My "tips"
-Keep cultivating any sources of hand-me-down clothes. Also, be okay with your kid going off to daycare wearing the same clothes s/he wore yesterday, so you don't need as many outfits.
-Our library has a great program where you can get free or discount passes to lots of kids museums, zoo, space center, etc. Instead of signing my kid up for soccer, gymnastics, etc. at age 2, I schedule him a different outing each month. Try to coordinate with another mom & toddler to make it a social date for myself, so then I also save some $$ and time on not having to schedule coffee dates, etc. so often to get my own fix of adult interaction.
-Toddlers do not need fancy pre-packaged toddler foods. Say no to pouches, kids' branded snacks, etc. Your grocery bill will thank you. Alternative easy/healthy snacks for us include frozen peas, cucumber slices, whole fruit, pistachios/cashews (nice and soft for kids still learning to chew), hard boiled eggs, and a concoction our son calls "bar" (food process together 3 c. oat bran, 1/2 c. almond butter, and ~6 large pieces of cooked fruit like apples, peaches, etc. Spread in a large pan and bake at 325F for 40-60 min, until the center stops jiggling. Freezes well.).
-You don't need to hire a babysitter to get alone time with your spouse. If you are both working and work near each other, have dates on your lunch break. Schedule "date night at home"once a week where you put the kid to bed and then have a nice adult dinner with wine afterwards.