How we Make it Work on One Income: Becoming a Stay-at-Home Mom

When we started growing our family, our original plan was to have me go back to work part-time but once I started maternity leave, I realized I just couldn't go back... breastfeeding was a HUGE challenge for me in the beginning and I didn't want to jeopardize it. We also quickly realized it wouldn't be as practical as we first thought for my husband to shift his schedule around to watch the baby. Daycare did not make sense financially for us and we had personal reservations of letting someone else raise our baby all day. So after a lot of discussion we made the tough decision to have me stay home full time, which was a definitely a wake up call. | This post contains affiliate links |

How we Make it Work on a Single Income

Now I certainly wasn't making the big bucks at my job, but suddenly loosing that income and adding a dependent definitely strained our budget - hard. For a little background, my husband is self-employed which means that we essentially have to pay for everything 100% out of pocket ourselves - health insurance, retirement, life insurance, etc. - there is no paid time off or sick days and no "benefit perks" that come with his job. No Christmas bonus to look forward to every year either. We also have a mortgage and are still paying off college loans - over all it becomes a lot of expenses once you add everything up. In order to make this work we had to cut back a lot, but it's worth it to be able to stay home with our little one.

Here's what we did to make it work:

BUDGET

I can’t say how important it is to have a budget and know where all your money is going. By seeing what all your bills are and how much money you have it will help you efficiently allocate your paycheck and plan for the future. {Please read my blog post on Creating and Maintaining a Monthly Budget if you’d like more information on how to create budget as well as download a Free Excel Budgeting Spreadsheet.}

Called Around to Lower Bills

Make a list of all your utilities, car insurance, home owners insurance, phone plan, etc. Call around to each one and ask if there's anything they can do to lower your bill. Often if you've been a customer for a while and your rates haven't been adjusted in a few years, they will be able to give you a bit of a discount.

If they can't give you a discount on what you have, re-evaluate your current plan. There might be something unnecessary in your plan you can drop to save some money on your bill or consider switching to another provider for cheaper service/coverage.

Cut Cable, Limit TV Streaming Services

Cable TV is expensive - SO expensive. Ditch that bill and you can easily save $100+/month. Subscribing to multiple TV streaming services (Netflix, Hulu, HBO Now, Amazon Prime, etc) also adds up fast. We originally subscribed to several services but now just use Amazon Prime since we pay for that subscription anyways for it's shipping perks.

One Vehicle

Having just one car won't work for every family but we decided it was something we could make happen. With my husband working from home already, we really only "needed" a single car for errands and school drop-off... sometimes there are conflicts when we both need to be somewhere different at the same time, but we've learned to plan ahead for these conflicts and carpool or rearrange a schedule to accommodate each other.
By having one car that means just one car payment, one insurance bill, and one set of carseats to purchase.

Save on Health Insurance and Medical Bills

Ha. I'll use the term "save" loosely here. Health insurance and out of pocket medical costs are sooooo expensive these days and sadly there's not much you can do if the plans available to you are limited and you don't qualify for reduced premiums (both of these situations apply to us). But there are some small tips we've found over the years to help save a little on our health-related bills - these include using your credit card rewards to your advantage, shopping around for care, and asking for prompt payment discounts.
{How to Save on Health Insurance and Medical Bills is a separate blog post that goes into more detail on all the ways we save on health bills if you would like to read more.}

No More Date Nights/Takeout

Before kids, we had date nights a lot - going out to eat, to the movies, etc. But all that spending sure adds up fast. Once I became a stay-at-home mom, date nights were limited to special occasions only and takeout nights have become few and far between.

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No More Personal Shopping

What do I mean no more personal shopping? I mean no more shopping for "fun stuff" for ourselves just because we want to. Gone are the days when we could spend all day wandering around the outlets picking up whatever we liked. Now when we buy clothes it's justified: it's because we actually need a new pair of sneakers or because we have a wedding to attend - no more "just because" shopping. These days we do a lot of consignment selling and shopping, especially for baby/kid's clothes - that way we're never really spending, just "trading up" for what we want or need.
We also don't buy books or movies anymore, we borrow them from the library instead.

Saving on Groceries and Meal Planning

The big weekly bill you have the most control over? Your grocery bill. Groceries are expensive but there are lots of tricks to save that can really add up. Meal planning is probably the biggest one - by planning out your meals for the week ahead you'll waste less and use more wisely. You can also clip coupons and use couponing apps to save even more.
{Saving Money on Groceries is a more detailed post on how we save on groceries using these tips and more if you would like to read more on it.}

That Nap Time Hustle

Even though stay-at-home mom is my #1 job these days, finding something for me to do to generate some kind of income from home was important - which is how Birch Landing Home was born! I started this little blog and Etsy Shop as a way to make a little extra money during nap time. Birch Landing Home certainly isn't huge (yet), but it's an enjoyable outlet for me to work towards growing more. If you have any kind of hobby you can make some side money with, definitely go for it! Just make sure to keep good records because you need to declare this income on your taxes.

Pay Yourself Every Month, No Matter What

This is something my Dad instilled on us from the first day we got after-school jobs. Every month put some money in a separate emergency savings account that you don't touch. Ideally you budget this deposit into your monthly expenses so you know you are definitely putting $X-amount-of-dollars away each month. However even if you can't commit to a definite amount every month you still should put something - anything - in that savings account each and every month (my Dad said so, haha).

My Extremely Hardworking Husband

It goes without saying, but all this wouldn't be possible without my extremely hardworking husband of course. He puts in long hours every day and weekends too to make sure everything keeps rolling. There's no way we could make this work without his dedication and resourcefulness.

What we Should Have Done Differently

We made good headway from the beginning cutting expenses but we should have started A LOT sooner. How soon? Well as soon as we started trying to have a baby! In hindsight, we really should have drastically cut all expenses way before we ever got pregnant and put my whole paycheck away into our emergency savings (or at least 60% of it since I was originally planning to go back part time). Then we would have spent all those months really trialling and perfecting the single-income lifestyle to see what was working while creating a substantial safety cushion.

To anyone who is considering going from two incomes to one after baby it definitely can be doable but I would recommend evaluating all your expenses early and saving as much as possible - that way, it will be a lot less scary of a leap into stay-at-home-motherhood. Good luck and enjoy the journey!

Thank you to my friend Michayla for inspiring me to finally write this post!

Please note: These tips relate to what we've learned in our own experience, but please do your own research for the best information regarding your own situation. Use the information in this post at your own discretion and risk.

New Year, New Resolutions to Save Money

New Year means time for new Resolutions. Usually they boil down to a lot of the same things, and a big one for us is always saving more where we can. Every year everything gets more expensive - groceries, gas, clothes, healthcare, etc but our paychecks always seem to stay the same.
I decided to compile some of my best blog posts on saving money and I hope it will help you jumpstart your savings too!

Saving on Groceries

Our 9 Favorite Money Saving Apps

Saving Money on Groceries - Rural Edition

Budgeting

Creating and Maintaining a Monthly Budget

Making it Work on One Income

Saving on Health Insurance & Medical Bills

How to Save on Health Insurance & Medical Bills

Clean House, Make Money

How to Make the Most Money from Consigning - 5 Top Tips

5 Tips to Make the Most Money from Consigning Clothes and Household Items

Save on Special Events

How we Saved THOUSANDS on our Dream Wedding

Easy Ways we Saved THOUSANDS on our Dream Wedding

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How to Save on your Health Insurance and Medical Bills

As a self-employed family, we have to buy our health insurance ourselves out-of-pocket. Premiums and deductibles have been skyrocketing over the last few years and we've been working hard to make the most of our health plan and save where we can but it's still hard. I thought I'd share some of things we've learned buying insurance and paying medical bills ourselves over the years. Most of these tips relate to families buying insurance out-of-pocket, but a lot of tips would also benefit those that get insurance through their employer.
| These tips relate to what we've learned in our own experience - please consult your insurance broker, accountant, etc for the best information regarding your own situation |

How to Save on Health Insurance and Medical Bills

Shop Around for Insurance

If you're buying insurance yourself (not through your employer) these days, you're pretty much limited to only getting insurance through the Healthcare Marketplace as most insurance carriers have gotten rid of their individual plans and rolled them into the Marketplace Exchange.
While shopping for a plan on the Marketplace, you can compare premiums, deductibles, and coverage but make sure you are VERY thorough. At first glance it may seem you have a lot of options, but many times plans are not widely accepted at doctors and hospitals. Once you find a plan you think will work for you, check with both the Marketplace as well as the insurance company directly to make sure the plan is accepted at all your family's doctors, specialists, and area hospitals. The last thing you want to happen is to head to the ER for a broken ankle and find out afterwards that your insurance won't even touch that bill. Depending on your family size and income, you may also qualify for a discount on the cost of your premiums through the Marketplace.

Consider the High Deductible

If your family has no chronic medical issues, is healthy (knock-on-wood), and you're not planning on having a baby or surgery in the coming year it may be advantageous to go for the sky-high deductible. Yes, this could be risky as you never know when something may come up, but if nothing major comes up you can save a lot on your monthly premiums.

Pay Your Monthly Premium on Your Credit Card (if possible)

If you can't purchase your insurance pre-tax through an employer, see about using your credit card to pay for your monthly premiums. Not all insurance carriers will let you pay your premium on your credit card, but if they will let you - do it! Most credit cards have cash back rewards or bonuses for using your card, so you might as well take advantage of it. My credit card offers 1% cash back, so I earn about $55 back on my premiums each year - it's not much but it's better than nothing, and I know there are cards out there that have much better rewards than mine.
*Obviously only pay your premiums on your credit card if you're good about paying that amount off in full every month - you do not want to go into credit card debit over your health insurance premium.

Health Savings Account (HSA)

A Health Savings Account (HSA) is a savings account that's designated for medical expenses only. Ideally you deposit into the account pre-tax and this money can grow and be saved for future medical bills. This is especially useful if you have a high deductible because then you'll have pre-tax money set aside to help pay for anything that may come up. Many HSAs have monthly fees though, so it's important to do your homework and talk with your accountant to see if an HSA is right in your situation.

Take Advantage of Preventive Care

All preventive care (annual exam, most basic blood work and vaccines, many basic screenings) are covered in full under Health Care Reform. Don't be fooled - these aren't really free (you're already paying for them with your high monthly premiums and deductibles), but it's true that you don't have to pay anything more out of pocket for them. Since they're included in your health plan, make sure to keep up-to-date on all your preventive care and stay healthy - this will hopefully keep expensive health issues from possibly surprising you later on.

Know the Membership Perks of Your Health Plan

A lot of health plans have perks that might not come up when you look at your plan details - make sure to search these out and take advantage of them. These perks can be things like discounts at athletic stores or on prescription eye glasses, gym membership or race fee reimbursements, healthy eating incentives, and more. Take note of what's available to you and use them when you can.

Shop Around for Non-Emergent Care

In the event you need a diagnostic test or minor procedure done, shop around for the best price for your insurance. Prices for things like blood work and x-rays can vary wildly among doctor offices, hospitals, etc so it's important to do your homework.

Shop Around for Prescriptions

What you'll pay out-of-pocket on your prescription medications can also vary greatly from pharmacy to pharmacy. If you have a prescription, make sure to call around to your area pharmacies and ask them to run a price check of your medication against your insurance (you'll need to give them your insurance info, and they'll probably have to call you back with the answer). Also, check with your insurance to see if they have a Mail-Away program - typically you send in a written prescription and they will fill your RX for three months at a time at a discount.

Always Check EOBs and Medical Bills Before You Pay

After you see your doctor, you will get an EOB (Explanation of Benefits) in the mail or available to you online. Double check these to make sure your visit and anything that was done was billed appropriately. For example - if you had a problem visit and then a follow-up visit a week later, the follow-up visit should be billed as a lower-level (cheaper) visit as long as nothing new was addressed at the appointment. If you feel as though something was billed incorrectly, call your doctor's office and ask them to review the claim and resubmit if necessary.

Also, sometimes things that should be covered by insurance aren't, often due to human or computer error when the claim is processed - and you may get a bill from your doctor/hospital for it. If you ever have a question on why something wasn't covered or wasn't covered as much as you thought it should have been, it's definitely worth your time to call and question it.

Ask for a Prompt Payment Discount on Medical Bills

Once you get a bill from your doctor or hospital, call and ask if they have a prompt payment or cash discount if the bill is paid in full. Most places will offer you a discount (it varies, but we've seen discounts range from 5-35%) if you pay your bill in full within 30 days. If you can afford to pay the bill now and take advantage of the discount it's definitely worth it!

Payment Plan or Payment Forgiveness for Larger Bills

If you get a bill that you're not able to pay in full or if they do not offer a prompt payment discount, ask to be put on the minimum payment plan. As long as the doctor/hospital does not charge interest, you might as well take your time paying the bill and not put undue stress on yourself.
And as a last resort - if you have an extenuating circumstance and cannot pay your bill or make a payment plan work, many places will work with you to forgive some or all of your bill. Speak with their billing department for more information on this - but be prepared to provide all your personal financial information (assets, personal savings, records, etc) to prove financial/personal hardship.

Great Record Keeping

Finally, keep great records throughout the year - record all premiums you paid out-of-pocket, all copays, medical and dental bills, prescriptions, and all mileage to appointments. At the end of the year your accountant can help you wade through all the information and determine what you will be able to claim as a tax deduction - but the more information you have to give him, the more you will potentially be able to write off so keeping great records is key.

I hope these tips will help you and your family save money on your health insurance and medical bills. If you have any other tips to share, I would love to hear them!

Please note: These tips relate to what we've learned in our own experience, please consult your insurance broker, accountant, etc for the best information regarding your own situation. Use the information in this post at your own discretion and risk.