you live in West Sussex make sure you get your free washable nappy trial from the county council. (melgreenmum)
• Put plastic bath toys that have become covered in limescale, mildew or soapscum over time, in an old pillowcase and run them through a 60 degree wash with plenty of washing powder. Remove before fast spin cycle and allow to air dry. (Suzyj)
• Old plastic vitamin containers with safety lids make wonderful rattles. Just add some chickpeas/lentils or anything that rattles for lots of noise and entertainment! (Sallie)
• If your kids are always forgetting to bring teaspoons and forks home with their lunchboxes, use plastic ones. I always grab a couple from food-halls, cafes etc and keep these for packed lunches. (kayleigh)
• Set up a clothes bank with your friends. Everyone can deposit old clothes and make withdrawals. You need someone with a dry garage or similar to store the clothes in. (katzguk)
• To get wax off a carpet get a brown paper bag, put over the offending mark, heat up your iron, then iron over the mark. It also removes wax crayons and chewing gum. However, beware: my friend tried this and ruined her carpet - it melted, as she didn't realise it had a Nylon content. (Badger7)
• Need to give the kids a treat but no money? Visit your local charity shop and give you kids a pound each. You will be amazed by what they can get for the money, you won't be to stressed if they lose interest after a week and to top it all the money goes to a good cause! (Alysonguy)
• Continue to use Summer t'shirts and tops in Winter by buying some cheap long sleeved vests and putting them on underneath. Looks cool as well. (Hayls)
• For a cheap Saturday evening family activity, buy a pack of pizza bases and tomato puree and variety of toppings. spend the evening grating, cutting and making a mess whilst creating their perfect pizza. (Custardo)
• Keep all those mail order catalogues that you get bombarded with and cut out heads/legs/arms so your little artists can make some lovely collages on a rainy day. (Bundle)
• In the sales buy a stock of toys and store away in a cupboard. It will mean no more last minute shopping trips whenever your child is invited to a birthday party. (tiptop)
• If there is a chance you may go on to have more than one child, don't buy cute gender-specific vests,sleepsuits, sleeping bags and bedding for your first. It's hard to think of number two when you haven't had your first child, but it will save you loads of money in the long run. (BearintheBigBlueHouse)
• Save infacol containers - they make excellent dolly bottles! (fisil)
• Rather than buying expensive plasters for those bumps and grazes, buy the cheap shiny ones and draw faces/patterns on them with felt pens before putting them on your child's wound. (Bundle)
• Video wildlife programmes that are on in the evening and keep them for a rainy day. Children love nothing more than to look at real animals. (buttercup)
• When your children grow out of trousers/jeans - if the waist still fits cut them down into shorts to save money. (Reah0607)
• Keep the hangers and packaging for all the baby clothes, toys and equipment you buy or are given - its helps with selling things secondhand once you're done with them. (JeniN)
• To get wax off a carpet get a brown paper bag, put over the offending mark, heat up your iron, then iron over the mark. It also removes wax crayons and chewing gum (bacardiandcoke)
• Invest in wipeable paint for your walls - as when they are little and start scribbling they tend to do it on the wall (Dulux do one). (Secretperson)
• Use heavy duty zip-lock plastic document wallets to store jigsaws with lift out pieces. (OckRd)
• When your baby grows too big for the baby bath, lie some thick towels in it, maybe also a pillow at one end and sit them up in it with their toys. It supports them well and you have a bargain early playpen! (Celandine)
• Never leave a gameboy under a study lamp. If the lamp is angled towards the gameboy, the gamboy plastic case can melt. We learned this the hard way. (Tigermoth)
• Use disposable plastic spoons for yoghurts in packed lunch boxes. I've lost count of the proper spoons that I've packed that have never returned from school. (Wings)
• If you have two children and need to buy name labels for clothes, put one child's name at the beginning, your surname then the name of the other child at the end. This way you'll get two sets for the price of one. (Rockingrosebud)
• Don't buy expensive bath tints: food colouring works just as well, is a lot cheaper (about 50p a bottle) and amazingly, doesn't stain children or plastic baths. (wickedwaterwitch)
• Don't buy expensive bath tints: food colouring works just as well, is a lot cheaper (about 50p a bottle) and amazingly, doesn't stain children or plastic baths. (wickedwaterwitch)
• An empty shower gel bottle )one with a rubbery one-way opening) makes a great bath toy. When full of water and squeezed it makes a fantastic raspberry and gives a hearty squirt. (Toots)
• Save pounds off your cinema trip by making you own microwave popcorn at home and packing a small (sandwich-size) plastic bag per child and a box a fruit juice per child. (RuthWarrens)
• Keep old equipment such as telephones, old radios (anything with buttons) to give to your toddler. Much better if it looks like Mummy's! (Tia)
• Collect empty toothpaste boxes, mini cereal packets etc, for your child to play shops with instead of buying expensive playsets. (Happycat)
• If you insist on only using the best branded nappies, save money by using shop's own brand during the day - when you're around to change them quickly - and save the branded ones for night time when they really need to work well! (sunflowerz)
• Record Teletubbies/ Tweenies onto a blank video tape, it saves a fortune and because they don't last long, kids don't sitting glued to the goggle box all day. (Nelly1)
• Empty shampoo bottles make excellent cheap but entertaining bath toys. My daughter loves all the different shapes and sizes, including samples. She also likes to screw the tops on and off. (JG)
• If you don't have a slip mat for the bath, use a hand towel instead - it will work just the same. (Suzie333)
• Our son loves drawing and painting. I went to our local DIY store and found a huge roll of discontinued wallpaper for £2.50, the back of which is just perfect for toddler artwork. We can cut off however much or little is needed and its so thick the paint doesn't go through to the other side. (EmmaM)
• Stock up with cotton flannels. They're great for cleaning up after mealtimes, mopping up spills, washing, and even nappy changes if your baby has sensitive skin. It saves a fortune on babywipes (and creates less rubbish), and they can be bleached if they look grubby. (spanna)
• To help keep children amused in the summer - keep any kitchen-cleaner-type spray bottles; give them a really good wash out and then fill with water for the ultimate in water spraying fun in the garden! (Finbar)
• A garlic press and cookie cutters make good tools for playdough. (mammya)
• Don't buy expensive bath tints: food colouring works just as well, is a lot cheaper (about 50p a bottle) and amazingly, doesn't stain children or plastic baths. (wickedwaterwitch)
• Don't throw out old muslins - cut them in half and then use them to take your make up off, a la skincare guru Eve Lom. Result - a clean face without having to spend all your child benefit on a posh facial. (willow2)
• Don't buy expensive bath tints: food colouring works just as well, is a lot cheaper (about 50p a bottle) and amazingly, doesn't stain children or plastic baths. (wickedwaterwitch)
• An empty shower gel bottle of the kind with a rubbery one-way opening, makes a great bath toy. When full of water and squeezed it makes a fantastic raspberry and gives a hearty squirt. (toots)
• Babywear catalogues are ideal if your toddler requires entertainment in order to sit still in a high chair for more than a couple of minutes. They love looking at the photos of babies and it doesn't matter if the catalogues get covered in food. (bossykate)
• If your child is struggling to make sandwiches of slidey plastic play-food stick together properly use small squares of self-adhesive velcro - it's much cheaper than buying a whole new set of 'sliceable' plastic food. (FrancesJ)
• The plastic trays which come with mushrooms, tomatoes etc at the supermarket make excellent disposable paint palettes. (athene)
• Save old greetings cards, wrapping paper, catalogues and magazines so you have an instant supply of scrapbook fodder when the cut and stick mood strikes! A great activity for toddlers and older children alike. (NickyD)
• Buy this years toys/ gifts for the kids in the sales. I've found some of the online toy retailers e.g. etoys are discounting as much as 50%. (Robbie)
• Instead of buying more toys for a baby, give them a basket of household objects of different shapes, colours and textures. They'll find it just as fun. (Ra)
• Used wooden wine cases make great toy boxes for older children (the risk of splinters can make them less suitable for younger ones). Ask your friendly off-licence for their cast-offs. (Tigermoth)
• In sales, stockpile childrens' birthday cards and presents and keep a 'birthday party box' for all those parties the kids will go to! (angelacowen)
• Don't know what to do with your empty glass babyfood jars? Clean them up, take off the labels and place a tealight inside (don't put the tops back on!). Line them up on your doorsteps or garden paths at Xmas and your kids' eyes will twinkle with delight at the sight of these magic lights!
• Use the millions of paintings and drawings your child does as wrapping paper for presents - it's a nice personal touch and it saves money too. (Gilly)
• Use your toddler's paintings to make birthday (or next year's Valentine's!) cards. Cut them into shapes eg hearts, or the name of the person it's going to - and stick them on card. Cheap, easy and much appreciated, especially by relatives. (Gilly)
• During the Easter holidays, cut the bottoms off old pairs of school trousers to make shorts for the summer - no doubt they'd be be too short next winter. (Rhiannon)
• Rather than spending lots of money on creams etc for your baby's skin, use olive oil to massage her after the bath. It's a great way of bonding, it calms her down for bed, and it really works for dry skin. (Fp.)
• To save money, time and stress at the hairdressers we bought some electronic clippers (approx £20). Now our kids regularly get a number 8 all over. They are worth buying just for the cheesy training video that is included!
• Scour second hand shops for children's books. We've found some great ones - some old classics and some new - all in good condition and are putting together a big box each for our children's Christmas presents. They are too young to be worried that they're not new - and it's our way of recycling!
• Buy your child's winter clothes for next year in the sales now. I picked up some amazing bargains as the shops are clearing out all their old winter stock. (Nancy)
• Cut the feet off babygrows that are getting too short to get a few weeks extra wear from them. (Nancy)
• If you buy children's sweatshirts, make sure the sleeeves have ribbing at the end so you can buy a bigger size (think skateboard style) and hitch the sleeves up - makes them last longer. (Tigermoth)
• Don't buy a baby bath. You won't use it for long and they're a pain to fill and empty. You're better off with a bowl or adult bath with a small amount of water in it. (angie677)
• Instead of buying small tubs of vaseline, ask the chemist for the biggest tub of petroleum jelly that they stock - 500ml for less than £3! Lasts forever! (JanZ)
• Dilute liquid soap in pump dispensers by half with water. Children always use far too much, and it will go twice as far and still get their hands clean! (Alibubbles)
• An old worn out snow suit makes an ideal bodywarmer on a british beach after your little one has been chilled by the sea and invariably chilly breeze. (Boo321)
• Use old terry nappies as bibs for older children. Secure around neck with a peg. It's much easier to wash a terry than a whole outfit/school uniform! (HMD)
• Don't throw away those large margarine tubs when empty; they make great containers for pens, crayons, marbles. etc (Jodee)
• An empty wine box (available free from supermarkets) is just the right size for storing nappies. You can brighten it up with wrapping paper. (DIANEG)
• Do not buy cheap baby wipes. You may think you are saving money but the reality is you use 3 times as many. We have 3 children and we have learnt the hard way.
• If you have worn, discoloured old towels, pop them in the machine with a machine colour dye. Brings new life to them yet.
• Arrange a temporary toy swap with friends with similar aged children. Not only do your children get to play with new toys, but when they get their old toys back they're so much more interested in them. (MG)
• Convert old or stained T shirts into over-the-head bibs. Cut up the sides to the sleeve holes to make a bib that covers the whole front. (gilly)
• Keep toddlers happy by filling a scrapbook with pictures of their favourite things and people - use catalogues, holiday brochures or the family snaps that won't quite make it to the album. (sed)
• Use pillow cases for moses basket mattress covers, they're the perfect size! (deedledum)