Big Baby Love.com

Yes ma’am. The economy is officially sucking these days. As a mom, I’m always looking for small ways to save money, especially with the holidays lurking around the corner. Here are some of the best ones I’ve heard of lately.

Look for “Kids Eat Free” nights at local restaurants. You still get to eat out – a treat – but you don’t spend a fortune.

Coupons. Don’t be cheap! Cut them out and use them! Even better, try to use coupons for stuff that is already marked down. On a related note, shop the sales. Go online and click “Clearance” — you’ll be surprised at what you find!

If you are dying to decorate your kids’ rooms (or yours), you can get free stencil patterns online. A small can of paint and a 99-cent paint brush and you’re ready to create a masterpiece.

Regift! It’s only tacky if you get caught. Every year, my girlfriends and I have a cookie-baking, wine-drinking gift swap. This year, I’m going to suggest that we openly regift. If you and your friends do a big gift swap, put a low maximum ($7, for example) on the gift. It’s a fun challenge to find something cool at that price.

Don’t let your house waste energy. Seal up any drafty windows, and doors. Insulate your hot water heater, and you can turn it down a few degrees. Take short showers. Install ceiling fans and reduce your air conditioner use in the summer. Wash only full loads of laundry.

Potluck dinners with friends! You get to hang out and eat a lot, and you only have to make one dish. Nothing but positives here!

Take a walk! If you can, walk short distances instead of driving. Or hop on a bike. Or a skateboard. You get the picture. Save gas and get some exercise.

And last but not least, my favorite money-saver: Banish the Brands! CVS’s brand of blue mint mouthwash is exactly the same as Listerine’s. One-dollar toothpaste is no different than five-dollar toothpaste. Skip the expensive corn flakes and paper towels. (Stop using paper towels, for that matter!)

Seriously. Why spend the extra money?

I’ve already flown 3 times alone with my daughter, and each time I hit the jackpot — naps all around! I used to be one of those people to hold my breath and cringe at the idea of being seated anywhere near a baby (hangover + red eye from Vegas to NYC + screaming baby = mile high hell), so I try to be as prepared as possible when taking my girl on a plane.

But I’m still a bit unclear about the protocol for what I can bring on board. Since we’re traveling again for a wedding soon, I looked it up just to be sure. Thankfully, those annoying 3-ounce rules don’t apply to most of the stuff required by my kid at any given moment.

According to the TSA, you can carry on more than 3 ounces of juice, formula, breast milk, baby food, or medicine (in “reasonable quantities” they say), but they will probably inspect it, so have it available. They didn’t say anything about the powdered formula I had in canisters, either.

And just so you know, there are a few things the airport security folks are not allowed to do: They can’t ask you to do anything that will separate you from your kid/s, and they can’t ask you or your kid/s to taste any medications or food/drink they’re inspecting. If this happens, stop the presses and ask another security officer to step in!