5 Tips to Success as a Stay at Home Mom

Jenny/ July 12, 2019/ Thrifty Homeschool Mama Tips & Tricks

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So, you want to be a stay at home mom and you’re wondering how to go about doing it? First off, that’s great! Wonderful idea! Now, how do you make it work?

5 Steps to being successful as a stay at home mom…

1. Get comfortable!  And I mean, really comfortable and content. Unless your spouse is bringing in a very large income on his own you’re probably going to be doing without some extravagant, expensive habits you may be currently used to. Like what? Hair cuts and colors once a month; designer coffee and a new car. Learn to do lots of little things for yourself and don’t look at advertising too much. It just makes you want more.  Ask me how I know 🤷

2. Get out of debt. Super big one here but if you’re in debt and quit work the stress is not going to lessen. Get.Out.Of.Debt. I repeat! Sell what you don’t absolutely need. Buy older cars, go down to one vehicle, buy a smaller home. Get drastic!  Being out of debt is a HUGE blessing, it’s also hard to do. (Check out this book from Crystal Paine on Money Saving Mom) But speaking from experience here, it’s also completely possible.  We have never made more than $35,000 a year and have been debt free now for almost 13 years!  Check out my posts on Debt Free on a Dime HERE.

3. Cook at home. To some this is a no-brainer but you’re going to quickly go through your one paycheck if you’re even constantly grabbing from the dollar menu (not to mention your health).  There are loads of amazing menu plans and budget grocery lists out there, but click to read $5 Meals for a Family of 6 & How I Use $5 Meat to Make 3 Meals!  I also have a Grocery Budget series HERE

4. Find hobbies close to home. Cheap hobbies I might stress also. So if shopping is your hobby, give it up…or modify it by shopping at resale shops or yard sales for specific needs.  Instead try getting outdoors and into nature.  Its great for your health and your wallet 🙂  Some great (free or mostly free) activities are hiking, canoeing, fishing and gardening.

5. Make friends who encourage you in this new lifestyle. If all your friends are constantly going on about their newest and fanciest phones, cars and homes you’ll always feel behind and left out. Become friends with someone who gets what you’re doing and why!  This may take some doing.  Honestly, for me its taken a lot of doing to find friends who “get” me but its well worth the effort.

Being a stay at home mom is amazing!

All this being said, staying at home has been one of the biggest blessings for me! Ever! I do not regret it in the slightest. In fact, I thank God and my husband all the time for the fact I get to do it.

So, get out there and do it. But come prepared. It’s a whole nother world!

Want more info on how we got debt free to make it possible for me to be a stay at home mom?  Read my new series on DEBT FREE ON A DIME! PART#1 & PART#2!