Isn't it amazing how couponing changes your perspective?

[MrsPinecone]

I have always been more frugal than most people, but since I have become a couponer, I think that I have really learned to live a different way. I was reading over some of the baby chat boards today, and ran across a thread that really opened my eyes.

The question was "What is the minimum income that you think you need to be stay at home mom?"

The answers just about knocked me out of my chair. Many of them were anywhere from 2 to 5 TIMES what DH and I have lived on very nicely for the past year and a half since I quit my job. These people seriously think that you need to have an income of $80-100K a year OR MORE to have one of the parents stay home with your child.

We are doing very well on one modest income, and neither of us feel deprived. We live in an expensive area of the country, too.

I love to hear people's opinions on how couponing changes things!

[esperanza]

Yeah, we live on one income and it's not 80-100K, that's for sure LOL

Couponing has opened me up to new brands. And b/c I'm saving on the staples, I can afford to splurge on more luxury food items. In the end I'm still saving as compared to grabbing take out several times a week.

It's also caused me to look at other area's of our lifestyle where may be able to save money.

[BzyBee]

I started a thread a little while back on HCW when this epiphany hit me as well!

Median national household income is $43,000 (family of 4).
The median grocery expenditures for this family of 4 is $132/week, or $7,000.
Child care expenses national median for 2 kids = $8,000 / year.

Therefore, for a median household income, if one is making less than $15,000 net income (gross = $18,300), it is easily financially better to be a stay-at-home-spouse. There are other additions that can make this higher $, but if a spouse's income is less than $15k for a typical Dual-Income family, that spouse would be better off being a stay-at-home-spouse.

In this analogy, $43000-15000 = $28000 for MEDIAN. 50% have more income, 50% make do with less!!

($80k - $100k is around 75-90 percentile of income).

THIS IS FROM BZYBEE DH

[luvmy3boys]

Ever since I got married I always watched where we spent money. I can't believe it took me so long to get into couponing. I actually thought we were doing good shopping at ALDI! Now I know better and my couponing has actually changed dh's shopping dramatically. DH used to like to spend money on clothes (that were not necessary), but now he constantly is saying that is too expensive. I am so happy! We are very blessed that we do not have to go clothes shopping for the boys since we get all the clothes from family. We do live on my income (dh stays at home and goes to school at night - but I am home now until January so it is nice). I do have a high income, but we save half of my take home pay. If we didn't live like we do, I am sure that we would only save a quarter of what we save now.
My dad has four kids in the house and my step-mom spends like crazy. They spend 200-300 a week at wm on groceries! I have no idea what they are buying. They keep wanting me to show them the ropes, I do and then they say they can't do it! She even stays at home! Oh well, I guess its not for everyone!

[scrava]

maybe you guys would like to share some more of the "bigger" things you do to save $ then. Because, we make a lot and I would love to be a sahm, but, we live where it is expensive. I think we would be homeless if i quit my job (seriuosly). We have no cc debt, 1 car payment and no kids yet.

[esperanza]

Complete hijack ahead:

"Child care expenses national median for 2 kids = $8,000 / year."

Oh my, I was paying 13 thousand a year for one child 'til I did the math.

maybe you guys would like to share some more of the "bigger" things you do to save $ then. Because, we make a lot and I would love to be a sahm, but, we live where it is expensive. I think we would be homeless if i quit my job (seriuosly). We have no cc debt, 1 car payment and no kids yet.

We didn't have to move but some people downsize their homes in order for one parent to SAH. Some people downsize their vehicles (it is a thorn in my side that DH's car manual recommends premium). We kept our heat below 62 degree's during the winter, bumped it up when company came over. Only used the air conditioning to sleep this summer. I got a prepaid cell phone, DH has the lowest plan we could find. Basic cable, no movie channels, no digital. Basic phone service, and that's just so I can keep my DSL. DSL is $15 a month. No restaurants, we eat at home but get carryout once a week. We buy clothes at Target, Marshalls, Sam's Club. Our nicer clothes come from gift cards that we get for birthdays/Christmas. Haircuts at the Hair Cuttery, I cut DH's with clippers. DH takes lunches to work most days. Never bought into the brand name baby stuff. Dr said Sam's club house brand formula was the same as name brand so that's what we used, Sam's club house brand diapers. We bought our last car at auction and plan on getting subsequent ones there as well. DH takes on side jobs (construction). We do everything on our home ourselves.

Every single one of those things adds up to big savings over time. But we don't deprive ourselves of things that are important to us. DH wanted a certain car and found a way to get it. It certainly wasn't by going to a dealer and paying full price. Coupons are the newest money saving thing for me.

I can guarantee you that you would never meet us and think we look cheap or guess that we are as frugal as we are. Most people think we are much wealthier than we are (yes I am vain in that respect, I am proud of my ability to save money but I don't want people thinking I look or act cheap)

[jonnysmomma]

we survive on 30000 a year, and my hubby pays child support. Now that I have started couponing seriously, I wonder how I ever made it before....now our money just goes that much farther :D

[agilmer2002]

I can guarantee you that you would never meet us and think we look cheap or guess that we are as frugal as we are. Most people think we are much wealthier than we are (yes I am vain in that respect, I am proud of my ability to save money but I don't want people thinking I look or act cheap)

We live in an upscale neighborhood and dh (and I when I was working) makes an extremely good income.

My one neighbor makes fun of me (in a joking way) about my coupon addiction but I pointed out to her that she always takes my free stuff! I think that everyone felt funny about taking my leftovers until I convinced them that I really do have lots of fun doing this! It's the best game in the world- like gambling but you always win!

[BamaLady]

There was a time when I made a LOT of money, but was stupid and never saved any of it. Just spend, spend, spend. Thank goodness, I did buy a house and have it payroll deducted each payday. The car, too. Otherwise, I'd be on the street. Money goes through my hands like water through a sieve. I can't hang on to it like others can.

I went through a financial trainwreck a few years ago, bankruptcy and the whole bit. That's when I walked out, took early retirement, and now stay at home.

Now, I have a retirement pension check that makes the house payment and the utilities, and that's all it can cover, since its not a biggie.

I have a small, part time job cleaning offices at night, three nights a week. It only pays $100 a week. That is my grocery money, so you see why I am frantic to get coupons.

Before I got this little job, I was cleaning houses, but that didn't last. There I was, summer before last, in a fix. No work, no money coming in, no food, no anything. Begging and borrowing from family until I could get going again. Nothing like being down, buddy, waaaay down.

The telephone went. Then, the satellite TV. There is no insurance on anything I own. No medical. The money is not there to pay for it, so I don't have it.

There have been times when I'd go into Walmart with exactly $50. to buy groceries for the cats and me for two weeks. Don't forget to count in the sales tax when you're totaling it up. (9 per cent here) If I had a few coupons, it would mean I could buy a dab extra.

I got so tired of eating cheap food, and having to ration out the cats food. There was one time that I ran completely out and had nothing at all to give them for a couple of days. If you can realize what torment it would be to not have food for your child, that's how I felt not having something for them.

I counted out one dollar in pennies to go get the cheapest thing I could find, and no one would take the pennies. I cried. My babies were hungry and I couldn't get anyone to take 100 lousy pennies for a can of cat food. Finally, the nice lady at Fred's took them without a word, and I have been a steady customer of Fred's ever since.

Now, like Scarlett O'Hara in the scene from Gone With The Wind, I have sworn that I will never, never go hungry again, or not have food in the house. Especially for the cats.

I buy up extra with each little dab of $$ I can squeeze out. We have food now, and they are fat and sassy. So am I.

My car is a 94 model, and is now officially a junker. Suits me, since it looks so cruddy no one will consider messing with it. Runs like a top, though, and that's the important part.

Luckily, everything I have I bought when I was working and making big money, so I have all the usual stuff and its mine. The house will be paid for in March, and then that house payment money will be all mine, to start spending on fixing a lot that I've had to let go.

In summary, you can pare the necessities of life down way farther than you think, and do without a lot more than you realize. You have exactly what you have the money to pay for, in cash, and that's it. Don't complain, don't whine, and just grit your teeth and hang on until things get better.

Then, when better times do come along, build yourself a backstop so you'll not e caught without again.

[cutenirish]

I'd say couponing has become a FUN game for me! It's my hobby but also a necessity in our home. I wish I knew then what i know now!! We'd have about 60k (credit card debt/camper/4 wheeler/truck we shouldn't have gotten). I put on the brakes in Aug 2004! I had no choice we were both working our tails off and still could just just pay the bill's we racked up over afew years. Yes we did it to ourselves and it will NEVER happen again! We've got about 30k left to pay off (includes the refin on the house back in Dec and the 7500 on a credit card).

I pay cash for everything now and have used the credit card six or so times in 2 years I can count what it was on). I've always been a "find the best price shopper" but now it's like i won't pay 10 dollars for jeans at target/walmart! I'll go to old navy when they are on clearance and get the for $4 instead :)

We are now a "one income" household I'm colleting unemployment at the moment but that will run out in Jan :( hoping to have a job by then but we'll see what comes up.

Things get tough you make it work. We don't eat out but once a month and that is from our spending money for the week.

We do have cable and high speed internet that is our vice!!!

Coupons are the best thing that has happened to this house in a long time!