When we decided I’d stay home with our daughter, we didn’t exactly have a financial roadmap, or any sort of plan to survive on one income. We just knew that daycare was too expensive, my job situation wasn’t working, and our daughter deserved the kind of care only we could give her. So we took the leap—and then we started figuring it out as we went. This post isn’t a guide or a “how-to” (because I’m not that mom), but it is a look at the real things we’ve done to make one income work in 2024-2025.
Let’s be real- it’s the question on everyone’s mind: In 2025, how is any family supposed to afford having one parent stay home and care for the kid(s)?
I’ll be honest—some weeks are just plain hard.
Technically, my husband’s a “white-collar” worker. He’s in Health and Safety at a milk company, (and working on getting an OSHA degree) while it’s a solid job, climbing the ladder takes time. Like any good elder millennial, we know it’s all about the long game—waiting for people to retire or move on so you can take the next step up. So in order to make life more comfortable, we have to bide our time until the next step becomes available.
Originally, the plan was for me to go back to work after six weeks of leave. But between the drama with my employer and the eye-watering cost of daycare, it didn’t make much sense. I’d basically be working just to cover childcare. So instead of handing most of my paycheck over to a daycare center, we decided I’d stay home and care for her myself. She’d get my full attention, and we’d raise her exactly how we wanted.
The first few months were rough—I won’t sugarcoat it. At one point, I was so deep in job boards and cover letters that I ended up rewriting my husband’s resume and applying to jobs for him. That’s actually how he landed the role he’s in now. Total win-win: better pay, and a company that values what he brings to the table and actually supports his passion for the work. A place with an actual future, and it allowed me to stop looking for a part time job, or one of those ever elusive “work from home” jobs that I’m convinced don’t actually exist.
After a while, I started looking at our subscriptions and non-essential bills. Did we really need Netflix, Peacock, and Crunchyroll? Were we even using half of what we were paying for? I asked myself: could I swap name-brand foods for cheaper versions, or just make them from scratch instead of buying them pre-made? Could we save money by switching our car or homeowners insurance to a different company? These were all things I looked at—and yeah, I made some cuts and tweaks where I could.
Next big thing? Meal planning. And I’ll be honest—meal planning isn’t always easy, especially when you’re not someone who can eat the same thing every day. (That’s me.) I try to keep a good rotation going. Meanwhile, my husband could happily eat the same five meals forever and not complain once. (Idk man, he’s weird.)
I usually shop at Walmart and Hannaford (yeah, Food Lion for some of you). I find produce and meats are often cheaper at Hannaford (and the quality seems to be higher), while Walmart wins when it comes to “center store” stuff—aka the pre-packaged and non-perishables. (Sorry, I used to work in a grocery store’s corporate office, old habits die hard.)
Each week I check the Hannaford flyer—Walmart doesn’t do flyers—and see what’s on sale in terms of meat, fruits, and veggies. From there, I either pull from my own recipe stash or do a quick Google search for something that’s easy and budget-friendly. Then I build my carts online—usually on my laptop, not the app—and either schedule a grocery pickup or use my cart as a digital shopping list and head to the store. Sometimes it’s nice to get the baby out of the house, but let’s be real… when I go in person, I tend to spend more. I see a snack I like or something I could maybe make, and into the cart it goes.
Could I be saving even more? Probably. And yeah, I’d love to monetize this blog someday. But I’m not here to sell you anything. I don’t want to be one of those moms pushing a “passive income course” or charging you for tips on how to “keep your toddler calm.” That’s not me.
I want to build a community of moms who get it—who are in the thick of it, like me. I’d never want to take someone’s hard-earned money, especially if there’s something I can teach or share for free that might make your day even a little bit easier.
This blog is still new and finding its rhythm. But my hope is that, over time, it can be a space that inspires you in your own journey through motherhood. I won’t be your typical influencer mom—but I will be honest, real, and a little silly along the way.