Here at The Penny Hoarder, we do our best to both inform and inspire our readers.
But oftentimes, its you who inspire us.
We sacrifice a lot, but yet we never feel poor.
We are not lucky.
And I believe most families can as well, but choose not to.
Intrigued and impressed, we had to know more.
So we asked her to share her story.
Melissas situation wont apply to everyone.
Probably not as good as youd like.
It always seems like an uphill battle to build (and keep) a decent amount in savings.
But what if your car breaks down, or you have a sudden medical bill?
Ask one of these companies to help…
Take it away, Melissa!
Thanks so much for chatting with us.
To start, can you walk us through your financial history up until now?
Several years ago in Tucson, we bought a house off Auction.com for $53,000.
It was an absolute miracle.
Did you know?
Can you break down your budget in detail?
Cole works full time as a delivery driver and chimney sweep.
How will things change when you move?
We wont be able to save very much then besides our tax refund but were OK with that.
Even after moving to our property, well keep $7,000 in savings as an emergency fund.
How do you track your spending?
How has it made a difference?
I record every single purchase; every penny is accounted for.
I just use an Excel spreadsheet and keep receipts for the month.
Every day, I take 30 seconds and throw in in what we spent that day.
Super easy, and eye-opening at the end of the month to see what we spent money on.
Each month, I make a new tab in the spreadsheet to keep track of that months expenses.
I then gray out that column and move on to the next month!
If I scroll to the left, youd see all the previous months.
Can you share some of your budgeting tips and strategies?
I alsosell stuff on Craigslistand look forrestaurant couponsbefore date nights.
Get Cash Back
I use ourcash-back credit cardfor almost all purchases.
I never keep a balance on it I just use it for the cash back.
Ipay it off immediatelyafter spending the money.
Again, its not much, but this one earns about $50 every three months.
Cook at Home
I think this is one of the biggest savings.
We buy our meat fromGoDirect Foods, which has super cheap and high-quality meats.
I give more away as gifts than I actually sell, but its still fun for me.
Those are awesome tips!
How do you maintain such a frugal perspective?
It was absolutely dreadful work for him.
You said you never feel poor.
How do you enrich your life on a limited budget?
Really, I think it comes down to simply living within your means.
Analyzing what your family actually NEEDS versus WANTS, and shifting your perspective accordingly.
If I felt like Ineededa huge 2,000 square-foot home, then Id always feel discontent in a smaller home.
I think realizing how much you really have causes you to be grateful and content.
Also, Ive found the more generous you are, the more God blesses you.
Our life is very rich, and very full.
Honestly, I would ask, Are you willing to change your lifestyle to stay home?
If so, then you probably can.
If your current lifestyle doesnt work financially for you to stay home, thendownsize.
Sell the houseand buy a cheaper house.
Sell the cars andbuy cheaper cars.
Cut outmonthly billswhere possible.
Trust me, its worth it.
What you gain far outweighs what you sacrifice.
Whats one misconception of stay-at-home parents youd like to clear up?
Not at all true.
Its a hugedecisionevery parentingcouple(because obviously single parents arent in the same boat) makes.
Whichever way they choose tolive off one incomeor two theyre indeed CHOOSING it.
Its not a decision theyre forced into, one way or another.
Are you happy with your decision to stay home?
Do you have any regrets?
I wouldnt change anything.
I really dont feel like weve sacrificed anything at least not anything we really cared about.
Susan Shain, senior writer for The Penny Hoarder, is always seeking adventure on a budget.
Visit her blog at susanshain.com, or say hi on Twitter @susan_shain.
(Can you sense my millennial sarcasm there?)
You know which ones were talking about: rent, utilities, cell phone bill, insurance, groceries…
