Some people may think we're crazy, but me being a stay-at-home mom was non-negotiable for us. We decided to start a family intentionally and have chosen to make any necessary sacrifices to raise CJ ourselves. I know that not everyone is cut out to be a stay-at-home mom (my mom wasn't), but I am. This doesn't mean it's easy and I always like it, but it does mean that we are committed to raising our son a certain way, and we are especially concerned with his growth and development in these small but important years before he becomes school-aged. What does this mean for our budget?... It means realizing that there as serious differences between wants & needs.
These are the things we are doing to make raising our son at home possible for us:
1. Tithing (this is not new, but it is important to continue)
2. No eating out. Period.
3. No cable (or other t.v. service)
4. No shopping (besides grocery)
5. No entertainment (besides redbox about once a month)
6. Keeping our thermostat set to 60
7. Not over-seeding our grass this winter
8. Not keeping the dog groomed & letting him be an outside dog
9. BREAST-FEEDING
10. Not driving unless necessary (work for Juan & church for all of us)
11. Cutting back on Text messaging
12. Eating leftovers! (this is hard for me... i'm not a fan of leftovers generally)
13. Getting Medi-Cal for CJ instead of paying for insurance
Here are some things we are in the process of cutting back:
1. Car insurance (keeping full-coverage, but switching carriers)
2. Internet (down-grading to basic)
3. Applying for deferment of all our student loans
4. Dropping a cell phone & cutting back on the data plan (for Juan's iphone... we'd cancel it if we could afford to buy out of the contract)
Now this all doesn't mean we have everything figured out and have extra $ to save... this is just making ends meet, for now anyway.
May God bless you today.
I admire your tenacity and the strength and courage of your convictions! May the Lord bless you as you walk this journey!! I love and respect you a great deal! Thank you for sharing your heart and life with us!
ReplyDeleteWhat a commitment! Since we live in MI, it's not as expensive as it is for you, and we had no student loans. We are BIG fans of Dave Ramsey and have used his principles since I was preggo with MJ. It is a struggle for me to stay home mentally, and socially, as I was totally BORN to be a school teacher, but I am planning on going back part-time when all the kids are in school. It has been a BLESSING for me to stay home and worth any sacrifice. Keep it up. Get Dr. Laura's book "In Praise of Stay-at-Home-Moms" from your library (our favorite FREE place to go) for more encouragement. Or just FB, call or write your cousin Lib!!! Hugs to you.
ReplyDeleteFYI
ReplyDeleteThere are lots of free DVD and Video movies at the Library. Many which are classics and better than some of the stuff on TV or in theaters. I rarely rent a movie anymore--even from Redbox.