Thrifty Thursday

It is possible to be thrifty without feeling deprived and I'm sharing ideas in this summer series. If you have an money-saving idea, consider sharing it on your blog and leaving your link at the bottom of this post. The only rule? Share what you know. If I've never personally tried an idea, I won't write about it. The same goes for you, but don't assume an idea is too simplistic. It could be new to someone or it could re-inspire someone else!

I am always amazed at the published statistics that show how much money it takes to raise a child from birth to adulthood.  Actually, I'm more unbelieving than anything because I know there are so many ways to save money that these figures are not taking into account.  One major way to save money is to feed your baby real food.  Notice I didn't say make your own babyfood.   Being thrifty also means being thrifty with my time and I've found that the process of cooking and pureeing and freezing and thawing special meals for the baby are not the best use of my time.  Instead, we wait to introduce solids until the baby is sitting up alone, unassisted.  He also has to be interested in food, not simply interested in putting things in his mouth.  (Our children have reached this stage anywhere between seven and eleven months.)  Once we realize Baby is ready, we give  him food straight from the table.  With Benjamin we took it a step further and offered him food exactly as we were eating it, spices and seasonings included.  We found that this eliminated the sometimes difficult transition from bland mushed meals to the regularly flavored meals the rest of us eat.  As a result, not only did we save loads of money from not buying baby cereal or baby food, we also had the benefit of a child who was willing to try and like an array of foods, from onions to lettuce to blueberries to chicken!  Saves money, saves time, saves sanity!