How many are one income families?

We are a 1.5 income family - spouse is self-employed. I have the white collar, get paid the same amount once or twice a month (depending on employer) with the all important medical and dental insurance. If I could figure out the medical insurance puzzle, we'd both work a lot less as we have always lived below our means, quite nicely too. Spouse worked late Mar/Apr thru Nov/early Dec then worked on remodeling our last house. He was able to start, clean up, and finish the entire house over an 8 year period. He'd chaperone field trips or help out at school, they always liked having a male chaperone for some of the more rambunctious boys. Our financial life is based on my income alone, his funded his business or we saved his net profit and funded his retirement. The person who said both parents working for things hit the nail on the head. Our kids were never the first at daycare nor the last picked up. Most of the time it was catch the school bus (we lived in a fairly isolated area for waiting). Spouse usually was there shortly after they got dropped off in the afternoon. Both of us could have chased bigger money but stayed put. Younger daughter will spend the last 4 1/2 months of her senior year (high school) in a different house but they both kids were in the same district for all their school years. Grandparents and other family near by which we think is important. Few kids have grandparents, much less see them on a frequent basis. Kids are down to only one great-grandparent but they have been able to enjoy that relationship too.

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Beware of radical christians: http://listverse.com/2015/03/22/10-p...e-for-america/

We are one income. I SAH with the 3 kids. We also homeschool. Frugality is a bit of a problem. We move a lot and dh is used to having everything, but I try to reign in the budget.

We have a lot more money now that I don't work. It would be $12 an hour here for daycare, and I would be lucky to get a $7 an hour job.

I wouldn't change it for the world! But I hope to buy some land and start a small farm to make a little money (I have a book obsession) and maybe start teaching ag classes at night/on the weekend part time at a community college once I finish my degree online.

Well...almost, sort of. We have no children, but my wife nearly a decade ago left a lucrative career to study clinical herbalism for 3 years in Albuquerque, NM (yep, 3 years of absentee marriage). She returned and practices, but her income has been dramatically curtailed in this field. She works 3 days a week and does freelance writing from home the other two weekdays. She has helped so many people who were given up on by modern medicine. So we live on my income.

I think her profession must rank as the second oldest in human experience, so I try to focus on the hundreds who are well now because of her, and not on the fact that they by and large are unwilling to value that and pay her what she needs to make the business lucrative. She is good at what she does, but is not a huckster or a snake oil salesperson, and so she won't push stuff on folks just to boost her own income. I wish I could speak that well of some others in the field.

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Jim Steele
Sweetpea Farms
"To avoid criticism, say nothing, do nothing, be nothing." -- Robert Gates

We started out two income. We are now one income and homeschooling the kids. We wouldn't have it any other way.

What is this idea of one income? We have lived off one income, two incomes and when more of our kids were living at home, we have had up to 5 salaried people in the house.

Most of the time, we have had many different sources of income. Right now, we have pension, investments and farm income, as well as one salaried son contributing to the household. Even when our kids were small and we didn't farm, we had other sources of income, like making toys or soap and selling at craft sales.

1 outside the house income ... and then I market the farm and do the farmer's markets. It's great as my kids go with me to the markets and it gets me out talking to other people. Works for us

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Dana
Chicama Run

We have been a one income couple since November and hope to soon be a no income couple with a sufficient setup just to hang out here.

one income family here. I stopped working right before our first was born. I have held a few odd jobs here and there that I could take the kids with me and now occasionally I work for dh's company fixing their computers. A few hours and there or he brings one home for me to work on. Homeschooling is my full time job.

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Ginnie..
http://ginniequilts.blogspot.com/
You can say what you want about the South,
But you never hear of anyone retiring and moving North.

one income here, when we first got together I was working then we got pregnant and I stopped was way to sick. Had to go back when he was 9 months as DH had hurt his back. Then we both worked for a while till we had second son tried to show DH that it would be better if I stayed home but he still didn't see it. Wasn't until 3rd son came that he saw it and I have been home since. We have had 3 more boys since then, and hope to have more.
It takes a little work but I think we are also blessed in that DH has a really good job now so we make a decent amount of money.

Blessings,
Debi

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Debi
wife to Richard-currently deployed
mama to: Thomas 12, Aric 11, Noah 10, Matthew 7, Jadon 6, early MC, 4.4.05, Caleb 3, Rachel 2, early MC 5.9.09.

We're also a one income family. DH works. I stay home with the kids, homeschool, keep up the house (or try!), take care of the garden, etc.

One income family here too -- DH works and I stay home with our 2 kiddos. I've been home for almost 4 years now and wouldn't have it any other way (most days anyways!). We have to be very careful with our money, but that beats putting the kids in someone elses care for 40 hours a week. Been there, done that.

We bought our land several years ago and are in the early process of building our new home, slowly but surely we're getting there. I can't wait to get chickens & goats and a nice garden. DH wants a donkey... and a manly man shop.

~Ashley

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Wife to a very hardworking man
Mom to 2 wonderful kids
Foster Mom waiting on our next call
1st farm animals are 10 {chicks!}
Hoping soon for a :1pig: ... and more!

Hmm... We're either a zero income family or a dozen income family, depending on how you look at it. We have no off the homestead job. We have a lot of different small things that all bring in little bits that make up the total from selling piglets, pigs, wood, toner, writing to my wife's drawings.

Cheers

-Walter
Sugar Mountain Farm
in the mountains of Vermont
http://SugarMtnFarm.com/blog/
http://HollyGraphicArt.com/
http://NoNAIS.org

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SugarMtnFarm.com -- Pastured Pigs, Poultry, Sheep, Dogs and Kids

i was afraid folks were going to forget about us if i don't say something.

there are a good number of single women on here, with or without kids, that are strictly a one income family. i'm one, there's sancraft, vera, hilltop daisy, tango, shygal, mtnwomanAR and i know there are more that i am forgetting temporarily. not only bringing home the bacon and frying it up in a pan, but doing it as frugally and self sufficiently as possible. in at least mine and sancraft's version, we are raising other people kids too.

you may think it's a struggle to live on one income, but it's the norm for us, and we don't have the help of a stay at home spouse to make it easier.

count your blessings, ya'll.

Well, I worked on and off when our two older boys were little but when the youngest came I worked alittle and then quit. Haven't work since I believe 2001. Hubby just lost his job so I will probably have to do something to help bring in some income.

Peace, Love and Blessings,

Kelli

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Check out my blog for recipes, crafts and more!
http://2dreamlucid.blogspot.com/

We are also I one income family. It has been worth living with out alot of things. But we have gained alot more than we lose. We now know the true meaning of a family, you miss out on so much when all you do is work.

tedH71.."Just have to figure out what to do with the baby since I'm a first time dad "

don,t worry..the baby will let YOU know whats needed..My boy was 3 months old when his mom "left"..I learned fast .I can sleep thru a hurricane but when my boy rolled over in the nite,or sneezed,etc,I was rite there..I didn,t realise it then, but, that is the easy part..now that hes 16 my work has begun..I have no hair left..I tell everyone."Moses parts my hair"

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Gord in Ontario

I was layed off at the end of November, so our income consists of unemployment, the wife babysitting and what I can sell online. We won't be running off to the Bahamas any time soon with all this money. Actually the kids aren't doing too bad eating every other day. We've all lost weight. The cats are eyeing us a little nervously though. So if anyone needs an AutoCad Drafter, please feel free to PM me.


Nomad

Amen to what Marvella said ....

I was reading this thread thinking "I need to stop reading, this is making me so jealous..."

I'm one of the single income single moms. That said, I am on the 'easy side' of that: I have a good job, and am extremely blessed to have supportive parents nearby who bailed me out financially when needed and now provide extra hands and help (Mom mixed lamb milk for the sheep when she came to visit today, and emptied the dishwasher - I wasn't home from work yet, she and Dad came to visit The Boy), and a wonderful SO who does those 'heavy lifting pounding and construction' type things but we have no shared income nor a shared house (various reasons: it's a permanent relationship, but in separate homes). I have a great kid who does most of the chores (without him I'm doubtful I could even have animals, it would just be too much) ... I am very lucky.

Still even with all that, I think ... oh, how luxurious to be able to know that when you come home from work someone ELSE will have done groceries, made dinner, done the laundry, and swept the floor! That somebody is there to take calls during the day, that you don't have to try to book a day off work to meet the plumber, or leave work early so you have time to hit the store on the way home, or have your 11 year old make dinner by himself because you won't be there till 7 and he needs to just hang in there till you get home.

All of you who are stay at home partners ... *I* appreciate you for what you give to your work-outside partners! What a gift.

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Apple Jack Creek
near Edmonton Alberta
author of Just Keep Knitting: a journey of healing through forgiveness, faith, and fibre and The Rookie's Field Guide to Supported Spinning

we are a one income family with four kids (17, 14, 12 & 9), and it is getting harder and harder to stretch dh's paycheck. Especially when the land around is getting developed and our property taxes have gone up $3000 in the last year!

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Kris
http://thislittleplacehere.blogspot.com/

1 income but 2 at home. I've lucked into a good paying job that lets me work from home 90% of the time. My DW has been SAH since maternity leave with our youngest (8 years).

DW is thinking of trying to get a job with the school district so she is off when the kids are off. Right now she is acting as General Contractor for the house we are building on the property. But it would help with the planning for retirement (we are both in our late 40's).

It's been tough at times, especially when we bought our current property, but we've made due. It was worth the sacrifice since the kids (8 and 14) really like working with the animals.

Bob D. in FL.