have 2 kids and want to be a stay at home mom - help...

jjr

i have 2 kids and have worked since the first one was 8 months old.  I'd love to be a sahm but, not sure if we can hack the costs.  How did you know if you could afford it?  how did you cut back on costs?

winery

My income wasn't high, so it made sense for me to stay home.

We use coupons, shop sales, go to Walmart for the bulk of our groceries.  We still have cable and stuff, but we always call for the best deal. 

Honestly, every little bit helps.  Check on the MM board for ways to save.  They're great!

goodheartedmommy

We own our cars outright. We bought what we could afford with cash, and that was very helpful to not have $600 in car payments per month (or more).  Because we own our cars, our car insurance is cheaper. I think that right there is our biggest help, besides having a pretty low rent. It's not an option for everyone, though. You can always cut cable/internet, which can be an extra $80/month or more. I have a good budget that I follow and always make sure my bills are paid before I do anything else with the money. We were a one- car family for quite some time to help cut costs. It was not easy, but doable.

docmay25

I was the same with not so great income.  My salary would basically pay for the child care.  I have cut out a lot of my stuff.  I don't highlight my hair anymore, space out haircuts, buy clothes on sale.  I buy the kids clothes on sale and have a lot of hand me downs from my sister.  We have had some help from my parents and in-laws when it comes to things we need that are more expensive...in-laws bought dd's big girl bed for her birthday.  We are lucky with that.  Money is tight, but we are able to do it.