how to budget as a stay at home mom

Carrie L … When I started meal planning, I hated it at first. Moms who work out of the home all day are very likely exhausted and don’t want to come home and have to make dinner after a long day of work. But most of all, it’s special. If a stay-at-home mom or dad took their skills to the marketplace, they could make much more than the average American. (Click here to learn more about freelance writing. Before we look at how to afford to be a stay at home mom, let’s take a quick look at a couple ways stay at home moms SAVE money, simply by staying home. But, after figuring out how to effectively meal plan, I’ve grown to love it and I could never imagine going back to not using a meal plan. Being a stay-at-home-mom is at the top of wish lists for a lot of women. Like, it didn’t even seem possible or within the realm of reason. I ’m so excited to share something dear to my heart with you Affording Motherhood followers – SAVING MONEY! If you have done all of the above suggestions, and you can’t quit working completely, consider a side hustle to supplement your household income (or replace your income totally!). The average worker spends a record high of 53.2 minutes per day, according to the most recent data from US Census Bureau, and most drive a single-occupancy vehicle.. Let’s make a conservative estimate that each commuter is driving about 30 miles. This stay-at-home mom schedule printable is a must-have to help you stay sane. Really, I had NO idea how to afford to be a stay-at-home mom. Following a budget is extremely important, especially when you’re living on one low income. If you don’t have kids yet, but you plan on having kids, pay off your debt NOW if AT ALL possible.  I don’t think you should put off having kids if you have debt, but it sure does make it easier to be a stay-at-home-mom! When you sit down to come up with your budget, it should first include only your essentials.  Essentials include a roof over your head, food, clothing, transportation and minimum payments on your current bills. 5 Stay-At-Home Mom Budget Tips. Here are 8 survival tips for stay at home moms: 1. ), and I have been loving it. Here are some of our favorite budget tips for stay at home moms. Apr 5, 2018 | HOME, HOUSEHOLD FINANCES | 2 comments. But, it’s also a LOT more expensive. You might be thinking it’s impossible for you to stay home because that means your family would be going down to a single income, and your husband’s income might not be very high. Most companies want to KEEP their customers, and they want to keep them happy. These are things that you need to “just get by” with.  If you can cover those items with one income, then you are on the right track to being able to financially swing being a stay-at-home-mom. After I became in charge of full-time baby care, I never felt self-conscious about not bringing in a paycheck again — mostly because I didn’t have time to feel self-conscious about anything (judges at least let you take bathroom breaks; toddlers burst through the door screaming). Code: THRIFT15, How We Downsized Twice in one Year and Survived! Â. 13 Ways For Stay at Home Moms to Save Money Downsizing your house, your car, boat, and any other property that is costing you money (or has great value and is paid off), could be the answer to you becoming a stay-at-home-mom. The price may vary depending on where you live, but when you quit your job to become a stay at home mom you will undoubtedly save money by keeping your kids home with you. Here are the steps we took to bring me home and allow me to become a stay at home mom on a very tight budget, but would also work for those wanting to return to school, need to quit for medical reasons or are facing an impending job loss, for whatever reason. Designed by Elegant Themes | Powered by WordPress. Being a stay-at-home-mom is at the top of wish lists for a lot of women.  Maybe it is at the top of yours. I was able to lower my cell phone bill by making a simple phone call to the company. Supplementing your husband’s income by utilizing your skills to bring in a small income from home is one way many stay at home moms make it possible, even when finances are extremely tight. ), If you’re particularly good with writing and grammar, becoming a freelance writer from home could be a good option for you. If you’re interested in freezer cooking, How to Find Time to Clean Your House When You’re Busy. Even if you don’t think meal planning is right for you, it can be. You have to be willing to put in the work to bring this bill down. Note that I said to try to be debt free.  I am a firm believer in living a debt-free life, but I’m even more of a believer in moms staying at home with their kids. We paid off debt before ever even thinking about kids, and it put us in a good position for me to stay at home.  After we read the book, The Total Money Makeover, we paid off our debt and never looked back.  Best.decision.ever. Related: 1// Buy in Bulk. When you become a stay at home mom, you get to say goodbye to your commute and hello to more time and money in your life. When you start implementing some of these tips, it is incredibly empowering when you start receiving results. Many stay-at-home moms want to keep the marital home for the sentimental value, or to maintain the façade of normal routines for the children. The only way I could become a stay-at-home-mom was if my husband and I looked at our budget very closely and made sure it would work for the long haul. it at first. Many moms who work find it to be too stressful to deal with pumping. Basically gather everything that shows money coming in or going out. are expenses like cable, monthly subscriptions, entertainment, etc. COMMENTdocument.getElementById("comment").setAttribute( "id", "a43872f9a0b44a5feccef8f64390652e" );document.getElementById("i2105bac76").setAttribute( "id", "comment" ); A recovering perfectionist learning how to create a beautiful home that isn’t perfect (and also how to not panic when that same load of laundry has been sitting on the couch for a week because… life). Now that we’ve gone over what you can save by quitting your job, let’s go over how to afford to be a stay at home mom. One of the hardest things for most people to do is to cut their excess spending.  It seems like once we are living a certain way, with a certain lifestyle “level”, cutting down is really hard. (, Maybe you have skills in the area of social media, email and project management, content production and bookkeeping. 3. The biggest monthly expense most families have is housing costs. your money is going, and it allows you to see where you can cut costs every month. Pumping is really stressful, no judgment here. (being careful not to double-count anything else on this list) and enter here. (Which will help you afford to be a stay at home mom!). There are many other ways that women can save money by quitting their jobs like spending less on clothing (when you work outside the home you likely have to keep up a certain type of appearance and spend money on dry cleaning), stay at home moms can also save money by switching to cloth diapers and exclusively breastfeeding their babies, if that’s an option for them. This job is no joke. Chemistry / Getty Images. (. There are many other ways that women can save money by quitting their jobs like spending less on clothing (when you work outside the home you likely have to keep up a certain type of appearance and spend money on dry cleaning), stay at home moms can also save money by switching. My husband and I have been a one-car family for 2 years now, and even though it was an adjustment at first, it has been one of the best things we’ve done. How i budget being a stay at home mom! She's a nurse, chauffeur, chef, teacher, playmate, housekeeper, laundry attendant, accountant, and babysitter all rolled into one. How to become a stay at home mom on a tight budget. Do you want less dinnertime stress?). Related Post:  How We Downsized Twice in one Year and Survived! Â. If you want to become a stay-at-home-mom, it is important to know what essentials you need to include in your monthly budget. If your family is small enough to fit into a car and you don’t need a truck to haul anything, downsizing from a truck, SUV, or van to a car will save you a lot of money in fuel costs each month. Shop around. When you become a stay at home mom you will no longer have a dire need of having two vehicles. My name is Felicia. It breaks my heart when I hear of moms who long to stay home and raise their kids, but can’t afford to because of their family’s financial situation. With the more advanced stay-at-home mom jobs, you could make upwards of $50 per hour! Shopping around can save you a lot of money month after month. Being a stay at home mom on a LOW income IS possible), but because we have decided that me being a stay at home wife and mom was more important to us than living an expensive, luxurious life. (And a legit one that actually makes REAL money. One would think that since you are home all day that it would be easy to get everything done, but the truth is, the work never ends and the constant juggle of chores can really baffle even the most organized person unless she … If you’re looking at the budget you have created and you see that you have more money going out each month than you have coming in, you will want to look at your monthly expenses and find places that you can cut costs and get rid of bills altogether. need one, selling that vehicle and getting a car will help you be able to afford to be a stay at home mom by cutting costs. I didn’t even have to shop around for this one. Amy is a passionate homemaker and loves helping other women find joy and purpose in the day-to-day grind. My husband and I have never had cable in the life of our marriage. By non-essential items, I don’t mean a $100 per month budget to Target for home decor. Tag … Maybe it is at the top of yours. My husband and I have been incredibly blessed and I have been able to be a stay at home wife for many years now, and just recently as our family grew, I have been able to be a stay at home mom. Necessary expenses, or needs, are expenses like housing, transportation (but, being a two-car family isn’t usually a need), and food (but you should look into bringing your food bill down with meal planning). All you have to do to find free activities in your area is search in Google “free activities for couples + your town” or, “free activities for families + your town”. (I don’t blame them! Add up all other monthly debt payments -- student loans, home-equity loans, personal loans, credit cards, etc. Because I was able to stay home, I breastfed both my son and daughter for over a full year for free. Sometimes excess spending looks like frivolous Amazon shopping (admitting guilt here), while other times it might be the food you buy and waste because you never make a grocery list or meal plan. When I was working outside the home my husband and I ate out WAY more than we should have.). Success! I want to tell you that, if you and your family are willing to make some changes, becoming a single income family IS a possibility (and I want to help you get there). Create a Budget The first step is to create a budget, meaning track your family’s income and expenses. Stay-at-Home Mom Schedule Printable. By shopping around for better rates you could save yourself a couple hundred dollars a month. You can also use a service like Amazon Prime to watch TV shows and movies. When we had two cars I would make unnecessary trips into town just because. It also shows you where your money is going, and it allows you to see where you can cut costs every month. You can also use a service like Amazon Prime to watch TV shows and movies. It’s no lie that having two cars is just easier. All of the stay at home Mom jobs that I mention here are things that I have actually done in the past and/or am still doing now to make money as a stay at home Mom. I’m going to tell you a big fat secret about being a stay-at-home mom: Schedules are totally overrated. If you are passionate about becoming a stay-at-home-mom, and the numbers just aren’t panning out for you to quit working, you might considering downsizing. And, of course, the BEST way to make extra income from home (in my biased opinion), is blogging. Financially though, it can be a stretch to live on only one income.  How do you budget your money when you want to become a stay-at-home-mom?  It’s totally possible! Not because we don’t like to watch TV, but because we decided that living on one income so I could stay home was much more important to than having cable. This results in grabbing take-out for the family for dinner more often than necessary, simply because they’re too exhausted to cook. When I first considered becoming a stay-at-home mom three years ago, I knew adjusting to one income would be a challenge. You can click here to learn the meal planning method that brought our grocery bill down significantly. Most stay-at-home moms are looking for simple ways to improve their financial situation for their families. Yay, you won’t need these things anymore once you become a stay at home mom! Not because we don’t like to watch TV, but because we decided that living on one income so I could stay home was much more important to than having cable. When you start meal planning you can save money on eating out AND save money on your grocery bill. (for free). This is the course I took that helped me take my blog from earning nothing a month to earning a full-time income in one year. Get dressed. Most of the stuff I bought was really unnecessary – did I really need another pair of black heels […] Learn how to afford to be a stay at home mom here. Make the most with what you have without spending tons of money. Tips for Stay at Home Mom on a Budget. I never thought I’d be a stay-at-home mom. The SAHM Budget Test: How to Afford to Be a Stay-at-Home Mom. Shopping around can save you a lot of money month after month. There, I said it. Gather all of your bills, paycheck stubs, receipts, and bank statements. Hello! Add any … Follow these six simple steps to get a better handle on your day-to-day tasks and, hopefully, a fresh perspective on your daily life. This seems like a simple step, but a lot of people don’t know exactly what they bring in on a monthly basis.   You need to know the exact figure so you know what you will be living on. But, blogging isn’t for everyone – one of those options we talked about above might be a better fit for you. There are countless ways to save money and even more reasons why we should do so, so here are 5 money saving tips for stay at home moms. Did you know that you can make a good living by selling products on Amazon? How To Create the Perfect Schedule | For Homemakers, Stay at Home Moms and Career Ladies alike - Duration: 7:07. Your non-essential (but still kind of essential) items might be things such as a haircut, a date night, gifts for family members and any other items that aren’t required for survival, but are nice to have money for. When you consider working from home, make sure that you consider what it was actually costing you to work outside of the home.  For example, you won’t have to pay for fuel to get to and from work and you definitely won’t need to purchase a work place wardrobe. Whether you need a mom schedule during quarantine or you are just ready to get your days back on track, you will want to use these ideas to help you thrive as a mom. Grab your printable budgeting worksheets here! Take your current income and subtract your work and childcare expenses. (This is the meal planning method we use to continually save $700 a month on groceries.). Resist the urge to enroll in expensive classes and consider going to the park or hosting a play date instead. If it’s an option for you and your family, consider the thought of downsizing your house. But, after figuring out how to effectively meal plan, I’ve grown to love it and I could never imagine going back to not using a meal plan. Don't let things expire, and plan meals around food items you already have. (, If you’re particularly good with writing and grammar, becoming a freelance writer from home could be a good option for you. Since my husband and I became intentional with our finances, we have learned that there are a LOT more free activities around for couples and families than we realized before. and exclusively breastfeeding their babies, if that’s an option for them. If you enjoy doing all that stuff, becoming a virtual assistant would be the perfect fit for you. You may be able to get a lower rate on your phone bill and insurance by making a quick call to the company, explaining that you’ve been a customer for theirs for however many years, and asking if they can offer you a lower rate. It’s never-ending. There was no way around it… I was going to need a flexible stay at home mom job. Click here to get on the waitlist. Since we can’t afford to pay for many activities, we’ve been extremely thankful for the number of free activities there are around. Living as a single income family on one low income is possible, and I want to show you how we do it.  | This post may contain affiliate links, which means that if you click on one of the product links, I’ll receive compensation when the item is purchased.  Please read my full disclosure for more information. Do you really need a 2,500 square foot house, or could your family live comfortably in a 1,100 square foot house? I didn’t, before learning about The Selling Family. I’d love to hear your stories! If you want to start a selling business from home, click here to sign up for a free course to help you get started. Did you know that you can make a good living by selling products on Amazon? A debt management plan can be built into your budget so you can pay off your credit cards, mortgage and eliminate your overall debt.. You may not be able to pay off all of your debt today, but you can create a realistic plan to work towards paying off that debt. Now that your budget is in place, it’s important to look at another area of your finances. Many people buy far bigger houses than they need, which causes their monthly bills to be astronomical. We did it very carefully and with a whole lot of intention! In an effort to make the most of my days at home with the kids, I’ve figured out a few things that work. (Because you wouldn’t want to trust the word of someone who doesn’t have actual experience with a company and is just throwing a bunch of referral links into a blog post in hopes of earning a commission – it happens! Meal planning allows you to always know what’s for dinner (so you aren’t tempted to stop in at your favorite take-out place), and it will help you save money on groceries by only buying WHAT YOU NEED, and only going shopping once a week (at most). It depends on how much you want, how many hours you are … The moms have no other option than to work full time at a job they don’t love, but long to stay home with their kids. Your email address will not be published. Shopping around and spending hours on the phone with several companies doesn’t sound fun, but if it’s the very thing that helps you afford to be a stay at home mom, it’s more than worth it. Not only is your monthly mortgage payment higher when you live in a more expensive house, but your utility bills are much higher, as well. No more having to spend hours trying to find a single dinner idea. Turn lights off when no one is in the room. One way that my husband and I were able to save a LOT of money ($700/month) on food was when I started meal planning. What Stay-at-Home Moms Do All Day . The moms have no other option than to work full time at a job they don’t love, but long to stay home with their kids. (Sign up for a free proofreading workshop here. Stay at home moms have a hard job. So it was with my journey toward becoming a stay-at-home mom. It’s grueling. This mock budget would be created as if you were living off of one income already by only accounting for your husband’s income on the budget), and exactly how much money you have going out every month. we paid off our debt and never looked back.  Best.decision.ever. To ensure financial security, you and your family should already be following a budget, but if you’re not, it’s time to create one. Honestly, I never dreamed of being a stay-at-home-mom.  I was on a fast-track to the top of the career totem pole and had zero (and I mean ZERO) intentions of staying at home with my future kids. A budget will help you see exactly how much money you have coming in every month (it’s a good idea to create a “mock budget” before you quit your job. Following a budget is extremely important, especially when you’re living on one low income. Create a budget… and actually do it! YOU CAN READ OUR DISCLOSURE POLICY HERE.). Most companies will gladly look into lowering your rates for you. (It costs more to heat and cool a big house than it does a small one.). Being a stay-at-home wife or stay-at-home mom may actually be a burden to your family if you’re creating a financial mess that you’ll have to clean up later. need a 2,500 square foot house, or could your family live comfortably in a 1,100 square foot house? {Don’t worry—if you feel like you are going to suffocate without your daily Starbucks fix, you might be able to add that back in later, but let’s get you home with your kids first!}. As a stay-at-home mom, you can take advantage of your time at home to prepare meals that are cheaper and even healthier. Do Not Sell My Personal Information    Contact    About. Rather than recount the details of how my husband and spent three years working our financial plan that enabled me to stay home full-time, I’m going to ask you some of the most important questions we asked ourselves. 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