As a single or divorced dad, you may be
paying to set up two households, if you share custody. At your own home, you want to have everything
your child might get when he’s with his mom so he feels completely at home with you as well. And, if
you’re a single dad without the help of a mom, you probably still find that raising a child is a
very expensive endeavor. Here are a few tips for helping cut costs.
- Try eBay for purchases of everything from clothing to toys. Most people think of eBay as used
stuff, but more and more it’s a good source of low-cost items. It’s easy to search and often
to click on “buy now” and avoid long auctions. - Never pay retail. Check out
RetailMeNot.com. They have a ‘bookmarklet” on the homepage that lets you find any coupons on a
retail site just by clicking a button on your browser. If there’s a deal out there for the online
store you’re shopping in, you’ll find it. - Use Zappos or Endless.com . Endless has a
cool deal where they pay YOU $5 for overnight shipping. Like Zappos, they make it super-easy
to return shoes for free and give free return shipping as well. They also have a 110% money-back
pricing guarantee. - Take a look at online options such as Blockbuster Video for
movies. - Instead of investing a lot in expensive toys consider swapping toys with friends.
Swapping will help increase the frequency of new toys while reducing the cost of purchasing new
toys. - Purchase in bulk at end of the season sales for the next year. This allows you to
purchase when discounts are high. - Subscribe for newsletters from your favorite stores so
you will know when sales are on. - Entertain your children with activities that do not
involve spending to much money, such arts and crafts using odds and ends. - Use your wallet
as far as possible. Try to limit to purchases to cash in hand and avoid credit. - Avoid
impulse eating out or ordering take out food. Reserve this for once in a while and have a planned
out menu for meals.