Family on a Budget
Insight into How to Raise a Family Without Going Broke -- from a Mom Who Learned it the Hard Way
By: Fiona Applebee
It’s almost impossible (unless you live in the middle of nowhere) to raise kids in our fast culture with nothing. Don’t listen to anyone who tells you that raising kids can be done with no money, they have no idea of the world that we’re living in. You see, it’s not just how we try to raise our kids that burdens parents financially, it’s how other people raise theirs.
Any mom who has ever had to live on a tight budget knows how heartbreaking it is to have to tell their child that a much wanted item can’t be bought because there’s bills to pay. Even worse is the silent understanding of the child who doesn’t ask for something they know your household budget can’t afford, but looks longingly at it every time they see one.
Having said that, it’s more than possible to raise a family without going broke. You’ve just got to learn what corners to cut, and what opportunities to advantage of. There are many kinds of frugal family living ideas that you can use that will let your limited budget stretch as far as it can. You just set your mind on the fact that there’s nothing wrong with having a strict household budget, and that with good planning and organization, you can make a little money go quite a long way.
Take meals for example. It’s all about making nutritious meals these days. If you let your kids eat junk then you’re looked down on. Making good nutritious meals however can be expensive – unless you plan ahead. Find the money to buy a good cookbook that teaches you how to cook for the freezer. If you can’t find the money, ask the library to order you one, or alternatively get yourself and your family online and search for batch cooking recipes. Print the ones you like. Wait for a day that hamburger’s cheap at the grocery store and buy a few pounds of it. Use your recipes to make your cheap hamburger into various meals that you can freeze and use as required. Use coupons to cut the cost of essential basics for your kitchen cupboards and household needs. Buy things that are reduced because of short shelf life and freeze them. This is frugal family living at its best!
Clothing, especially for older kids, is difficult usually because this is a peer pressure thing. If they don’t have the right jeans, the right shoes, the right bag, they don’t fit in. No parent wants to be the cause of their child not fitting in. However, if you’re trying to raise your family without going broke there needs to be some negotiation. Work out your household budget and come to a monthly amount you can contribute towards clothes. Come to an agreement with your child that you will either provide clothes, or $xx. That way they have the choice of wearing what you buy them, or being in control of their own wardrobe which means they either keep to budget, or they find some way to increase it. With younger children, ask around your social network if anyone’s interested in a clothing swap. Many mothers on a limited budget will be happy to take part in something like this because children often grow out of things before they’ve been worn more than once or twice. If no scheme exists in your area, talk to your daycare center or church and see if anyone is interested in starting one. Or start your own.
Raising a family on a budget is hard work but it’s not impossible. Remember however that the stress of making sure everyone’s got what they need, and perhaps some of what they want is tiring. Try to negotiate with a neighbor that one afternoon a week you’ll have their kids for a couple of hours, and another afternoon they have yours. That way two moms doing the next to impossible on a restricted household budget get something they need probably more than anything else, time to themselves!
