Tips for transitioning from two to one income
Tips for transitioning from two to one income. I am often asked how we were able to afford me leaving my career to stay home with my son. I can honestly say through sacrifice and by living by a detailed budget.
Tips for transitioning from two to one income:
Pre-child we were both employed and didn’t really have a budget. We were able to save because we didn’t have the expenses of a child and international adoption however, we also spent frivolously on things such as dining out, entertainment, travel and shopping.
I broke the news to my husband right before we brought my son home from Guatemala. He was shocked as I was very career driven. I had worked hard to build a successful Family and Consumer Science program and FCCLA chapter. However, the first time I held my son I knew that I would not be able to leave him in day care. It was the best decision for me to leave my career because I knew how I would resent my career if I didn’t. So, with that being said, we created a very strict family budget and made some major life changes.
You can read the posts here on how to create a family budget part 1 and part 2. We made major sacrifices. I started coloring my own hair, using coupons and meal planning. We stopped going out to eat and really tightened our budget. In 2008 things were really tight with the economy. Grocery prices and gas prices were inflated, and my husband was stressed. He confessed to me that even though we were living by the budget that with the inflation that I may have to find a part time job. That is when I started Stockpiling.
If you want to stay at home, have a job loss or need additional income I encourage you to start strategically using coupons and build a stockpile. It has made a major difference in our lives. People often ask me how I have the time to use coupons and build my stockpile, my question in return is how do I not have the time? I strategically use coupons and stockpile for one reason – my son!
Melissa is a football and soccer mom who has been married to her best friend for 24 years. She loves sharing recipes, travel reviews and tips that focus on helping busy families make memories.
We always knew that I’d be a SAHM, but got pregnant a year before we had planned on it. Thankfully we had bought our home based on what we could afford on just my husband’s salary and we started following Dave Ramsey soon after that. Due to those 2 things I was still able to SAH even though our ‘plan’ had changed. 🙂
So glad it worked out of you!
Should the title read “Tips for transitioning from one to two incomes” or “Tips for transitioning from two to one income”?
Because I think adding another income would be easy but not so much cutting one out.
You are correct! Thanks for catching that! It should read – Tips for transitioning from two to one income
Good morning! I am a stay a home mom of three children. They are 9, 6, and 3. I have stayed home since my first was born. I started couponing about 4 months ago. I have learned how to stockpile on hygiene items such as shampoo, toothpaste, toothbrushes, razors… but have not figured out stockpiling on groceries and paper products (toilet paper, paper towels…). I have been buying 4 Sunday papers each week and clipping all those but there just aren’t a lot of food items in them. I am afraid printing coupons would not save me much. How do you save on groceries? Also, how do you stockpile since you can only print a few of each coupon? Thank you for your time! :o)
Amy, I don’t really print many coupons. I rely more on the Sunday paper 🙂 I also purchase from coupon clipping services.
you also needd to start being wary of clipping services, 1) some sell fake coupons 2) OUR stores have added to their policy “gang cut coupons will be revoked” HUH??? so if I buy 10 papers, clip them myself as instructed by stapling together first, that is a ‘gang cut coupon’ and will not be honored!! YUP, that is exactly what the stores here are doing… so make sure you coupons have individual edges. Keep track of fake coupons religiously, if you see it on a list DONT BUY IT FROM THE INTERNET, what they show you in a pic may be the real one, what they send you could be the fake. Walmart is good for ‘grocery items’ Any overage on your coupons goes towards your cart, so you can get other items for free, like meats, veges, etc due to your coupon overages….check at your Walmart first before doing alot of Qs in one transaction, they do have limits . Hope that helps, good luck!
Wonderful article. People have to live on one income for so many reasons so its just needed that people get tight and frugal at times. I love couponing yes it is a headache at first but whats my alternative? I will also say there are ways to make side money.Doing a skill,reselling used items on ebay,recycling metal,being part of focus groups,doing a paper route while your husband is at home with the kids.Its an early am morning job. There are many ways to make supplemental income.