Many of us desire to stay home with our babies and to be keepers of our home, but we worry that we won’t survive off of one income. Its no secret, the military isn’t a get-rich career, and most service members don’t join for that reason anyway. The fact remains, with a family, one needs money.
First, you need to lay out every bill, monthly payment, and subscription. Total everything up, and decide what you can live without. I like the Every Dollar App for this. I recommend living significantly below your means in the beginning. Just because you can afford it, doesn’t mean you should purchase it.
A HUGE way to live below your means in the military is, if you choose to live in town, (off a military installation) find a modest home, where your rent is less than the service member’s BAH (housing allowance). You can save that extra money, and apply it to utilities, a monthly bill, or put it straight in your savings account.
Another great way to decrease your monthly spending is to make meals from scratch at home. If you’re not a cook, never fear. I could barely scramble eggs when I got married, but found tons of recipes on Pinterest, and gradually became for comfortable in the kitchen. Since the beginning of my marriage, I have made my husband’s breakfast and coffee at home, (no Starbucks), and packed leftovers from the previous night’s dinner, for his lunch.
Next, is your grocery budget. 95% of the foods we eat are made in our kitchen. So we buy LOTS of foods in bulk. If you have a larger family, you may want to consider a bulk store membership like Costco or Sam’s. Bulk buying is often more cost-effective, and your food will last longer in between grocery trips. Another grocery budgeting tip, is to have your groceries delivered. This way, you aren’t tempted inside the store to purchase foods that you don’t actually need. If delivery isn’t an option, just make a list of what you need and stick to it.
If you want to get ahead, and begin saving for the future, you can look into additional income streams. You can sell old items on FB Marketplace, or you can sell your own creations on Etsy. If you have a skill or can provide a service, offer to do it in your community a few times a week, and charge for your services. For info on how I earn an income while still bring home with my kiddos and husband fill out this form
Cutting back on spending and living on one income can seem daunting at first, but its a sacrifice thats SO worth it. When we are available to our families and have the opportunity to be present with our babies, we will be grateful that we took the steps to scale back and make time for the things that matter.
My journey to living a non-toxic lifestyle started when my son was born. He had really sensitive skin, and the baby wash and lotions we had used for our girls, gave him hives! The pediatrician said to look for fragrance-free baby products, and that got me thinking, “why would fragrance cause hives??”. So I did some research and learned that the word fragrance is a trade secret code for hundreds of toxic chemicals that companies don’t have to disclose. What was I using on my babies??
Potential Side Effects
I was sad that my new born baby had been exposed to something toxic, but once I realized the potential side effects of this stuff over time, I was grateful to learn before it was too late. The Environmental Working Group website has great info about the harm certain ingredients can do to the body over time. Minor issues like allergies, headaches and eczema all the way to respiratory, hormonal and reproductive issues and cancer can all stem from extended periods of exposure to chemical toxins.
Researching Alternatives
Now that my favorite “baby scented” lotions, soaps, and detergents were out of the question, I had to find what was safe to use instead. I tossed out our chemical cleaners, scented candles, lotions and soaps, and opted for natural alternatives like this and this I started using vinegar, baking soda and water to clean our house. If I wanted to make the house smell good, I simmered a pot of water on the stove and added orange peels and cinnamon sticks.I found free and clear versions of my favorite detergent, but some of the ingredients still concerned me.
The Final Straw
In the year 2020 I developed an intense case of eczema on my hands. This is when I decided to really buckle down and find a place or a company that was trustworthy and committed to high standards for non-toxic products. I spoke with friends, and read testimony after testimony until I was convinced. The following year, I purchased a starter kit from Young Living and never looked back.
One Year Later
One year after diving in with Young Living, I have tossed all chemical cleaners, perfumes and cologne, dish, laundry and hand soap, scented candles, toxic makeup, body wash, (and the list goes on!) and replaced them with essential oils, and non-toxic plant based alternatives. My son’s skin and my skin are healthy as ever, and I feel great knowing that I’m in charge of what my family is exposed to, and its the best that nature has to offer.
Sometimes while doing housework, particularly something I don’t enjoy, I will whisper to myself “make them never want to leave”. Them, of course, refers to my family. This sudden reminder causes me to work a bit more diligently and pay a bit more attention m to the details of my task. Suddenly, a switch in my mind is flipped, and I’m back to focusing on serving and loving my family instead of how much I don’t enjoy dusting.
When a man has been at work all day, surrounded by people who don’t love him, don’t respect him, and maybe who aren’t even kind to him, he wants to come home to peace.
When children have been at school all day, being challenged by their teachers and surrounded by their rowdy friends, they need to come home to love.
What better way to cultivate an environment of both peace and love, than appealing to their senses as soon as they walk in. Appeal to their sight: the home should be tidy and free of clutter. Make it cozy with pillows, throw blankets, soft rugs and soft lighting. A fire during the colder months certainly doesn’t hurt either.
Appeal to their smell: have a pleasant but light scent in the air. I love diffusing essential oils in my home. Light scents, like lavender or citrus fresh are perfect for the afternoon.
Bonus: have fresh baked cookies or bread in the kitchen. Nothing says welcome home, like the smell of something yummy coming from the kitchen.
Appeal to their hearing: no more vacuuming if you can help it, and have the laundry done for the day. Speak in a kind, loving tone. These are the people you love most, after all.
Appeal to their sense of taste. I always have a snack ready for my kiddos when they get home from school. If its hot outside, I like to cut fresh fruit and serve lemonade, during the colder months they sometimes get hot chocolate or pumpkin bread. My husband’s dinner is always waiting in the microwave, since he gets home hours after dinner time.
If we, as homemakers, remember to focus our hearts on the people we love most, it will reflect in how our homes feel. The simple tasks we complete everyday will be much more meaningful, and our husbands and children will never want to leave.
If you like this concept, I’ve turned it into a challenge in my Facebook group. Fill out the form, so I can get you in!
Sometimes as moms, we get caught up in the monotony of the day-to-day. Keeping up with the routine, scheduling appointments, drop off, pick up, cooking, cleaning-it can all start blending together. This post is just a reminder to create a few memories along the way.
My kids and I like to do movie nights, since my husband works late most nights. I’ll pop a bowl of popcorn, or make s’mores and one of the kids will choose a movie. It’s not a big production, just something we get to enjoy together and something I hope they’ll remember when they’re older.
I’m no Pinterest mom, but I’ve always enjoyed adding special touches to each holiday for my kiddos. We go all out decorating the house for Christmas and birthdays, of course, but I like to do a little something for the smaller holidays as well.
For Valentine’s Day, I dyed their pancakes pink and cut their eggs out in heart shapes for breakfast. They wore pink and red to school, and came home to homemade sugar cookies with pink icing and strawberry milk.
For St. Patrick’s Day, they will probably have green eggs a la Dr. Seuss for breakfast and wear adorable shirts to school like this and this. I sometimes will give them small treats in their lunch-maybe chocolate coins to resemble “pots of gold”.
I like to hide eggs around the house, stuff wicker baskets and make “bunny shaped” food around Easter.
Easter baskets for the kiddos
Enjoy it While You Can
The truth is, we only have a few short years while our children are young, that. they will enjoy silly traditions and little extras that we do for them, so I feel it’s our job to make sure we create as many memories as possible while we can.
What small things are you doing to create memories for your kiddos?
Insights, Tips, and Support For Your Military Journey
Explore a wealth of resources and articles on Aseabsa’s PlaceBlog, to guide you through every aspect of military spouse life. From PCS’ing to How to communicate with your deployed service member, we’ve got you covered.
My BlogExplore a wealth of resources and articles on Aseabsa's PlaceBlog, to guide you through every aspect of military spouse life. From PCS'ing to How to communicate with your deployed service member, we've got you covered.Join My Email List To stay up to date on...
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My BlogExplore a wealth of resources and articles on Aseabsa's PlaceBlog, to guide you through every aspect of military spouse life. From PCS'ing to How to communicate with your deployed service member, we've got you covered.Join My Email List To stay up to date on...
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I'm a wife, crunchy mom of 5, Jesus lover, and homemaker. Join me on this wild journey of moving every 3 years to unpredictable locations as the wife of a US Marine.
