Thrifty and Proud

Recently I was asked how our family lives on only Remie's income. With the down turn in the economy, it seems nearly impossible to support a family of 5 on one salary. Yes, things could be easier financially if I worked but we have decided that my job is at home with our children for now. I've been made fun of for being thrifty but if it works, it works right? I decided to share how we make our dollars stretch a little further.

1. NO DEBT: The biggest way we stretch our dollar is by having no debt. We refuse to live outside our means just to keep up with the Jones. This is a principle that is very important in being financially secure. If there is something that we want,  we practice impulse control and only buy it if we have the money. I'm not saying this is easy but it's a part of being a mature adult and realizing that our family's needs come before our selfish "wants". If you are interested in learning more about living debt free, check out Dave Ramsey at www.daveramsey.com . He's got great tools to help you become debt free in no time!

2. BUY USED: I am not ashamed to say that I LOVE the local Mom to Mom sales!! When the kids were babies (and even now), I couldnt rationalize spending top dollar on clothing that they would grow out of in 3 days! So my friend Renee and I started going to Mom to Mom sales and we make out like bandits! Moms sell clothing that their children barely wore and some items still even had tags on them! I'm able to be really picky and I still find great deals! I have tried going to resale shops in the area but I find that they are a bit more expensive. I have also been blessed by friends who have given me hand-me-downs for the kids. My friend Jen has given me soo many bins of boys clothes that I could never repay her! We are also very blessed to have 2 sets of grandparents that like to buy the kids new clothes.

3. SELL STUFF: It's no secret that I am a neat freak and I absolutely hate clutter! That being said, I am always selling or donating items that we no longer use. I love selling old items for cash so that I can buy something new for our family or have a little extra money for our dates with the kids.

4. WAREHOUSE SHOPPING: I haven't been able to get into the whole couponing rage so I stick to shopping at Costco. My family eats so much that I have to buy in bulk. Besides that, Costco offers a membership that gives you a percentage of your yearly spending back to you. This membership pays for itself plus some!

5. DIAL IT DOWN: We save money each year by making simple changes in our home. The biggest change we have made is turning down the thermostat. We normally like the heat set at about 70 degrees. I turned it down to 67 degrees during the day and 65 degrees at night and boy have I seen a difference in our heating bills! Almost immediately, I noticed that our bill went from $120 a month to $108. Other little things we do is shut lights off in rooms that we are not using and getting the energy efficient light bulbs.

6. PRAY: We make it a priority to pray for our family and our finances. We truly believe that God supplies all of our needs and he hasn't failed us yet!

7. GIVE: We find it very important to give to local charities to help those less fortunate then ourselves. We give of our time, money and donate used items. We really believe that we can't outgive God. Meaning that when we bless others, God blesses us tenfold. Luke 6:38 "Give, and it will be given to you. A good measure, pressed down, shaken together and running over, will be poured into your lap."

With these little tips we are able to live comfortably on one income. We try to make financially wise decisions not only to live comfortably but to model our behavior for our children so they learn to live financially smart as adults.