I've had a LOT of people ask me how I am able to stay at home with my boys and how we are able to live solely on Superdad's salary. I'm here to tell you... if you truly want to be a stay at home mom, it's completely possible if you are determined enough. We worked very hard to make it to this point and I'm proud that we are able to set and reach goals as a family.
Here are 10 of the top changes we made so that I could stop working and we could have a second baby:
1. I coupon. All the time. For everything. We never pay shelf price for anything. I consider us to be extremely informed consumers. We never make big purchases until we have thought them through for at least 48 hours. We think about every purchase we make, big or small. When something is on a great sale, I stockpile it. Our laundry room is like a mini-drugstore filled with toothpaste, toothbrushes, soap, laundry detergent, cleaning supplies, deodorant, and a thousand other things.
2. I shop for Christmas/birthdays year-round. When I find a good deal on something that I know someone will like, I get it and put it away for Christmas. That way, we aren't struggling to fund Christmas and we don't usually have to run out and buy last minute birthday gifts for parties that J is invited to.
3. I call our cable/internet service providers and negotiate our rate every 6-8 months. They always lower it when I say I'm not happy with the price and bring up the economy. Works every time and takes 5 minutes, tops.
4. Turn up the thermostat in the summer! Turning it up 2 degrees saves about $12 on our power bill each month. We live in SC, so it's ridiculously hot. I turn it on 75 and we are perfectly comfortable all summer.
5. I buy tons of stuff from secondhand stores. I wish I could say that I go to yard sales every weekend and find awesome things, but I just can't get my lazy butt ready and drag our entire family out of the house that early every Saturday. We're lucky to make it out the door by noon on Saturdays. Consignment and thrift stores are amazing. I buy almost all of the boys' clothes there and a lot of Superdad's clothes, as well as my own, when we need something. I shop for the boys like it's my job. Superdad & I have enough clothes. :] The nice clothes and matching clothes that the boys wear come from retail stores, but I try to keep costs to a minimum. They grow so quickly. It's ridiculous to pay full price for their clothes. I've also purchased and refinished furniture from thrift stores and Craigslist. Reduce, reuse, recycle!
6. Cloth diaper! Seriously. I've couponed and gotten disposable diapers for pretty cheap, but it's hard to have enough disposables that way. Cloth diapering is wonderful in so many ways, for our planet and for our wallets. If we have another baby, he will be set for diapers and clothes! I can say "he" with almost certainty. I don't think Superdad and I are capable of producing girls.
7. I use Swagbucks to earn points towards Amazon gift cards to buy things I would never allow myself to spend money on, like my expensive hair products that I love. Swagbucks is a search engine that you can use. Searches randomly give you points. You can also do a daily poll, use their coupons, and complete special offers to get points. I try to earn $25 per month in Amazon gift cards. Those are my fun money. :] You can sign up for Swagbucks here and find out more about the site!
8. I make a lot of our own household cleaners. Vinegar is awesome and cheap. I plan on making our own laundry detergent once our stockpile of laundry detergent is gone. I'll make another post solely on household cleaners soon. Promise.
9. Eat at home! Cook your own meals! I am a pretty fabulous cook, in my opinion. I think a lot of the things that I cook are better than restaurant food. :] When we do go out, we go somewhere with specials and/or coupons. Moe's always has a BOGO coupon in the Penny Saver here, and on Saturdays kids eat for $0.99. Our whole family can eat for $11 on Saturday. Winning!
10. The biggest life change that allowed us to become a one-income family was using Dave Ramsey's plan for a long time before I stopped working. We worked hard and saved every penny and paid off debt. The only debt we have is my car [which will be paid off soon] and our mortgage. Dave Ramsey's plan is amazing. I strongly suggest looking it up if you're the least bit interested in getting out of debt. With the DR plan, we are set to pay off our mortgage by 2020, twenty years ahead of schedule!
Many sacrifices have been made, but it's been totally wonderful! I don't mind being creative with our funds nearly as much as I minded working full-time and missing time with my babies. I was totally miserable while working and I couldn't be happier now. If you are interested in becoming a stay at home mom or even just reducing your work hours, try some of these steps. You'll see your money multiplying and your happiness increasing every day you get closer to your goal.
Until next time...
xoxo,
Electric City Supermom
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