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11 Simple Ways to Save Money While Adopting

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It’s no question, there are many children who don’t just want families, but need them.  One of the main reasons people don’t adopt has to do with finances.  Here are eleven simple, yet powerful ways families can prepare for an adoption financially, and save money while adopting.

1.  Go Green:  Find new uses for old things and find ways to cut down on what you purchase.  You’d be surprised by how much you can do with less, and surprised by how much you love less clutter and chaos.  Some examples we discovered while adopting and still do today are using plastic shopping bags instead of buying trash bags.  You can cut down on cleaning supply expense by using natural cleaners around your home like lemon and vinegar, check it out, plus less chemicals in your home.

2.  Don’t buy clothes or toys for your kids:  Many people are looking for places to give their kids clothes to instead of dropping them at the dump.  Ask around, we have received bags and bags, many of the hand me downs are nicer than what we would have bought in stores to begin with.  Our kids are happier and more creative with less toys.  They get plenty at birthdays and Christmas.  You could also organize a toy exchange between friends so everyone can try something new without spending money.  Plus, the added benefit of allowing kids to be kids when wearing clothes and playing toys without stressing about how much they cost.  (Thrift stores and garage sales are also good options)

3.  Become more self sustaining (even if it’s just a little):  You don’t need to invest a lot, you can even use the seeds that are already in the food you eat such as bell pepper, cantaloupe and watermelon and plant them in pots.  Look into chickens, they are very easy to keep and cost effective.  You may find you like it and expand, but even being able to provide a little free food for your family helps!

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4.  Slowly improve your cooking skills, eat out less:  We could not afford to eat out while adopting, so I was cooking often.  I learned food pairings, optimal cooking times and procedures, slowly, with daily practice.  Our family now prefers to eat at home than to going out to a chaotic restaurant.  In fact, now we can pick our own food first, then cook it, which is both fun and so healthy.  I am thankful for these skills adopting ended up giving us.

5.  Get creative:  Can’t hire someone to build you that shelf?  Can’t afford to buy a pre-made chicken coop, or heck even the wood to build one?  Check out Craigslist free section, where we found free pallets, scrap wood, and fence posts and built our own chicken coop.  We only did it because we had to, we would have been too intimidated to try if we didn’t have to, but with each next nail in, the more it resembled a real chicken coop, look, we were doing it!  The kids love it when we are doing our own, hard work at our house, they love being with us, helping when we can and being outside as a family.  Plus, hey, free exercise, save on a gym membership.  Kids are made to learn alongside their parents.

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6.  Diminish Distraction:  Our culture tells us to keep moving, never stop improving, and don’t slow down.  Break the mold and spend more time together as a family.  Cut the to-do list, minimize errands, avoid stores, be satisfied with less extra curricular for kids, who maybe would rather spend time together with a movie, a family project or playing a game than run all over town.  Remember: Happiness isn’t around that next corner, it’s right here, in the people in your life.

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7.  Cultivate a feeling of gratitude within your family:  Your options at meal time are to say thank you, or go to time out.  Our children have the unfortunate situation where their parents spent much time with children who threw their arms in the air in thanks for two meals a day of rice and corn.  Picky eaters aren’t a thing here, and no second meals will be made.  When budgets are tight, it is a chance for palettes to expand, and learn the power of thankfulness for the food we have.

8.  Water over juice or other sugary drinks:  Free and healthier.

9.  Take the time to plan:  The time it takes me to meal plan; take out a cook book or food blog and write down my shopping list is about 5 minutes, just 5.  But the time and money it saves me in the store, the stress it prevents us at meal time are worth their weight in gold.  Planning makes a huge difference for budgeting, year plans, food plan, etc.

10.  Save money on preschool:  Find free library story times, find a local BSF, create your own play group with outings, find simple lessons to do online if you have toddlers at home.

11.  This is one of the most important things any family, especially an adoptive family can do that will change their lives;  Take a Dave Ramsey Financial Peace University class.  Sign up, pay for it, and go, shoot, sign up here. Taking the class doesn’t mean skimming the book, having have heard him on the radio or tv, it means taking the class.  The sooner the better.  Dave teaches you that each month counts, don’t wait.

There are very, very few things that have changed our lives as much as taking the Dave Ramsey FPU class.  We got out of debt, like right away, we started saving, and giving.  Giving like we had never been able to give before, and that has been one of the highlights of our life.  It strengthened our marriage, our parenting, our life, and we just have this feeling like, everything is going to be ok.  I make all my adoption friends take this class and they say after the first class meeting, they feel better, and like they can do it, they can adopt (amazing)  We give this class to our friends getting married, we love listening to stories of friends paying off HUGE debt and student loans in a time-frame they never thought possible.  Being able to make choices in their lives they weren’t able to prior, moms being able to stay home with their kids if they want to, when before they thought they just couldn’t.  Being in control of your life, blessing others: Dave Ramsey.  Find a local class here.

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This is our short list, what are some things you have done with your family to save money while adopting?  Please comment them below so we can grow our list.  Have you taken the Dave Ramsey class?  Share your experience below!  We would love to hear your story as well.

 

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  • julie April 10, 2014, 8:45 am

    One of your best posts, ever! Thanks for sharing your sweet family with us!

  • Karissa April 10, 2014, 11:21 am

    Love this! Your blogs have inspired me to start a garden….it’s become a great project for me to do with my kids and now getting to transplant and start outdoors is even more exciting. Other things we did were to cancel our cable, which we don’t even miss and to go through all of the stuff we had that we thought we needed. Yard sales were a huge fundraising opportunity!

  • Jezel Bow April 10, 2014, 2:22 pm

    We drink water and almond milk. We rarely by desserts. We try to focus on food only. If there’s money left for snacks or desserts then we buy. It is not a priority. Though I do wonder how much dark chcolate I would buy if we had more $

  • Jezel Bow April 10, 2014, 2:28 pm

    Oh and–
    We didn’t take a Dave Ramsey class- but God showed us early on that if we trust Him with our money He would stretch it and we would be taken care of. Adam created an excel spread sheet and manages our finances. We have 4 sponsored kids thru World Vision, we donate to Wounded Warriors, and tithe above %10. We paid off our debt first the first year of marriage and have been able to continue to be debt free. God is good!!! He continues to take care of us! I have plenty of stories:)