Tips & Ideas for Saving Your Money, Time and Resources – Top Money Saving Ideas for Australians

Use and buy stretchable clothes instead of new maternity wear. Unless more children are intended, most maternity clothes will never be worn again. Choose loose stretchable clothes from your existing closet or buy loose stretchable clothes that you would still wear again after the child is born. Alternatively borrow maternity clothes or clothes from larger-sized relatives and friends.
Organise frequent catch ups with other mothers and their bubs. Instead of paying and attending early childhood development centres, where babies just play games anyway, get together with other mothers and their babies and arrange your own network. It provides you an opportunity to share news and ideas with other mothers, and for your babies to experience socialisation. There are websites around which help connect mothers together.

Claim 20% tax offset. For families that have not taken up private health insurance for obstetrics, and who prefer private hospitals, the total family medical bills for that year will likely entitle them for a tax offset. For medical expenses in excess of $1,500, a 20% tax offset is allowed for every dollar over $1,500, when submitting that year’s tax return [as at 2009]. Medical expenses that are included in the calculation include: dentist, optometry costs, laser eye surgery, IVF treatments, therapeutic treatments and others, and incorporates your partner’s and dependents’ medical bills also.
Check for eligible government support payments. The Australian Government provides a lot of financial support to families with children. For new borns most families are entitled to a baby bonus of $5,000 and other related financial support services such as Maternity Immunisation Allowance of $236.70, and there is a Multiple Birth Allowance for those couples who are fortunate enough to have 3 or more children born during the same birth. Most families are also eligible for Family Tax Benefit A subject to a family income test, and Family Tax benefit B which are designed to help families with raising children up to 24 years - part B is designed for families on a single main income. Child Care benefit payments helps families with child care costs. Families are paid child care costs even if the carer is a grandparent, relative, private nanny, or friends, as long as they are registered with the Family Assistance Office. There is also a large family supplement for families with more than 3 children. Parenting Payment is eligible for people who are primary carers of children and is subject to an income and assets test. There are additional assistance to families in the form of Health Care Card for low income families and Rent Assistance for families who are on low income and need to pay rent to private landlords. Austudy is available to older children who are studying full time with parents on low income. For more information on these benefits and entitlements check the Family Assistance Office website on www.familyassist.gov.au. [details current as at 2009]

Make your own baby food instead of buying bottled ones. Choose fresh seasonal fruit and vegetables, they are cheaper and healthier. By making your own you can also limit the amount of sugar, salt, preservatives, artificial colouring and flavours.
Wash and reuse permanent cloth nappies. Long term use of disposable nappies quickly become a significant household recurring expense. Disposable nappies are also detrimental to our environment as plastic nappies are non-biodegradable. If disposable diapers are absolutely required in your household, stock up when they are on sale.
Breast feed instead of buying formula milk. Not only is it free, there are health benefits to breast feeding too.

Throw a baby shower or a one month birthday party for your baby. Choose your guest list carefully, and invite close family and friends who will help out with the costs of baby furniture and clothes.
New borns grow very quickly so buy larger sizes. Buy 000 instead of 0000.
Purchase unisex coloured clothes for your first born. Neutral colours like yellow, beige, purple, red, ivory, turquoise, orange, white and multi-colours can be reused for your future children. Patterns and motifs such as teddy bears, ducks, rabbits, rainbows, dogs and vegetables are also gender neutral.

Skip buying shoes for babies until they are ready to learn to walk. Baby shoes are pricey and serve no practical purpose until they are walking. Instead keep their feet warm with little booties and socks.
Sign-up for deals on websites. There are lots of samples, freebies and discount vouchers all over the web for new mothers and their babies.
Sign-up for chemist reward programs. As a parent of young children, you will be frequenting chemists. By shopping at large chemists like My Chemist that have loyalty programs, you can easily accumulate reward points on the side towards redeeming free gifts later on.
Buy adult bed linen and manchester. Instead of buying cot-sized bed sheets, buy a single bed sheet and fold it in half. When your child grows up and upgrades to a single bed, the bed linen can still be used.

Make your own manchester. Buy material on sale from Spotlight and Lincraft and sew bed linen and quilt covers for your baby’s cot. They are very simple to sew and much cheaper than buying from a shop.
Shop around for bargains on online auction sites. There are many second hand strollers, prams, high chairs, walkers, car seats and cots selling from $1 plus online.
There is nothing wrong with pass-me-downs. Many families throughout generations have saved money this way.

Take out private health insurance if planning for a baby. Hospital and medical costs associated with having a baby are very expensive. Many insurance policies have 12 month waiting periods so do take this into account.
Ask around friends and family for free things. Baby clothes and furniture like cots, prams, high chairs tend to clutter-up homes and people are usually happy to give these away to friends for free.
Purchase clothes post-season for next year. There are a lot of children’s clothes around during post-season sales, which sell for a fraction of its original price. For example, during autumn there are usually still a lot of baby and children clothes in all sizes from last summer being sold at 50-75% the already discounted price.

Save on babysitting costs by having arrangements with friends and families. Take in turns looking after each other’s children.
Don’t use commercial day care centres. Instead of sending your child to day care, consider working at home once or twice a week or hiring a private nanny. Some private nannies are cheaper than childcare, and you can still claim childcare benefits from the government if you register the private nanny, and your child benefits from one-on-one care, instead of a couple of childcare assistants overseeing 20 babies.
Cut children’s hair yourself rather than visiting a hairdresser. Children hairstyles are best left simple.