10 Smart Ways Real Moms Save Money

Creating a budget is the first step to getting your finances together. When you create the budget, consider money for emergencies and necessities only first. Then, see what you have left over. Designate a certain percentage of that "leftover" money as savings.

Kids grow way too fast, which is why there's no reason to constantly buy everything new for them. Take some hand-me-downs from friends or family members that are still in great condition, and even swap clothes with a few cousins they're super close in size and age to!

If you can buy in bulk, do it! It's always cheaper in the long run. Just be careful with items like produce, as you don't want them to spoil.

While you might steer clear of the car seats and cribs at a yard sale, you should keep a close eye on things like bikes and toys. You don't need to drop serious dough on something your kid might use for six months. And since those bigger items can be very expensive, buying them secondhand saves you cash.

OK . . . I know this one is very hard, especially if you're a dedicated coffee drinker, but if you can whip up your own lattes or whatever caffeinated beverage you prefer at home, you'll save big time.

Making lunches can be an annoying and tedious task, especially when you're crunched for time at night, but making this a habit will only bring you good things. Not only are homemade lunches usually a lot healthier, but the money you save on a weekly basis by not eating out (or by your kids not buying cafeteria food) can also be astounding.

Cable is expensive. Do you really need it? What about that satellite radio in your car? Instead of getting two manicures a month, could you cut back to one? Consider the things you don't really "need" and drop them.

Even if it's only $50 a month, put the money directly into savings the moment you get paid. If you don't want to remind yourself twice a month, you can even set up a percentage of your pay to automatically transfer to savings through direct deposit at work.

Fancy name brands usually don't mean much, so shop generic and save.

All of those promotional emails can make you want to shop, shop, and shop. Unsubscribe to most of those mailing lists, or at the very least, delete them. Don't make yourself anymore tempted to spend money than you already are.