Simpler Living
By Fiona Wagner • Bankrate.com

One of the reasons we moved to our farm last summer was to lead a greener, simpler life. We wanted to provide that kind of life for our children, but as most parents know, life with kids is anything but simple. It's also not cheap.

According to the Canadian Council on Social Development, it costs approximately $167,000 to raise a child to age 18. The biggest expenses, after child care and shelter, are food, clothing and recreation.

We're trying to reduce our grocery bills by keeping a vegetable garden, starting a fruit orchard and tending to a motley crew of egg-laying chickens and ducks. When fall comes, we'll preserve as much of the harvest as we can and fill our pantry and freezer with our own sun-kissed goodness. We stock up when items go on sale, buy in season, bake when we can and choose home cooking over convenience meals.

So if these actions help address the major expenses, what about clothing and recreation?

Think preloved, not used
Perhaps you've heard the old adage that the only two sure things in life are death and taxes. Well, I'd add a third: Growing kids need new clothes. And that can get expensive, especially if you're raising a minifashionista like my daughter, whose obsession for clothes that sparkle, fancy shoes and everything pink is a perpetual source of amusement (and mystery).

But instead of hitting the malls for the latest "must-haves," we've taken the greener route. It's also cheaper.

For some people, buying used clothes carries something of a stigma -- it's what folks who are down on their luck do. There's also the erroneous assumption that second-hand shops are filled with oversized T-shirts and floral granny dresses (the frumpy, not the fashionable, kind). But perhaps the celebrity obsession with vintage is giving "used" an image makeover -- and the busy shops seem to prove that.

What I love about shopping second-hand is not just the fabulous finds and the considerable savings -- I can buy name-brand and designer clothes for one-quarter to one-half of the retail price. Shopping used gives my kids the opportunity to develop their own sense of style and not get trapped following fickle trends.

Even my shopping-hating son gets psyched when he finds a T-shirt with a cool sports motif on it or cargo pants with loads of pockets. And while I try to discourage buying too many licensed items of any kind, I bend the rules when buying used: My kids usually grow out of the clothes before their tastes change.

Fun on the cheap
Besides buying used, we've found the key to keeping our kids' toys in check -- and in use -- is to invest in classic toys with staying power (think perennial favourites such as Lego, Playmobil and Barbie), especially ones that stimulate creative play and imagination. The thinking is, it's harder for kids to get bored when their play takes them to a world of their own creation.