Being a stay at home mother has been quite a challenge as doing the back to school shopping. Let's face it, one income in this economy is a struggle. For our family this is some of the things I have done to attempt to save a bit during the economic crunch.
First of all, having a good sense of humor is always handy as you shop. I have been a "thrifty" person pretty much all my childhood into adult life. That doesn't mean I am cheap I might add, it's just the way I have been raised.

My mother was a single parent who took me to garage sales,thrift shops, and local five and dime stores. But, times have changed as well as my lifestyle.
I have always had to get creative with the crunch. I have reverted to cutting my own hair in the past as well as my husbands. So I have implemented my " cutting" in my budget as I shop for groceries and other items.

I personally make grocery shopping a game. I find that vegetables are not that expensive so I allow plenty in my cart as I shop. Also, I tell myself ( today, I will not go over sixty dollars) so as I pick up my items, I challenge myself to the "grocery game" I usually tend to stay within limits. If I do not, I do not get my coffee reward I treat myself to at the end if the shopping trip.

Another thing I do is, get rid of old clothes laying around and have a garage sale. If it will not sell, I give bags and bags of clothing away to a good cause. I may not be making money, but what are these clothes good for just sitting in my basement?
As far as school shopping, hitting all the sale racks at the end of the season is what I love most. It's fun, and you can get name brands for very cheap prices. I always buy two sizes up, for the next year.

I also cut cost by being a stay at home mom because I no longer pay for daycare, gas, and uniforms. These are all cost that add up.
I know it can be a challenge on a one income basis, but we as mother's tend to use our heads to think about purchases, expessially if it runs in the blood.

Enjoy, your shopping!

Author's Bio: 

Attitude Expert