Wednesday, October 7, 2009

Living on One Income in a Two Income Society

Okay, I have heard this so many times. If you stay at home with your kids, you are probably as frustrated as I am with it:

"You can't live on just one income these days."

Well, let me tell you that I beg to differ! I assure you that you can not only survive, but thrive on one income! For those who may not know us, Big Daddy and I have a reputation for being cheapskates. I don't mind it at all, though. In fact, I consider it a compliment. It has become more apparent to me lately that knowing how to live this lifestyle doesn't come naturally to everyone. Also, it actually requires some work on our part. So, call us cheapskates. We'll likely thank you for acknowledging our skill and work ethic. :)

I get excited about saving money. I know, I know...there are bigger and better things to get excited about, but it just excites me. I am always looking for a new corner to cut or a new way to save money. Reading books on this subject, however, have been little help because we are usually already doing most of the things the author suggests. Usually the first step is to stop eating out or stop paying to go to the gym. We couldn't do those things anyway. Now, does that mean that I have all the answers? Absolutely not! It just means I have more to discover--new ways to save!

I'll be an open book here just to give some perspective. I don't share this to glorify myself, but to glorify God and show what He will do if we only obey. I've often noticed that many people who claim to be "poor" end up making 40 - 50K annually. Let me just state for the record that we do NOT make that much....although it would sure be nice! I'm sure that by most people's standards, we are making enough to just get by. Instead of just "getting by," though, we have managed our money and saved. Because of that, we now have a $100,000 house, 2 vehicles we own, and all the fun extras like cable, DVR, internet, and cell phones. So, remind me again what we're missing out on that would require us to have a 2nd income?

Now I'm sure I have you wondering just how we do it. I'll tell you!

Stay tuned for part 2.....

4 comments:

T said...

"You cheapskate!" you're right - I also consider it a compliment. I'm looking forward to hearing all you do to keep the title.

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

We have the same philosophy. I work only 2 hours a week from home just to keep in the loop in my field. I had to work 3 hours a day when my husband was going to school full time. It was so hard, but now we can be a one income family. PTL! Thanks for following my blog. I've got some great tips on how cooking from scratch saves you lots of money. You're probably already doing most of it, but in case you're curious. Go to my blog's sidebar and under Lables-->Cooking From Scratch Commentary-->Cooking From Scratch Saves You $$$!, if you're curious!

Hope homeschooling is going well for you. I'm really seeing some great progress in spelling and reading with my 1st grader. It is so exciting to be the one to see the light bulb go on!

Blessings, Jackie

EE said...

I have checked out your blog and plan to return to look more later. I cook from scratch, but not as much as I'd like to. I'm just at the beginning when it comes to growing my own food and such. I'm a work in progress! :)

Cheesemakin' Mamma said...

You are so right! We all are a work in progress and something I'm learning is never compare myself to others. I only add new things to my workload as I can handle them and as the Lord is telling me to, or I'll get overwhelmed every time.

God Bless,
Jackie

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