You can save money on batteries by using them when you need them. This tip comes from my reader Michellyn….
We are always needing more batteries–all my kids toys take batteries! Recently after buying EVEN more batteries, I had the brilliant idea to take out the batteries in my kids toys that sit a lot of the time. When they want to play with a toy, I will put batteries in & then take it back out when they are done playing with it.
I took out over 150 batteries! That is crazy…those batteries were just sitting in toys being drained. My kids bring me toys that need new batteries all the time that haven’t been played with that much. So many toys take multiple batteries.
It seems like I am always having to buy batteries, so for me it isn’t so much of having them drain, but not having to constantly buy batteries when I can have a stock pile of them to use & take back out. I keep a screwdriver handy, so it isn’t a huge deal to change them. Since I took out the batteries, my kids have only played with 1 toy that uses batteries. I think it will work well!
Now I have a ton of batteries & I can get my moneys worth out of the batteries I have!
Learn how to save even more money with these Money Saving Tips.
26 of those are rechargeable batteries…and you need to take into account the cost of continually charging them–which is still often. The packs that I buy at Sam’s Club have 8 AA & 4AAA rechargeable batteries for $19.98. Rechargeable batteries are a great idea, but the point of this picture is that all these batteries are just sitting in toys, most of the time not being used…I don’t need to buy batteries for a LONG time! Nor do I have to pay $$$ to charge batteries. So far in the week + that I have taken the batteries out, I have only put batteries in 1 toy–not that much work :)
I like this idea. Not just for the power-saving aspect, but also for the not-so-much-noise part. There are several toys that I just never put batteries in, so my kids had no idea they were supposed to make noise until a friend came over and asked why the toy was broken. So often, the noises inhibit imagination. I’d much rather hear a 2 year old mooing than a recorded moo.
Wow, I don’t think that this is a bad idea, but I do think this required way to much work. I think a better idea is not buy rechargebale batteries when they are on sale and just recharge them when needed. I know they cost more, but they last quite a while and Cosco from time to time has them on sale… The packs usually have about twenty batteries.
Thank you for sharing your ideas. Love your website.
We have been using rechargables for over a year now and they work great. My kids can chage them out themselves and recharge them. I got some great deals on them w/ coupons around christmas about $2 a pack. They have been going strong for a year now. The new ones I got this chiristmas I put a strip of red electrical tape on so I would know which ones were newer.