10 Things Women Can Do to Stretch the Family Income

As a part-time homemaker who once owned a full-time small business, I am often faced with a frustrating fact. Saving money just isn't as glamorous as making it. Women who stay at home to raise children or care for the house don't get a fat paycheck with "stretched the family income by $x" on it. But women everywhere stretch the family income by saving money every day.

#1. Cleaning

Curious to see how much money I saved by cleaning my home myself, I asked for a quote from a professional cleaning company. The hourly rate was high and the company required that I commit to a minimum of five hours twice weekly. Here were ten hours I didn't buy when I decided to clean my house myself and stretch the family income.

#2. Cooking

Every time I go on vacation I realize two things. Eating out is expensive and the richness of the food upsets your stomach. Women who stretch the family income by cooking everyday take on a repetitive job which involves as much clean up as preparation. They look for new recipes, they use wholesome ingredients and make it seem as if cooked meals grow on trees.

#3. Coupon Clipping

I don't waste my time on small coupons, but I do look for large coupons or promotions. When I shop somewhere regularly I sign up for email notices, which typically include coupons. I stock up on non-perishable items using coupons and never buy them at full price. Like many women who stretch the family income, I enjoy looking at my shopping receipt and seeing the Dollar amount of coupons tendered.

#4. Grocery Shopping

Gone are the days when grocery shopping was fun. When I go shopping for food I choose a wholesale outlet, and I go at the end of a long work day. I make buying choices based on the products available not the items I wish where there. I stretch the family income while still filling my home with a sense of plenty.

#5. Haircuts

Members of my family never go to a hair salon. Using a hair trimmer I give everyone beautiful haircuts. The attachments that come with the trimmer fit every style of short hair. As for my long hair, scissors are sufficient.

#6. Laundry

The laundry basket never seems to empty in my home. Add to this the ironing pile, and I spend three hours weekly doing laundry. Once, I opted to use a local dry cleaner. After I saw the bill, I decided to stretch the family income and do the ironing myself.

#7. Landscaping

I am the gardener at our home. I prune the bushes and trees, I plant flowers in the Spring and tomatoes in summer. I weed, mulch and mow the lawn. Women who treat the lawn and care for their garden are all stretching the family income while keeping their home looking beautiful.

#8. Home Finances

Budgeting the family money achieves two goals. First I track where our money is going, second I confirm whether I'm doing all that can be done to stretch our family income. Keeping my finger on the financial pulse of our family is a never-ending job, and each time I save money by doing the work myself instead of paying someone else to do it, I increase the amount of money left unspent at the end of the month.

#9. Childcare

I chose to work at home until my son was five. Many women give up working to stay with their children. Some women opt to educate their children at home. Of all the things women do to save money, childcare is the most robust and intangible. No Au Pair or daycare can compare to a mother's love.

#10. Home Decorating

The most angelic thing women do is turn a house into a home. I renovated my dilapidated house myself before decorating it in a warm, country style. Women, with their keen sense of beauty, make the home a soothing place to come to. And when we stay at home, we spend less money.