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Yes, You CAN Afford to Stay at Home with Your Kids
by Jenny Wanderscheid of ChildFun.com
What do you mean you can't afford to stay home with your kids? Sorry, I don't believe
it. I used to believe, but not anymore. Here are some helpful tips and
major life-changing strategies to allow you the power to stay home with your
kids.
I used to think we needed a second car. You really don't. Right there,
look at all the money you save. Look at your monthly budget and subtract a car
payment, insurance, gas, and maintenance. WOW. That is a nice chunk of
change right there. Maybe you need to ease into it? Okay, let's look at your
grocery bill. Do you use coupons, if not, why? Buy things in bulk. Look at
prices. Shop at warehouse places like Sam's and you can save hundreds of
dollars on your grocery bill per year. I know you don't NEED 20 pounds of
hamburger right now, but when you can buy it for the same price of 10 pounds
wrapped in individually, then it is worth it! Buy generic whenever possible. Don't
be a snob, try it out. 90% of the time, they taste the same.
The only generic things I won't buy are paper products and lasagna noodles. For
some reason, those just aren't as good. Find what you like and you can save
hundreds of dollars here. What about vacations? Do you fly to Disneyworld
each year? Get real. What do you think will make a bigger impact on your
children in the long run, the fact that you blew a ridiculous amount of money to
take a 4 day vacation, or that you were there for them, day after day, week after
week, smile after smile, tear after tear? This summer we scraped and saved and
scrimped and we are driving to Canada to go fishing for a week. Living on one
income doesn't mean you can't live well. You just live different.
As for general entertainment, instead of expensive movie theaters and fast food
joints, go buy a kite and make sandwiches and have a picnic in the park. Go for
a walk. RIde your bike through the park. Go to art galleries, museums and
zoos. Most of these are free or have family discount days. With cutting back a
little in your daily routines, and making major changes like cutting out a vehicle,
you CAN stay home with your kids. Now with the internet, computers and
technology, there are a lot of legitimate work at home mom jobs as well if you really need extra money to get by. Check out
http://www.wahm.com for a
list. Obviously, I am referring to two income families here, so please don't write
asking "What about single moms?" For single moms, there are lots of other
careers that can be done at home. Daycare is the first to come to mind. Visit
Wahm.com for more!
| Jenny is a 30 year old WAHM and the
creator of the ChildFun Family
Website. She and her husband Rick are raising their three children in Southern Minnesota with laughter and love. |
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