31 Days of Thriving on a Low Income

 Everyone has a different opinion on what defines a low income. Some may think an income of $40,000 is  low and others might think $20,000. My own family's definition of low income is $28,000, which is about what we gross annually.

We are family of seven, my husband, myself, a teenage boy, teenage girl, and three girls ages eleven, eight, and six. My husband works full time at a local factory and I work part time at our local YMCA. We also have a small hobby farm that consists of fifteen laying hens, six dairy goats, seven rabbits, several barn cats, and one English Mastiff.

If you google thriving on a low income, there are many tips advising you to stop purchasing Starbucks coffee, cancel your cable, or  pack your lunches. For most families living on a low income we're already doing all of those things. It can be frustrating to hear the same tips over and over. We need practical tips to stretch our already small income. During the next 31 days, I hope to present you with several hints that you can actively do right now to help stretch your money.

Today, I am working on our monthly menu plan and grocery list.  Menu planning is a HUGE way to help your grocery dollars stretch.  My goal is to have 35 meals written down, I like to have extra meals so I know I have food for Saturday or Sunday lunches. Once I have my menu planned, I write down every single thing I will need to prepare those meals.  With my list in hand, I head to the pantry to cross off everything we already have in stock.  I also check the freezer at this point and clean out the refrigerator so I can see what we have left in there.  Be sure to check your baking supplies now as well.

 It's time to write your final copy of your grocery list! I keep several lists, one for Aldi, Kroger, Costco, and Marcs.  Each one is broken down so I know where the cheapest place is to purchase our ingredients. I don't always go to each store every month, it depends on what we're running low on or how high our budget is.

It typically takes me two hours to meal plan and write out our grocery list. I have found when I rush, I forget to write an ingredient down or I don't plan enough meals to cover the entire month.  I have been able to lower our grocery budget to around $300 by consistently following our meal plan and having a detailed list.