Is large family living affordable?

It puzzles a lot of people when a family of  9 (soon to be 10) is living on a one income!  Yup, you might be wondering how is that possible with prices of gas going sky high, food prices climbing, let a lone all the other expenses that come at you.

I will show you a few tips of how a large family (even some smaller than ours) can live pretty comfortably on a one person income.   Let me first add, we have always been a family to stay out of debt (except for our house payment).  This has helped us tremendously with juggling our ever growing family!  Here is also 10 ways we save money at home  HERE

Here are a few ways that can help any  size family live affordably

1. Learn to be content.   This is a big one for all of us.  Learning to be content with the things we already have really helps us in not spending money on needless things.  “Keeping up the Joneses” is a trap we all can fall in, but learning to appreciate what we already have, helps curve the appetite to keep buying to fill a void.
2. Make a budget.  Doing a budget each year helps to know how much is coming in and what is going out.   It keeps you accountable when shopping and keeping your categories in check.  Here is a FREE budget calculator that is very helpful when planning out your expenses (click HERE)  
3. Buy used as much as possible.   Thrift stores, garage sales, hand-me-downs, Craig’s list, etc.  are great places to find a lot things your kids need, or even household items that you need to replace.  The savings from buying new is usually more than 1/2 the price.
4. Cook at home.  Eating at home as much as possible really saves a ton!  With feeding a big family it’s much more affordable to make your own meals.   There are occasions when eating out is a treat but you can still find deals like “kids eat free” with paying adult etc.  Eating out on a regular basis really adds up and it’s a quick way to throw money out of the window.
5. Find free activities.   If you look around, there are plenty of free activities for families!  From museums, to state parks, beaches, bike rides, concerts in the park, camping outback, movies at the library, etc.  In most cases you can Google “free activities for your state” and find a ton of listings.

Having a bigger family can bring it’s challenges but when it comes to making it  all work and stretching your dollar it can be done!!   Being creative….being content……and  being conservative are three areas that  help make it work!

Learning to enjoy your family, enjoy what has been given to you, and finding creative ways to have fun it what it’s all about it.

Something to keep in mind…your kids don’t need every toy, every game, every new happening in style clothes.   If we train them when they are young to appreciate what they have and learn to be content it cultivates a heart of gratitude.

Making family memories is key when raising any size family.   Have fun and enjoying special times together is priceless!  In most cases don’t cost money at all.

 

 

 

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