Work from home jobs: How to save $800 per month to make the transition easier.

Get Rid of Work Expenses

Daycare – The amount of money saved here will vary depending upon how many children you have, but once you no longer need the service you will likely be saving at least $400 per month just by staying home.

Clothing and Dry cleaning – Once you make the leap to work at home mom you will no longer need dressy clothes for every single day. You may need to keep a couple of these outfits, depending on the type of work you have chosen to do from home, but the money regularly spent on new clothes and weekly dry cleaning bills can be eliminated. Your savings will vary but for me it cut out about $75 every month.

Vehicle – Many families choose to become a one vehicle household once mom quits her day job, which would save you a great deal on car payments and insurance. Even if you don’t choose to give up your car you can save at least $125 a month on gas and repairs that will have to be made on a car that is constantly on the road.

Miscellaneous Work Expenses – By miscellaneous I mean regular dining out, office gifts and the other small expenses that add up over time. I found that I saved at least $50 a month in this area when I came home.

Bills

Make a Budget – There are tons of free budget planners available online, but I chose to make my own. I wrote down everything we spent money on then made a list of things that were necessary, things we liked but could do without, and things that were definitely wasteful. I talked it over with my husband and we came up with a budget that reflected our needs and made it much harder to justify wasteful spending.

Cutting Back – As mentioned above you need to decide what your family actually needs to spend money on every month. When I decided to become a work at home mom we got rid of our premium channels, cut back our phone bill and eliminated movie rentals altogether. We kept our high speed internet because I would need it in order to work. You will have to consider what it’s important and necessary for your family, but in our case the savings by cutting back were about $40 every month.

Package and Budget Plans – Contact your satellite or cable and telephone providers and ask if they have a package deal that might reduce your monthly bills. In my sister’s area she can bundle her satellite, internet and phone bills and save $50 a month! In our case we discovered that we could get a package that including all calling features and two hours free long distance for less than what we were paying for call waiting and regular long distance. We saved about $25 a month by making that call.

Check with your electric and gas companies and see if they offer budget plans. They average your monthly usage by last year’s bills and add a slight increase for rising costs. If you use less by the end of winter you will get a refund, if you use more you will have to pay the difference. While it doesn’t actually save you money it does make it easier to budget your winter bills and it makes you more motivated to conserve.

Food

Menu Planning – I plan my menu a week in advance so that when I go to the store I know exactly what I need to buy. This will virtually eliminate impulse buying and will make feeding your family so much easier because you will always know what to cook and know what you have on hand. It also allows you to plan your meals according to your family’s budget for the week and base your choices on the sale items your local grocery is offering.

Fewer Convenience and Fast Foods – You wouldn’t believe how the little extras you buy to make dinner faster can add up. Once you are at home there will be no reason to stop for pizza on a regular basis or buy pre-cooked roasts just to get something on the table. You will also have the added benefit of feeding your family much healthier meals.

Learn to Use Leftovers – I can’t believe how much food that I tossed out when I was working! There are so many ways to use your leftovers beyond just reheating them. Extra mashed potatoes become potato pancakes, leftover pork roast can be tossed with stir-fry veggies, extra fruit goes into a gelatin mold…the list is endless. Do a little research online and you will be amazed at how your food budget can be stretched.

You will also want to try buying in bulk when an often used item goes on sale, reducing the meat you use in recipes by a third and serving dried beans at least twice a month. We incorporate all of these ideas to reduce our food cost and save about $120 a month!

Becoming a work at home mom is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. Each day belongs to me to make of it what I can and I still get to be a full-time wife and mommy. If you will give these ideas a try you can become a work at home mom and you will discover what it’s like to have the best of both worlds!

Annita Lawson is a wife and mother of one as well as freelance writer. For more ideas about saving money as a work at home mom visit her blog at http://thefrugalmama.blogspot.com/.

Making the Transition Easier:

How to Save $800 a month or more by Becoming a Work from Home Mom

Ways to save money being a work at home mom.


					Making the Transition Easier: *How to Save $800 a month or more by Becoming a Work from Home Mom* By Annita Lawson for Work-From-Home.org The life of a mom working outside the home is often a very stressful one. You begin the day early and between dropping your kids off, working all day, running errands, picking up the kids, getting dinner and various household chores done. Your work isn't finished until well into the night. Toss in guilt about leaving your kids and your messy house and you have a recipe for an over-anxious and stressed-to-the-max existence. I know because I have been there, but it doesn’t have to be that way! Like lots of other women I dreamed of working from home so that I could be available for my son, but I didn’t think it would ever happen for me. I couldn’t have been more wrong. I would like to share some tips that you can apply to save $800 or more every month and make your dream of becoming a work from home mom a reality. Ways to save money being a work at home mom. Get Rid of Work Expenses Daycare – The amount of money saved here will vary depending upon how many children you have, but once you no longer need the service you will likely be saving at least $400 per month just by staying home. Clothing and Dry cleaning – Once you make the leap to work at home mom you will no longer need dressy clothes for every single day. You may need to keep a couple of these outfits, depending on the type of work you have chosen to do from home, but the money regularly spent on new clothes and weekly dry cleaning bills can be eliminated. Your savings will vary but for me it cut out about $75 every month. Vehicle – Many families choose to become a one vehicle household once mom quits her day job, which would save you a great deal on car payments and insurance. Even if you don’t choose to give up your car you can save at least $125 a month on gas and repairs that will have to be made on a car that is constantly on the road. Miscellaneous Work Expenses – By miscellaneous I mean regular dining out, office gifts and the other small expenses that add up over time. I found that I saved at least $50 a month in this area when I came home. Bills Make a Budget – There are tons of free budget planners available online, but I chose to make my own. I wrote down everything we spent money on then made a list of things that were necessary, things we liked but could do without, and things that were definitely wasteful. I talked it over with my husband and we came up with a budget that reflected our needs and made it much harder to justify wasteful spending. Cutting Back – As mentioned above you need to decide what your family actually needs to spend money on every month. When I decided to become a work at home mom we got rid of our premium channels, cut back our phone bill and eliminated movie rentals altogether. We kept our high speed internet because I would need it in order to work. You will have to consider what it’s important and necessary for your family, but in our case the savings by cutting back were about $40 every month. Package and Budget Plans – Contact your satellite or cable and telephone providers and ask if they have a package deal that might reduce your monthly bills. In my sister’s area she can bundle her satellite, internet and phone bills and save $50 a month! In our case we discovered that we could get a package that including all calling features and two hours free long distance for less than what we were paying for call waiting and regular long distance. We saved about $25 a month by making that call. Check with your electric and gas companies and see if they offer budget plans. They average your monthly usage by last year’s bills and add a slight increase for rising costs. If you use less by the end of winter you will get a refund, if you use more you will have to pay the difference. While it doesn’t actually save you money it does make it easier to budget your winter bills and it makes you more motivated to conserve. Food Menu Planning – I plan my menu a week in advance so that when I go to the store I know exactly what I need to buy. This will virtually eliminate impulse buying and will make feeding your family so much easier because you will always know what to cook and know what you have on hand. It also allows you to plan your meals according to your family’s budget for the week and base your choices on the sale items your local grocery is offering. Fewer Convenience and Fast Foods – You wouldn’t believe how the little extras you buy to make dinner faster can add up. Once you are at home there will be no reason to stop for pizza on a regular basis or buy pre-cooked roasts just to get something on the table. You will also have the added benefit of feeding your family much healthier meals. Learn to Use Leftovers – I can’t believe how much food that I tossed out when I was working! There are so many ways to use your leftovers beyond just reheating them. Extra mashed potatoes become potato pancakes, leftover pork roast can be tossed with stir-fry veggies, extra fruit goes into a gelatin mold…the list is endless. Do a little research online and you will be amazed at how your food budget can be stretched. You will also want to try buying in bulk when an often used item goes on sale, reducing the meat you use in recipes by a third and serving dried beans at least twice a month. We incorporate all of these ideas to reduce our food cost and save about $120 a month! Becoming a work at home mom is one of the most exciting things I’ve ever done. Each day belongs to me to make of it what I can and I still get to be a full-time wife and mommy. If you will give these ideas a try you can become a work at home mom and you will discover what it’s like to have the best of both worlds! Annita Lawson is a wife and mother of one as well as freelance writer. For more ideas about saving money as a work at home mom visit her blog at http://thefrugalmama.blogspot.com/.

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