how do you make it on one salary? I've been at home for a while but will need to return back to work within a few months. How do others make it for years on one salary. My husband works his butt off but its still difficult. Any suggestions. Serious answers only please.
2006-11-09 07:08:58 · 14 answers · asked by Sunflower 2 in Pregnancy & Parenting ➔ Newborn & Baby
It's totally do-able. These are some things we've done:
We live in a small apartment that we got a great deal on
We have only one (paid-for) car
I buy kids' clothes at yard sales
I buy my clothes at thrift stores
I buy household goods at thrift stores
I buy all our furniture used (thrift stores, classifieds, yard sales)
I cook from scratch
We don't eat out much
My babies wear cloth diapers
I breastfeed exclusively
I make my own baby food
We never use credit cards- if we don't have the money, we don't buy it
I stock up when unperishable groceries are on sale
We always pray that we'll be able to make it
If ever there isn't enough money (which hasn't really happened yet) my husband would get a part-time job in addition to his full-time job and I would continue to stay home.
It's a part of my religion that moms should stay home with their kids so we have a lot of motivation to make it happen.
Try reading Amy Dacyzyn's _the Complete Tightwad Gazette_ for tons of ideas. It really is possible for almost everyone to live on the husband's income alone. Even if my husband made only $8 per hour we could do it if he had a second part-time job.
2006-11-09 09:11:45 · answer #1 · answered by AerynneC 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It is really hard. I am at home with my son who is 10 months and my husband is the only one working right now. We had to make major changes in our spending habits for me to stay at home.
I cook all of our meals, clip coupons for babystuff and buy store brand or on sale items. I also breastfeed so I do not have the extra expense of formula.
With my family and friends we were really lucky to have a lot of hand me down clothes and toys for our son. At his age, he does not care if it is brand new or not and neither do I.
We do go out occasionally but we budget for it, if we do not have the extra cash for x,y,z we simply do not spend it.
With me being at home we save money in daycare expenses and gasoline expenses. My paycheck would not have brought home enough to offset those expenses plus the added expenses of a possibly sick child needing to go to the doctor from being in a daycare.
Staying at home versus working is a personal decision and you have to weigh everything.
I know eventually I will be back at work but I am hoping that when that happens I can get something part time.
If it is a daycare issue maybe you could ask your boss if you could work part-time or telecommute. Some employers would rather keep a good employee and offer them these types of options than lose them.
Good Luck!!! It is a tough decision to make, but know there are others feeling the same way.
2006-11-09 17:38:22 · answer #2 · answered by jns 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
This is why I opened my own in-home daycare. I had worked in the education field anyway and had several years experience working with kids of all ages so it just seemed natural that when I was pregnant with my second child it was time to stay home with them. However we also can't live comfortably on one income alone, therefore the daycare works out perfectly for us. I make just enough money to make up for not working (less than i made previously) but without having to pay for daycare for my own two kids it's a perfect trade off. I love being able to be with my kids every day...I wouldn't trade it for the world!
2006-11-09 15:53:26 · answer #3 · answered by totspotathome 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Don't live beyond your means. When I was pregnant with my daughter my husband and I both worked. We used my salary to pay off my car. We now have no car payments and we never use credit cards. We use coupons and don't buy stuff just to buy the stuff. We live in an 800 square foot home that was purchased 15 years ago. It's almost paid off. Anytime we can get our hands on free offers we take them.
2006-11-09 15:26:55 · answer #4 · answered by momoftwo 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
my mom was a stay at home mom and my dad was/is in construction. With three kids, I can only immagine the difficulty they faced. Here's what they did. 1.) no credit, if they couldn't afford something, they didn't buy it (had a cc for emergencies) 2.) my mom took care of the finances, my dad got maybe 20 bucks a pay for himself the rest went to savings, household, an emergency fund, bills, food, christmas club, gas, etc. 3.) coupons. My mom was a coupon cutter. Out of habbit, she still is. She also didn't buy frozen meals and only occasionally splurged on junk food. She cooked. They didn't drive new cars, didn't have the biggest house, and she found innexpensive ways to entertain us kids (via parks, sprinklers in the summer, and movie nights at home) So my advise is budget... budget... budget.... budget..... it's hard on one salary, and there's no shame in working if you have to.
2006-11-09 15:23:08 · answer #5 · answered by rachael 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Well my friends mom wasnt fully a stay at home mom. She would become one off and on and work part time the other days. Also it would help if you already were kinda rich like them (meaning had a lot of money save up for some reason in the bank)
2006-11-09 15:14:42 · answer #6 · answered by Suzy Suzee Sue 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Both my husband and I are educated. I worked as a clinical psychologist for the last 13 years. Last July I quit when my husband decided that he would be moving the business he had started 2600 miles north to be closer to his family. Thank goodness his business is thriving and successful. For those that live paycheck to paycheck they have my respect. But I am very grateful that is not our case.
2006-11-09 15:21:35 · answer #7 · answered by texas_angel_wattitude 6 · 0⤊ 0⤋
In our case - education. We delayed marriage for my husband to complete a higher degree so he could have a better paying job. I also worked my butt off until we had kids and I've been home enjoying them ever since.
2006-11-09 15:14:06 · answer #8 · answered by AlongthePemi 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Just like what all the other mothers said. Budget keeping. At my house we pay the bills, then the groceries, and then see what we have left. I put my son and husbands needs first if there's money left.
2006-11-09 15:25:47 · answer #9 · answered by Leigh K 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
It just depends on how well you budget things. Also, it depends on where you live. It's more expensive to live in some places rather than others. Alot of things contribute to how easy it is to make it on one salary.
2006-11-09 15:11:13 · answer #10 · answered by CelebrateMeHome 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋