After a while, you do get used to the less money and it’s easier to cope with. So don’t stress too much at the start because it will come together

We’re on one income for many years with 4 kids. You get used to it. Make choices what you need and not need, what is priority and not. Not everything what you buy needs to be new, a lot of he school uniforms I bought second hand for example.

A great question! Some very handy tips.

Try to write a list of things you could cut back on which you don’t really need and wouldn’t miss. We got rid of Foxtel, stopped buying DVDs and compensated by borrowing from the library more. Did you know you can order movies through your library? We don’t notice we’ve given up the Foxtel movie package much, only that we see things a few weeks or months later. We don’t mind. We also decided to buy less of things in our weekly shop (ie. instead of 2 bottle of wine we just buy one. Instead of 2kg meat we buy 1kg mince and divide it up into portions for the week.)

BUDGET BUDGET BUDGET!!
We have been on one income for 12 years due to my illness. It was alot easier when it was just 2 of us course. Since having our daughter 3 years ago we’ve had to sacrifice a little bit more and its super hard at times but if you can stick to a budget then its a lot easier. She doesn’t want for anything and we still manage to go on a few outings and small holidays.

We are on one income as I lost my job last year and luckily it is manageable as spouse works hard and earns a decent living . A few months ago there was a show on A Current Affair called ” Australia’s Tightest Family ” . I would recommend you watch that as it will also make you laugh too as they even make their own laundry detergent and raise chickens for fresh eggs. They have learnt to be self sufficient and there is a lot of tips you can get out of it . The man only works one day a week as a priest and she is a casual cleaner with 2 school age children and they budget to the last cent . In fact , they even dilute their own shampoo ! . So what I got from the story is how tight do you want to get it !! Good luck .

learn to be tight lol
reduce what you consume- power, food etc
go simple
shop wise and store brand

get out of the house and go to parks, beach, playground, walks etc- still doing an activity and sharing quality time with the family and saving money

I watch the electricity i use, try not to drive as much and by in bulk

inventory your bills and check what services you might not need (like you may be able to lower your paytv package or get rid of it). Check if you can change anything over the cheaper plans (internet, phone etc). Looks at ways to reduce the biggest bills (water and electricity usually). Then look at your groceries – do you throw food away (money in the bin). Can you make meals from leftovers instead of throwing them out etc

turn everything off, have one car, and only buy what you need to save on waste and cook your own bread and biscuits and cakes from scratch

turn off lights, and power points, eat meat only a couple of times a week and cook in bulk

Groceries: plan your meals and only buy what you need for them, however if you come across some great specials on items you would normally use and if you can afford to then stock up.
Clothes: I cannot believe how many bargains I find – shoes for $5.00 or less, same with clothes, I’ve paid as little as $1.00 for items found at BigW on sale. Ops shops, garage sales are a good source of a variety of bargains.
Petrol: Walk when you can, try to work out what day and time your local servo discounts petrol.
Check out shop brochures online at Lasoo for bargains and compare.
Join loyalty programs if you can.
Join those sites that offer free samples.
If you don’t already have this book and can buy it second hand I recommend 4Ingredients and you could probably Google some of their recipes – I love this book.
Try not to buy processed food or takeaways.
Regular bills like electricity, phone, insurances ; as an example take your average electricity bill work out how much you would have to pay each fortnight to cover the amount for the quarter and set up a direct debit for that amount, this sort of thing will help you budget as you won’t have a lump sum bill to pay every quarter – just an idea.
Have a jar for your spare change – it can add up quickly.
Shop more often rather than trying to do your shopping per fortnight (if you do), I’ve actually saved a lot by now shopping weekly, I have less wastage.
Recycle
Re-purpose
Re-use

All the best to you.

Research everything and get the best deal. Cook from scratch and look for alternative ways to get what you need. For example, have a clothes swapping party / afternoon tea with your friends, or organise one through a church group / mothers group etc. You could get rid of things you no longer wear and end up with a new wardrobe without spending a cent!

plan your meals and get the cheaper things

Budgeting on a monthly basis & meal planning have helped us shave off extra costs.

Plan the year’s worth of presents & lay by when on sale.
Plan all meals so you only buy exactly what you’re going to consume.
Lots of great suggestions here, many I’ll be trying myself 🙂

Control your spending to the bare necessities. This means no holidays, no dining out and no trips to the cinemas. Pay utilities bills, rent/mortgage, cook foods at home, bring own lunch should be the focus.

Have you found any tips that have helped?

list your expenses, cut down on unnecessary items, join the library to borrow books, dvd’s cd’s for free. Buy when on special, use home brand items like pasta, flour, rice, sugar etc they are good quality. Make your own sausage rolls, pies etc.

Make a budget so you know where you are spending your money and this can help to reduce costs.