12 Money-Saving Hacks for Raising Kids, From Clever Parents Who Did It

Parenting demands a heaping dose of creativity—to entertain your children, to foster their learning, to get them to eat vegetables.

Applying a bit of that creativity to saving money can chip away at the massive expense of raising kids. And it might actually be fun. We asked parents with children of all ages for their best money-saving hacks.

Here are our favorites (edited for clarity and length):

Rebecca Palmer, McLean, Va. | Children’s ages: 5 and 8 

Babysitters in our area cost $25 per hour, so date night can easily hit $100 before you even leave the house. Instead, we set up a babysitting swap with another couple. One couple puts their kids to bed and once the children are asleep, one parent from the other couple comes over to babysit while the parents head out for a date night. The visiting parent can relax, watch a show and is simply there in case the kids wake or there is an emergency. Meanwhile, their partner stays home with their own kids. On another night, they swap roles so the second couple gets their turn out. This kind of arrangement was incredibly common among our parent friends during grad school and many of us still do it today.

Kelly Palmer, Chicago | Child’s age: 2

I opened a 529 college savings account when my son was born and shared the contribution link with friends and family. (The plan will typically generate a direct link to your child’s gifting page so others can contribute but won’t give them the ability to access your account details such as the account balance). It took the pressure off us having to save during our child’s first year and shielded our house from an onslaught of toys and clothes our baby would grow out of quickly. We continue to share the link before our son’s birthday each year. For his coming birthday, he would be thrilled to open yet another firetruck toy, but someday he will realize a contribution to his 529 was a more valuable gift. 

Grant Gallagher, Mount Olive, N.J. | Children’s ages: Twin 5-year-olds

Images of cartoon characters on juice boxes or snacks at the grocery store always give our kids cases of the “gimmies.” We ward off impulse buys by keeping a stash of character stickers from a dollar store at home. When our kids spot character-themed items, we just say, “We have an even better one at home!” Then, we apply the stickers to what we already own. My kids are just happy to get something similar to what they wanted.

Linda Rogers, San Diego | Children’s ages: 7, 9, 12, 14 

My four girls have very specific opinions about water bottles (it has to be certain brands—all cost about $30 to $50 each). I noticed a bunch of barely used, high-end bottles in the school’s lost and found. I asked and if the items don’t get claimed, they are sent to the local thrift store every few months. So we went to that thrift store and sure enough—all the brands they wanted were there for a fraction of the price. We just head there any time they need a water bottle. We opt for stainless steel, sanitize them and always replace any straws.

Michael Tannenbaum, Greenwich, Conn. | Children’s ages: 3 and 5

Since airlines usually check car seats free, I pack jackets and other clothing into the car-seat bag. No airline has objected so far. This simple hack saves me from paying for pricey checked baggage. Plus, it means I don’t have to rent car seats when we get to our destination.

Maggie Klokkenga, Morton, Ill. | Children’s ages: 10, 11, 12

School supplies add up (especially those dry-erase markers). At the end of the school year, once my boys have dumped all of their school supplies on my kitchen counter, I go through them and then compare them to next year’s school-supply list, provided by our elementary school. This does three things: I’m clearing off all of the school supplies from my kitchen counter for the summer; I identify the school supplies that they already have for the next school year, so I save money by not buying those supplies; I now know what I need to get during those back-to-school sales a couple of weeks before school starts.

Cherie Stueve, Bay Area, Calif. | Children’s ages: 34 and 35

Starting in high school, we automatically transferred the money our kids needed for both necessities like school supplies and fun items like meals with friends into their own checking accounts with us as account co-owners. We estimated our teens’ annual expenses like clothing, supplies, activities and gifts, divided that by two, and set up transfers on the first and 15th to mimic the timing and consistency of a paycheck. They were responsible for spending decisions and it taught them to budget over time for bigger expenses like prom. It saved me money by avoiding last-minute purchases.

Matthew Ferrell, Land O’ Lakes, Fla. | Children’s ages: 9 and 13 

Some dental insurance plans offer orthodontic coverage, but often only after a six- to 12-month waiting period and with a lifetime maximum benefit (typically $1,000 to $2,000 per child). To bridge the gap, we’re considering a dental discount plan for our oldest—a membership-based program primarily run by third-party organizations—that provides an immediate savings of 20% to 30% on orthodontic services with participating providers. This will help us as we look to reduce our out-of-pocket costs while waiting for insurance to kick in.

Adam Yosim, Boca Raton, Fla. | Children’s ages: 2 and 6

If you’re taking a family trip to a theme park, buy souvenirs ahead of time. Before my oldest daughter’s first Disney World visit, my wife and I ordered Disney-themed toys, like Minnie Mouse and Buzz Lightyear, on Amazon and gave her one each morning before heading to the park. She never noticed the difference. It saved us from paying a premium and waiting in long gift-shop lines. For her sixth birthday, we did the same with a Jasmine dress—half the price, same magic.

Bernard Del Rey, Christchurch, New Zealand | Children’s ages: 9, 14, 14, 17, 17, 19

Buying in bulk helps me save. Our boys are obsessed with ciabatta buns, so I searched for ways to buy them at a reduced price in bulk and then freeze the excess. I have a blended family of six boys who are big fans of these buns, consuming over 4,000 buns a year. To cut down on costs, I found a local bakery that deeply discounts them just before closing. I put the buns the boys are likely to eat that week on our kitchen counter. The rest freeze very well. 

Ryan Bayonnet, Akron, Ohio | Child’s age: 9 months

We created a “chain” of parents with similarly aged children to pass down clothes, toys and books. The chain includes families whose kids are several months older and younger than our own. Families whose kids have outgrown the items pass them down to those of us just behind them in age. The oldest members of the chain eliminate clutter from their home and the families with the younger children save lots of money.

Chris Mamula, Ogden, Utah | Child’s age: 12 

It was expensive to buy new equipment every time our daughter wanted to join a new team or try a new sport, so we started to get as much sports gear as we could from local “buy nothing” groups, consignment stores and gear swaps. We’ve found everything from skis to soccer shoes to a gently used bike that originally retailed for $700. I’m sure that developing her own style will eventually make getting many things used an issue, but we’ve managed fine through elementary school.

Write to Veronica Dagher at Veronica.Dagher@wsj.com