So, our family is about to enter the world of living on one income - scary times! As of next month, we will be short approximately $3,000 per month, which means, we have a lot of careful consideration to do when it comes to budgeting and living. We wont be able to live by the same carefree means we have in the past, and as such, are looking for any ways we can stretch our money to make it count!
First things first for us is nappies....we have been using Huggies with Miss Placid since birth, but those babies are $33 per box and we go through roughly 200 nappies a month! Crazy huh! After a bit of research, Im going to go with the Snugglers, which you can get at Big W for just under $20 a box....big saving there!
Ive also decided I can save on baby wipes by using face wash cloths when I am at home. These are easy washed and reusable, and I can just use the disposable wipes when I am out at the shops!
Because my hair is currently dark, I can probably get by stretching out my hair appointments now. I used to go 6 weekly when I was blonde, so i think as long as I am dark, I can probably stretch these out to 3 monthly appointments (or more) instead!
We are thinking about setting a limit with our groceries (yet to be decided on the amount) and buying monthly. Once we have spent the grocery money, that will be it - so it will take careful planning to make sure our meals stretch out and last that long.
As for keeping gas, electricity and water down, Im not really sure how we will make a huge difference to these bills. I guess just limiting the use of lights, switching off at the wall, limiting our shower times and making the most of using the washing machine - ie only using when it is a full load.
There will be much more having people over for coffees instead of heading out for coffees and I will have to watch my fuel closely, making the most out of my trips as I tend to drive around alot! I have no idea how to make birthdays and Christmas presents work, but perhaps I will have to get a little more creative on that front! We are also considering downsizing our home and moving to an area, a little closer up the freeway, but not too far from Mr O's work.
It is quite a daunting road ahead of us, and if we were completely honest, we aren't sure how we are going to get through it! But, we do know that we have a good, and faithful God, and he doesn't let us get in over our heads more than we can manage. We put our faith and trust in Him with our finances and are praying for and seeking His wisdom and guidance through these times.
I would absolutely love to hear from all you mummas out there who have travelled this road before us, to hear how you got by and the little things you did to stretch your dollars further!
Much love
Daughter of the King
x
Snugglers for the day huggies at night.cooking from scratch, meal plan, purchase in bulk if possible meat etc, shop for specials and pray for gods guidence for the way you spend.would be intresting to hear what you spend now to what you end up spending.oh and I found shopping fortnightly was not so daunting at first then work your way up to monthly.keep us posted on how you go
ReplyDeleteThanks for the tips! Good one about huggies still at night - i have heard the same thing! We looked into getting our meat in bulk from a place up north, but there was no difference in price to coles, so it didnt really seem viable. We can go to spud shed though to save on fresh fruit and veg.
Deletehey babe do you have an aldi near you? i use those nappies they are so cheap and better than huggies! i also use there wipes...
ReplyDeletewe can share budget recipes! i am back at work part time, but hubby has just totally taken over his business so we are doing it a bit tougher at the moment too, as he always has to pay his workers first and being crappy wet winter there are only so many houses you can build! eeek!
i agree the Lord will always provide for us! i dont think that means money will just show up lol but i believe he will bless us with good health, a smart mind and plenty of work opportunities :)
our house has a fair bit of work still needed on it but that has just fallen to the side now! and i couldnt care less :) i think its a true blessing to be able to stay home with your baby ( i am only working 12 hours a week) and def worth the sacrifices!!
xxx deb
Heya! We dont have an Aldi at all in Perth (that i know of). Is it like a huge discount store? Definitely happy to share recipes...very basic here at the moment though! Back to the good old sausage and mash, spaghetti bolognaise, beans on toast, fish and salad etc etc :D
DeleteI totally know what you mean about God not necessarily dropping money from heaven...we have to be wise with how we spend and earn, but great to have him there for some guidance hey :)
It is such a blessing to be able to stay home with Delilah, unfortunately returning to work isnt really an option at this point in time but will see what happens in the future!
x