All Aboard the Frugality Train... Next Stop: Paternity Leave!

Frugality strikes again! As my husband and I gear up for the little squirt's arrival, it's rapidly becoming more and more obvious how much stuff we need and how much wiggle room we don't have right now. We're SO blessed to have a number of people within our family and close friends, whose generosity has produced more than a few hormone laced tears from my eyes, but we still have some scrimping to do before we can breath a sigh of relief and relax into this ride of lifetime completely. For one thing, Hubby's paternity leave is all unpaid and in the interest of having him home to enjoy our newest family member over the Christmas period, all focus has now shifted to stashing away dollars to keep him right where he belongs. Easier said than done though, right?

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Whilst my stamina for taking part in long shifts coupled with a decrease in available shifts and an increase in the limits to the tasks I can take on (working with the animals), I've found myself looking for fresh and inspiring ways to tighten our belts, while still enjoying the last few months of Hubby/Wifey alone time together.

• Trading take-outs and restaurant meals for home cooking on a budget - Sounds obvious and I do love to cook from scratch, but during the first trimester of my pregnancy I honestly found standing over a stove to be nausea inducing (sounds like a mighty excuse, I know). Something about guiding raw meat on it's epic journey to cooked meat, left me retching and unable to enjoyed the food that I was preparing. Now we're back on the foodie wagon, buckling down and enjoying some homemade favorites the savings are totting up too!
• Second-hand baby gear - Okay so I would never buy the big ticket, safety conscious items like the crib or the car seat second-hand, but as far as clothing, furniture, toys and books go I'm all for a bargain. Be it yard sales or consignment stores, I've happily been gathering bits and bobs since I was around 8 weeks along, and have quite the collection now let me tell you. Remember, research into how to clean and disinfect items effectively, as well as what safety recalls are out and about at the moment and you're pretty much golden to strike that bargain. 
• Netflix it up - Streaming movies at home has become a welcome staple for saving money (and enjoying the advantage of wearing sweatpants without public judgement). Hubby and I get together, make healthy tip-top snacks like Kale Chips with sea salt (serious yum, trust me), and dig into the ol' movie archives to share our faves with one another. Cheap, fun and we're still bonding and spending quality time together. 
• Find the free stuff - In every area there are boundless possibilities for free days out as a couple or as a family. Look for free festivals, fetes, county fairs, free-for-all zoo days, activities at local parks, fundraising events around the city, storytelling events, historic community fairs... the list goes on, and in our experience they're usually a blast and have us hooked year after year!

http://www.chicagonow.com/own-your-legacy/2013/06/saving-dollars-begins-with-saving-pennies-saving-money-at-work/