Natural Living on a Limited Income

About a year ago my husband lost his job. He started his own business. Soon after I found out I was pregnant and stopped working out of the home. With my husband working about 4 days a week and me not working, our budget was tight and our wallets were empty. We needed to simplify for sure! I started researching cloth diapers and fell in love. But that wasn't enough. I was determined to be a stay-at-home mama so we had to make some changes.

Cloth diapers was the first "budget-friendly decision". By not having to by diapers or wipes we save approximately $1000 a year. This may not seem like much, but in the grand scheme of things it really is. Modern cloth diapers are easy, budget-friendly and actually very fun! No chemicals on that sensitive little booty is also a big plus.

The next decision was to exclusively breastfeed. Breastfeeding is VERY healthy for mom and baby. Baby gets all the nutrition she needs, mom's risk for breast cancer drops drastically and it is an easy way to get some much needed sleep. Not to mention you will never need to run to the store at the last minute to get some formula, you will never need to make your baby wait while preparing a bottle and you will save tons of money! This decision was very easy for me. I also enjoy nursing my baby and those bonding moments.

Since I no-longer had to commute to work we decided to become a one car family. This is where things get tough. We are both used to having our freedom, driving wherever we please, when we please. We sold our two cars in preparation of buying one that would work in all aspects of our life. With on car and insurance payment and gas for just one car we have cut down on payments and saved a lot of money. (We have not yet bought a car replacing the other two.)

The one thing we have not and will not give up is healthy food. Yes, we buy generic when we can, but we buy organic often and don't skimp on what we need. Whole foods is easily my favorite grocery. I intend to start a small vegetable garden in our backyard but I am by no means a gardener. It will be interesting to say the least. I do however clip coupons, buy in bulk at our local Costco, and go crazy on sales.

Living on a limited budget isn't so bad. It takes a little sacrifice but isn't that what mother-hood is all about? Pin It Now!