With the new year fast approaching, and Christmas on our doorstep now is a great time to try and get all your finances in order. With the kids just starting school, I can’t manage everything in my head like I normally do, so I’ve been […]
I love cooking healthy meals, but just don’t have the time while working, so I’m making it my September resolution (it’s the start of a new term, so it totally counts) to try really hard to cook, and not turn to chicken nuggets and chips […]
The sun may still be shining, but Christmas is closer than you think! It’s never too late to start saving for the festive period; from just saving pennies to buying presents in advance. Here are our top 7 tips to have you spread the cost […]
Anytime after September, I switch into a hermit and stay indoors. I’d stay in all day if I could, but, annoyingly, my kids aren’t. I found out very quickly that when we’re out the house the kids are better behaved, even if it’s for just […]
December can be an expensive time of year with many of us looking for ways to cut back. This got us thinking about ways we could give back, yet still, have fun as a family. Recently, all us UK Money Bloggers got together and decided […]
Saving money doesn’t mean being boring – the cash you save can help pay for treats and fun days out with the family. Spending less and putting more into your savings may not come naturally, but there are so many different ways to save, some, […]
I’m the first to admit that when it comes to feeding the family, it’s hard work. It doesn’t matter how many kids you have, buying the food, making dinner and getting everyone to eat the same meal is a full-time job. Keeping to a strict […]
Today we are going to clean your stainless steel kitchen sink using only what you have in your kitchen cupboards, without cutting any of your cleaning power. Impossible? No way! How often should you clean your sink? The rule of thumb is: • Quick rinse/sanitisation […]
I love cake, especially when it’s easy to cook and cheap to make. Last weeks caramel Bake Off episode inspired me to find out if I could make my very own caramel cake. Not just any caramel cake I’d like to add, but a big […]
With winter right around the corner, this is a prime time to get outside and enjoy all the free activities in your local area. Recently, my family and I had our very first no-spend weekend and to be honest; it wasn’t that hard at all. […]
Just like when you decide to start a family, committing to saving money comes with its own drawbacks. Sometimes it’s not about making more money and working harder, but about saving the money you already have. The hard part is where to start and finding […]
Unless you’ve been living in a cave somewhere, you would have noticed your grocery bill slowly rising. All the basics have been hit, leaving us shoppers sandwiched anywhere between high prices and fewer wages. We’ve all been feeling the pinch, but there are a few […]
With soaring line rental costs and out of contract pricing, many of us are being hit hard with soaring broadband bills. Research has found that when our contract ends, 15 million of us in the UK are unintentionally paying an average of £113 a year […]
I get asked all the time if I work. Well, yes I do, but I also look after my children twenty-four seven as a stay at home mum.
Most people call me lucky, and always say they wish they could afford to stay at home full time, and while I do have a part time income, it no way covers all the costs that come with having a family.
For the majority mums, becoming a stay at home is possible, but if you’re asking if you can still live the same lifestyle as you did on two full-time incomes, then the answer is no, of course, you can’t.
I’m one of the lucky people who have extended family to help me look after the kids, but when I didn’t, and my parents and in-laws both worked, we had to find childcare. We worked out that after just paying for petrol to get to work and the cost of two in a nursery, I’d be bringing home just £90 a month. Not really worth it at all.
So while my husband goes out to work every day, I look after the kids and plow away when I can, mostly in the evenings or on the days my amazing mother in law can have the kids.
Living off of one income or one and a tiny bit in our case is not easy by any means. You do have to make a certain amount of lifestyle sacrifices in order to make staying at home work for everyone.
Here are my top seven tips that have helped me for the past 2 years and will hopefully give you some insight into how you could afford it too.
