Being a Stay-at-home mom (SAHM) in 2022 during record high inflation with two kids is no easy feat. With a blog name of “Mind Over Motherhood”, I am from the belief that if you put your mind to something and focus in on it, you can make your goal a reality. Feeding/clothing/diapering two kids, saving for retirement and our kids’ education, while also funding my dog’s awesome lifestyle on a 1 income household can certainly add up.
Managing a family budget and making our dollars stretch is of upmost importance to my husband and I. Having the option to stay home with my kids is a luxury, although, admittedly with a nap refusing toddler and teething baby, some days don’t always seem luxurious. No matter how frustrating some days may be, it is always worth it to me to be able to spend time with my children.
We make sacrifices in order for me to stay home full time. No cable tv and driving a 10-year-old sedan are just a few examples. The sacrifices are small in comparison though, and we live a nice life making memories while finding ways to make our dollars stretch.
Here are a few strategies and tools that may be helpful to you as we navigate this period of high inflation.
- Importance of a budget: While living on a 1 income household, it is absolutely imperative that you know what money is coming in and what is going out. For us, knowing what comes in is relatively straightforward. My husband is a salaried employee. We take his income with our savings goals in mind and figure out our budget. I do not view a budget as restrictive—I see it as an opportunity to spend within parameters that we both agree on, while meeting our long-term goals. A budget doesn’t have to be fancy and there are many different kinds. It can be old school on paper, it can be in excel or google sheets, on an app, or my favorite tool- Mint. Very important to note that, your budget should not live in your head. I have tried “keeping a budget in my head”, and let me tell you, it failed miserably. People, by human nature, vastly underestimate their spending every month. Don’t believe me? Add up everything you spent last month! It’s an eye-opening experience.
- Being on same page as spouse/SO: My husband and I are very “in-tune” with our spending. Our goals for our future and our children’s futures are aligned and we work together to make it happen. We trust each other to spend within our parameters and to live within our means.
- Track expenses frequently: It’s important to track expenses often, don’t become obsessive, but don’t “set it and forget it” either. I track my expenses every few days and I can “reel” in my spending or cook more instead of eating out if I notice things are getting off the rails.
- Follow saving websites: In world of information at our fingertips, it can be extremely overwhelming to figure out which deals are best, how to get a good deal, what’s on sale and where, who has the best prices, etc. I follow a few savings websites and bookmark them or keep tabs open on my phone and refresh daily: Hip2Save Deals, 75% Off Coupons, & Product Reviews l Name Brands at Hot Prices is a favorite, Doctor Of Credit – Bank Account & Credit Card Bonuses is a great resource for those who want to maximize credit card perks and rewards, and Slickdeals is also helpful to find deals.
- Maximize credit card and rewards: My husband and I do not believe in accruing debt for consumer items and thankfully, we are able to intentionally live within our means and have a nice life too. We use credit cards to our advantage. I’ll write about this in more detail at a later time, so please subscribe to stay updated, but we have a very large portfolio cards with various benefits. We check our individual credit card sites for special cash back offers, use certain cards for certain categories of purchases, etc. to maximize our rewards.
- Free community events: My kids and I attend all kinds of free community events. We go to Storytime at libraries, county wide “touch a truck events”, festivals, parades, etc. There is always something going on in our community, we follow our city and parks & recreation departments on social media to keep up with events.
With intentionality, tracking expenses, and living within your means, you too, can join me in making your dollars stretch! Subscribe for future tips 
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