Save Money Living on One Income

There is more than one way to having more money in life.  We tend to think that if we make more money, we'll have more money.  Here are some personal observations in my own life to having more money without a second income:

1.  You have more time.  It's true that when you are at your job and to do it well, your mind needs to be on your work or on things work related.  You think about the process of what you are doing.  You are focused on doing it right and in a timely fashion.  You are chatting with co-workers and with customers.  You are on a team and must think about the needs of the team.  It's delicate balancing your work duties with the relationships around you.  Some relationships are difficult and take a lot of mental energy especially if there is conflict and disagreement.  One does take this home with them whether they mean to or not.  So your time is preoccupied with another persons business and the relationships around you of those who are also preoccupied with business.  This business (other than the paycheck), does nothing to add to the value of what you do at home.  It is a detractor.  It takes your time and energy for its own use and returns that time and energy for money.

Suppose you stopped giving your time and energy to your employer and to the relationships around you.

What if your time and energy could now be focused on the business of your home and the people in it who truly care about you.  What if you didn't have mind distracting relationships or have to deal with their conflicts and needs?  What if you didn't have work baggage to bring home?  What if you didn't have anyone who needed your complete preoccupation or anything?

You are free to apply all your energy into making your own home a place that works for you and your family.

You have time to make a grocery list based on the food you have and need.  

You have time to explore recipes and think of cost effective and healthy meals.

You have time and energy to cook those meals.  Everyone in the home gets to enjoy the relaxed atmosphere that comes from a person who is focused on the benefit of the people who they love.  There is nothing like the peace found in a well disciplined lifestyle.  It takes time to have good discipline.  There is joy in discipline.

Here is a wonderful article on the joy of discipline:

http://catholicexchange.com/author/ndymon

Simply taking the step to stay home and put all your time and energy into making your home a great place to live will help tremendously toward saving money.

If you've lived with a mindset that more money is the way to have more money, you'll benefit from taking some time (which you now have) to enjoy reading about ways to cook that are both healthy and cost effective.  You can enjoy articles and blog posts (like this one: http://www.thebettermom.com/blog/2014/02/19/stay-home-mom-change-world ) from other's who have benefited in reclaiming their time and energy for their home and family.  Allow yourself the time to get acquainted with your home and your family's needs.  Look for ways to eliminate the stressful things that invaded your home while you were preoccupied with the outside world.  Sit on your deck and enjoy it.  Get a porch swing.  Take a fresh look at everything.  Take the time to enjoy the lack of drama from coworkers and bosses.  There is none.  Getting used to a drama-free environment takes some getting used to.  We don't realize how much unneeded drama we ingest everyday and the more we ingest, sometimes we begin to crave it's time consuming activity when it's gone.

Sometimes we don't realize how much it made us feel like we have purpose.  It had consumed us that much.  You realize after awhile that your old nature is preoccupied with those kinds of things.  It becomes a routine but it is truly not necessary.  Busyness does not equal productivity.