8 ways to save big bucks on your toddler

From backyard holidays to fishing out clothes from the goodwill bin, Nick Mattick has the dope on how you can get through those early years on a shoestring budget.

Bearded man knitting at home using laptop for watching online tutorial

Being a dad is expensive, especially the first time around.

When we had our first child, Ginny, we got stung badly. Pigeon bottles, nappy bins, car seats, and that bloody Bugaboo. It’s just a pram for goodness sake! What does it do that other prams don’t other than show you up as a complete twat?

We thought we had it sorted. We had a bit of money put aside before the birth, but that went very quickly and, before we knew it, we were living paycheck to paycheck.

We had to make some changes, so I reverted back to my university days and went into cheap-arse mode.

Here are eight ways to help you get through those early years.

1. Go on family holidays in the backyard

We recently went camping with our daughter in our backyard — no camping fees, no petrol, big savings.

I took a whole week off work. I was determined to do the whole thing legit. So even though there was a perfectly good kitchen and bathroom less than 10 metres away, I banned us all from using them.

We were eating out of cans and shitting in buckets. We were getting back to nature whether they liked it or not. They didn’t like it, I was overruled.

I woke up in the tent alone on the second morning, both my wife and daughter had retired to the house. I continued camping for the rest of the week alone, but look at all the money I saved.

2. Give empty boxes as presents

I was sick of buying my kids presents and watching them have more fun playing with the box. So I cut out the middle man — no presents but boxes for all.

A quick visit to the bottle shop and their birthdays and Christmases are organised for years. That’s a win for them AND me.

3. Go clothing bin fishing

My eldest loves this game. We go down to the local clothing bin, I tie a rope around her foot and throw her in. After five or so minutes, I reel her out and see what we’ve caught.

You do have to be careful not to get snagged on the swinging lid. And not everything she pulls out is gold. (It’s terrible what people think they can donate these days.)

4. Buy in bulk (enough for a lifetime)

Stuff is heaps cheaper if you buy it by the truckload. After a trip to Costco we saved money by spending heaps of money on toilet paper and pureed corn. We have toilet paper and pureed corn for the next 70 years. So we are covered when it comes to the creating and cleaning of poop for generations to come.

Another positive for buying in bulk is you’re sorted if there’s an apocalypse (and you love corn).

5. Make your own clothes

Since becoming a dad I have really settled down. I’m nesting. I’m like an emperor penguin sitting on his eggs.

I have started do more around the house, and I’ve gotten into knitting — it’s a great money saver making your own baby clothes.

Sure, it took me so long to knit a jumper for my daughter that she’d grown out of it by the time I’d finished. But if we pop out another kid then they can wear it. Money saved.

6. Weetbix is a great meal (every meal)

Weetbix is a great Aussie dish — nutritious and, better still, cheap.

My two kids are served a lot of Weetbix in our house. You (and they) can’t have too much of a good thing.

The money you can save by not giving your children a variety of food is endless. And if you want to save even more go to Aldi and buy their Wheat … Briskets.

7. Make your own toys

When I was a kid my dad would always save money by making us toys. When White Men Can’t Jump came out, basketball’s popularity spiked, and we begged him to buy us a basketball hoop and backboard.

Not wanting to fork out for his children, dad cut the base off a bucket, nailed it to a For Sale sign and bucketball was born.

This idea is perfect for toddlers — they have no concept of what’s well made and what’s not (until it breaks).

8. Gifts are perfect for re-gifting

You will get a lot of presents when you have your first child — a lot. Especially if they’re the first grandchild.

My daughter received dozens of gifts, we were showered by them, swamped, and left with a plethora of soft teddy bears.

But know these good times won’t last. After the boom there’s a bust. All your friends will start having kids and instead of a steady stream of teddy bears coming in they will start going out, and it’s hard to keep up.

Make sure you have a few unsoiled ones that can be wrapped up and re-gifted.

Pro tip: Tag each potential gift with the name of who gave it to you. It’s bad form to give back the same Thomas the Tank Engine onesie they gave you — trust me.