The following is a guest post by Connie at Smockity Frocks!
IT’S A MINDSET
We have had a small budget for years because I have chosen to be a stay at home mom. Our budget just got a lot smaller because my husband was suddenly laid off last week.
We know that we must live frugally in order to make ends meet, now more than ever before.
It is a challenge to find the best deals on groceries, but it doesn’t have to be a drudgery. It can be something of a game. A competition with myself to see if I can beat my previous record for feeding my family on a dime.
I once called my husband at work to excitedly report that I had just fed the kids lunch for 15 cents each!
I consider my work in the home my job, and I take that job very seriously. I want to use the resources I have wisely, so I focus my attention on making a game of feeding my family for less than my friends can feed theirs.
I look forward to the challenge, and I draw satisfaction from making a meal that my family of 10 enjoys for under $10. I won’t say whether or not I have actually saved a receipt for days just to admire and caress it, but let’s just say that I love my work!
If you have the right mindset, you can find feeding a big family on a small budget a rewarding job assignment.
Whether your choices have put you on a small budget, or your circumstances have thrust you there, your attitude will be the key to your success and your contentment.
I could gripe and complain, either verbally or internally, that I don’t have the funds that others do, or that I deserve, or that I expected to have this week, but that will only make my job miserable.
When I make a meal that my family enjoys and I know that I have done it within our budget, I am PROUD of what I have done. I would much rather spend my time cultivating feelings of contentment, pride in my work, and satisfaction at a job well done than being bitter about a small budget.
Besides, if Mama ain’t happy ain’t nobody happy. Right?
So, if you are up for the challenge, you too can feed a BIG family on a small budget, and be HAPPY doing it, just like me!
Connie is the mom of 8 rowdy kidlets, wife of one hunky dude for 25+ years. She is a former public school teacher who currently teaches her own children at home and writes daily at Smockity Frocks. She will soon be publishing the ebooks Cooking For a Crowd and Homeschool Tips From a Homeschool Veteran. You can connect with her on Twitter and on her Facebook fan page.
Stay tuned next week for Part 2!!
I was just thinking about this earlier, we have six kids, so eight total for every meal. It is challenging…stock up on meats helps us alot! Lots of chicken and beef in our life!
Looking forward to the next installment!
Great post! It is all about the attitude! Whenever we inform the children that we have little money to get by on this week, they actually cheer! I wrote a blog post about this unusual response called The Game of the Royal Way. It’s something we learned awhile back from one of our favorite missionaries, Brother Andrew.
with 6 teens the food budget gets stretched as much as possible always looking for great tips
I am so impressed with your attitude. What has happened, happened, and being laid off would put most families into a huge bind. I am so impressed at how you are able to keep your head up in the face of adversity!