Two Kids, A Dog, and a Teacher’s Salary
It was October, in the year 1999, and I had my first trimester of pregnancy under my belt. I had worked three part time jobs, while the hubby was in school, and now he was making the big bucks, as a teacher. I no longer HAD to work and put in my notice, at Costco, to become a stay at home mom! We felt like we were rolling in the dough and had more than enough. Living on one income seemed to be a breeze!
Fast forward 15 years and I’m still a stay at home mom. Steve taught for 12 years before he became an administrator, four years ago. I’m amused that, even though we are now in the six figure mark, the money struggles are real. How in the world did we ever do it on a teacher’s salary?
How We Thrived On A Teacher’s Salary
No Car Payments
That’s the kicker, right there. Steve purchased a new truck when he started working. It was the big well-deserved splurge. We had a huge down payment and paid it off within a year. My car was paid for. Car payments make a huge dent in your income.
Limited Vacations
Our vacations were few and far between. We took a road trip out to see Steve’s family but, other than that, we just didn’t go anywhere. In 2012, we took an awesome 21 day road trip, in celebration of Steve’s new job. Since then, we have had lots of daycations.
Rarely Ate Out
It’s just something we didn’t do often because it didn’t fit in the budget and I’m a vegetarian so eating out wasn’t too exciting anyway.
Lived Within Our Means
We didn’t spend more than we earned. Period.
Volunteered
Need something to do? Volunteer! I have always volunteered at church and the kids’ schools. I’m slowing down, in this department, but it was a lot of fun and kept my mind working.
DIYed
We did everything we could, ourselves. No hiring out the yard work or moss removal or cleaning the house. After Steve’s big job change, we hired a lawn service but have since decided to mow our own lawn. After having our front hill landscaped, it is now much easier to mow.
Didn’t Hire Babysitters
Babysitters get paid a lot! Grandma and Grandpa made excellent sitters, when needed.
Used Hand Me Downs
We’ve never been big on thrift store shopping or purchasing used items but we were incredibly blessed with hand me downs from my sister’s kids. We rarely had to buy clothing for our kids which was a huge savings.
Sold Stuff We No Longer Used
Those GeoTrax, sitting in your son’s closet, might be worth a lot on eBay! We cleaned out our rooms twice a year and sold the items we no longer wanted on eBay, Craigslist, or at a yearly garage sale.
Lived Small
We lived in a 900 square foot duplex that I had purchased at the age of 21. The rent from the other side, of the duplex, covered most of the mortgage. Sure, the kids shared a room and our friends lived in nicer houses but it was perfect for us! When we were ready to move, we had a ton of equity built up in the duplex.
Living on one income was tough. I’m not gonna lie. Being a single income family takes hard work and sacrifice but it is so worth it! The cost of daycare would have significantly eaten into any paycheck I would have brought home and guess what? We survived! Living on a single income was possible with two kids, a dog, and a teacher’s salary!
You’ve pretty much said it all! We’re a cat, dog, teenager and a teacher’s salary. Debt free except for a mortgage keeps us able to have breathing room, and it has taught us to constantly assess our values and not give into instant gratification. We continually remind ourselves that while we don’t have or do nearly what our friends and family do/have – we are blessed beyond measure and compared to much of the world’s population, we live a life of extreme wealth.
I love it Karen! We are truly blessed beyond measure.
We don’t have children but some of my colleagues do and when I found out how much they pay for childcare, it amazes me that anyone can afford to go back to work after children!
I hear ya! I guess it pays off in the long run or if you have family willing to help out. It just wasn’t worth it for us.
Yes, I do recognize that street–San Francisco, world’s curviest street! 🙂
Great tips, Jayleen, many of which we follow as well. To further save, we’ve pretty much given up on Amazon.com. It’s too addictive and the purchases really add up. We’re not impulse buyers anymore. The key for us is to just look around and be thankful for what we have instead of always wanting “more, more, more!”
You’re right Joy! Have you been there?! Such a cool street!
Aha! Amazon! I’ve ordered a few things from them but I can see how addicting it could get, especially if you joined for free shipping. You sound very content!
Yes, I hiked that street years ago with my sister. San Francisco is great for getting the legs in shape, with all of those crazy-steep hills!
For sure! Can’t say I walked Lombard but we did drive it three times!
Great tips here, Jayleen, and we did/do most all of these. I would gladly do them all again to be able to be at home with the kids – SO worth the “sacrifices”. 🙂
I completely agree Laurie! I wouldn’t change a thing!
I worked outside of the home when our kids were little. I’m pretty sure daycare took half of my paycheck for a few years! Now I work at home and my youngest goes to daycare while my oldest is in school. I make a lot more now so daycare doesn’t hurt quite as bad!
It’s amazing how much daycare costs. It sounds like you have a great situation now! I still drive the family ‘school bus’ but the kids are getting easier and easier. Almost so easy that I might need to get a real job;0) Lol!
Great list! I make a (very) part time income from my freelance work that I do from home, but I would consider myself a full time stay-at-home Momma, and I love every minute of it! These years are so precious that it’s worth the sacrifices to make it happen.
Although it doesn’t seem like we aren’t much worse off financially than when I was working full time in an office a few years ago and making a pretty good salary. I think we’ve just gotten much better at living within our means and making splurges the exception instead of the norm 🙂
I like that, ‘making splurges the exception instead of the norm’, that would be an excellent one to add to the list! Isn’t it amazing how making more doesn’t necessarily mean an easier life?!
Being home with my son all the time was worth it. And when he was in school, I was available at a moment’s notice if need be. I always knew that if I hadn’t done it, I would have always regretted it. Great story Jayleen! Love that pooch! He’s got attitude. 🙂
Haha! He does have attitude;0) I would have regretted not staying home too. I do know there are moms who thrive on work though and staying home would never work for them. We all have to find what works perfect for our family!
i hear ya! Being able to choose is a luxury we sometimes take for granted..
Great list. I’m a new SAHM while my parochial school teacher husband works so I can stay home. We give up a lot (monetarily) but it’s worth all the sacrifices. I teach piano lessons and a couple music classes for extra income. I don’t shop much and watch our grocery bills very closely. Good thing I like the challenge of saving money while I grocery shop!
I so agree it is worth the sacrifices! A good challenge is good for the soul;0)
Yeah, I’ve noticed that things only seem marginally easier, even as salary increases.
We’re basically a one-income family because my husband is on disability. So that’s about $8,400 a year. It definitely helps, but it’s not something I’d consider a real income.
The big issues with us is a) health problems and b) an oldish (45 years) house. Repairs have kept us running around like crazy. Plus last year we had to unexpectedly replace our car. That took money out of savings, though as least we avoided a car payment.
But for a few years now we’ve been saving for my husband’s dental implants and new dentures. With all the setbacks, we have a little less than half of what we’ll need. So the next 7 months will be nose-to-the-grindstone/let’s-see-what-we-can-sell. Plus some overtime. Plus pure hope. And, in the end, borrowing a bit from the emergency fund if necessary.
After that, it’ll finally start to feel like we have actual savings, rather than an oral surgery fund that keeps getting pillaged. Maybe that will make me feel safer.
It seems like the more you make, the more you spend. We’ve had our fair share of medical bills this last year and hoping for a healthier year this year! I’ll be rooting for you in the savings department!