My second daughter was six weeks old when I had to get ready to go back to work for the first week of school as a part-time teacher. I woke up at 5 am to pump and then nurse my newborn while I simultaneously gobbled down a bagel and inhaled a few cups of strong coffee after a relatively sleepless night. I attempted to put the crying baby back to sleep and left the house in a rush, feeling frustrated that I could not even calm my own child but had to wake my bleary eyed husband to care for her.
After a year of stress and childcare woes, my husband and I knew it was time for me to stay home full-time (I believe this is a very personal decision and a matter of obedience to God’s unique calling in each of our lives). It seemed impossible to cut our budget any more than it already was, but God showed us a way.
If you are feeling led by God to stay home (or cut your hours substantially), you might wonder what you could do to simplify your life and manage your finances with only one income. Here are some of the things that I did that helped me to transition from working wonder-woman to simplified stay-at-home-mom.
Determine your savings by staying home
Not working actually saves you money. You will not need expensive work clothes. There will be less transportation costs and there is no childcare to pay for - a large expense for working women. This cut as much as $400 off our monthly budget.
Consider relocating
When we changed our income level, we moved to a very small rental property temporarily until we could save up for an affordable home. Cramming five people into a 1,000 sq. ft. ranch was definitely a challenge, but it was worth it. If you live in an area where the cost of living is higher than normal or the housing prices are above average, could you rent or look for a property that is in a more affordable neighborhood? We cut out at least $500/month by making this sacrifice.
Eliminate the non-essentials
Cable TV, internet, and cell phones are not essential (believe me, you can live without them!). You can probably think of other non-essential expenses that God is asking you to give up. The little things add up! You could save as much as $100/month.
Limit cining out
We eat out (nowhere fancy) about once a month. We also are frugal about getting pop or snacks at the gas station or eating ice cream out etc. It just isn’t financially worth it when I can buy a case of pop or a gallon of ice cream for much less at the grocery store. It’s nice to get a break from cooking sometimes but frozen chicken nuggets or
frozen pizza, or a sandwich picnic at the park can give you a break for a lot less money than going out. I pack a lunch for my husband and school-age daughter every day – you can imagine how much this saves (at least $100/month).
Cut down on vehicle expenses
We have no car payments (we sold one car and bought one that cost exactly what our profit was), we only put collision insurance on our older vehicles, we bought a 1991 rusted out Honda and it has paid for itself with its 40 mpg gas mileage, and we consolidate trips to town to keep our gas consumption lower. This saved us $400/month.
Do it yourself
We do all of our own home repairs, changing the oil, and fixing the cars (even if it means buying a manual and doing it by trial and error).
Keep a modest grocery budget
I shop at a discount grocery chain (ALDI or Save-a-Lot) and save up to 50% on my bill. I try to buy meats that can be used for more than one meal (i.e. a turkey makes 4 meals: breast, turkey divan, soup, and pot pie). I almost always buy generic brands. Keeping a vegetable garden (and eating lots of fresh caught fish and venison) also helps with the budget. I heard recently that the average family spends $300/week on groceries. I spend less than half of that!
Shop second hand
I’m blessed because my kids get lots of clothes from hand me downs or from their grandparents. Garage sales can be an excellent way to increase your kids’ wardrobe without breaking the bank. I also buy new clothes for their birthday gifts since I’d rather get them something they really need than more toys that they may not appreciate.
Utilize free services
You can usually rent movies for FREE from the library or a family resource center. For our fun outings, we almost always do things that cost no or very little money – look around for beaches, hiking trails, parks or other free family activities in your area.
Find ways that you could bring in a little extra money I do tutoring, some childcare, and yearly garage sales. I have friends who make money from crafts or other artistic talents.
Put Your Trust in the Great Provider
You never know how God will come through and meet your needs. Having a tighter budget can at times create tension and worry, but I’m beginning to realize that this causes me to rely completely on God. I can tell story after story where God answered specific prayers (and sometimes even unspoken needs). He has always come through for us whether it was buying a new home at a reasonable price or paying medical bills that seemed overwhelming. God’s Word tells us that He longs to fill the hungry and he is close to those who realize their deep and dependent need for Him. Putting all of my trust in God as my provider as I make an eternal investment in my family is a blessing that will last forever.
“The Lord is near to all who call on him, to all who call on him in truth.
He fulfills the desires of those who fear him”
(Psalm 145:17-18 NIV)
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Heather Cox is a mother of three and wife to a godly Christian counselor. She has been a math teacher, missionary or mother (not all at the same time!) over the past 14 years. Heather is a graduate of “She Speaks” and holds her masters in Biblical Studies from Moody Graduate School. Visit her blog here: Mumblings of a Mommy Monk
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What a great article!
When my husband and I were expecting had our first child, I went back to work part time and was blessed to have a family friend watch our daughter in our home during my work hours. After our second child was born, I decided to freelance and then went on to start my own business when enabled me to work out of my home. Since I still am in the process of growing a christian life coaching business, we essentially are living on one income and have had to cut back on our expense. All your tips are great and things we have done in the past couple years.
A tip about the “non-essentials” for women who are working out of the home or growing a business and need a cell phone/Internet to conduct business, there are ways to make this cheaper: most Internet providers have several speed package options. Choosing to go for the lowest speed option cut your bill significantly. Also, if you like to keep a cell phone for emergency purposes (or the occasional call), try tracfone.com - this is a prepaid cell phone and you can choose the number of minutes you load onto the card. I went from spend upwards of $40/month to just under $9 per month.
In regards to TV, thankfully, through several “viewing fasts” the Lord had me do, I no longer have the desire to watch it. However, if you still like the occasional show, consider asking your cable company for a basic package which includes only your local stations (so you have good reception without the attenae). When my husband and I did this, we saved $20+ per month and has the bonus of some extra cable channels leak through at no cost (we found out the cable company is aware this sometimes happens so it’s not the same as pirating channels).