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One Family, One Income

Making It Work Today

By Sharon Waldrop

Other frugal moves include conserving laundry supplies. "I cut my dryer sheets into four pieces," she says. "I can then adjust the amount for the type of load."

Debbie Taylor does comparison shopping and uses coupons and rebates to save money. "I keep my rebates in a separate savings account, and it's surprising how quickly it adds up," she says. "Two years ago it paid for the airplane fare and spending money for my daughter and I to go visit my sister and her family in Wyoming."

The Ravenna, Ohio resident also reduced her family's electric bill with the assistance of a load meter, which provides a lower bill if the electric load for the month is low. "We do all the usual things to save money: pay our bills on time, never carry a balance on our credit cards, etc.," Taylor says.

"We were a dual-income family until seven weeks after our daughter was born," says Margaret Gibbs of Massachusetts. "That's when I went back to the office, and my husband stopped selling real estate. We thought it important to have a parent raise our children, rather than to rely heavily on outside care such as daycare."

Since her job paid well and provided good benefits, it was easy to decide that Gibbs' husband would be the one to leave his job. She and her husband also have found that being frugal before having children helped. Her family, which now includes two sons born after her daughter, eats less meat and goes out to eat only once a month. Using hand-me-down clothes and those purchased at next-to-new stores keeps clothing costs at a minimum. "Libraries are good for trying out books," Gibbs adds.

"There are so many baby items which really are not necessary," Gibbs says. "The only things you absolutely need are clothing – which can be hand-me-downs – a place for the baby to sleep and a car seat." She suggests that mothers able to breastfeed consider the savings it provides. "Mothers who work away from the home, like myself, can rent a hospital-grade pump or buy a good breast pump and use bottles and still save money over the cost of formula."

Want to see more?

• Making Change Work: Husbands and Wives in Stay-At-Home-Dad Families
• Seven Savvy Ways to Ease the Life of Your Stay-at-Home Wife
• Telecommuting Transition
• The Dads' Place

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