Living on Less Than $28,000 A Year: Yes, our family of six lives on around $2200 a month and for the next few weeks I’ll be sharing how we can survive, and even thrive on an income that is less than half the national median income, and what the government calls “below the poverty line” (less than $29,990 annually) for our family size. [Read other posts in this series here.]
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Today I want to start with a disclaimer and a story. Disclaimer: I am not an expert, just a mom who is sharing what has worked for us.
Now for the story.
Exhibit A
Last week I put on one of my two “good” pairs of jeans and felt a little breeze. I looked and realized that the small hole in the back of the leg had become a LARGE hole. There are a lot of frugal things I am willing to do, but letting my underwear show through my jeans is not one of them.
I also found that my black slacks were too short. (Is it possible to grow taller after age 30?)
Considering the fact that I was leaving for a conference at the end of the week and I wanted to look somewhat professional, I knew that it was time to go shopping.
I am normally super cheap when it comes to buying clothes. I try to shop only when I need something and I usually go to a discount store in my area where I can find shirts for just a few dollars and jeans for around $15. I occasionally purchase clothes from Walmart, but the quality isn’t always great. I also shop at the thrift store, but that doesn’t often work when I am looking for something specific.
When I prayed about where to shop (yes, I prayed about it), I felt that I should go to an outlet store about 20 minutes from my house, even though I have never found anything in my size that I liked at that store.
Armed with about $50 from the clothing budget of our Freedom Account (read more here), I walked into the outlet store. Within a few minutes I found 2 pairs of jeans and one pair of black slacks all in my size and an appropriate length (slacks should not be confused with cropped pants!).
I also found a name brand t-shirt. My total? $35.00, or the average cost of one pair of jeans (unless you shop at a high end store and pay $200 for a pair.)
Now you may attribute this to my awesome shopping skills, but that is not the case. I know that God sent me to that store and provided those clothes for me.
I love the way The Message says it:
27-29“Has anyone by fussing in front of the mirror ever gotten taller by so much as an inch? All this time and money wasted on fashion—do you think it makes that much difference?
Instead of looking at the fashions, walk out into the fields and look at the wildflowers. They never primp or shop, but have you ever seen color and design quite like it? The ten best-dressed men and women in the country look shabby alongside them.
30-33“If God gives such attention to the appearance of wildflowers—most of which are never even seen—don’t you think he’ll attend to you, take pride in you, do his best for you? What I’m trying to do here is to get you to relax, to not be so preoccupied with getting, so you can respond to God’s giving.
People who don’t know God and the way he works fuss over these things, but you know both God and how he works. Steep your life in God-reality, God-initiative, God-provisions. Don’t worry about missing out. You’ll find all your everyday human concerns will be met.
Matthew 6:29-33
Why did I tell you this story? To let you in on a simple truth:
We do our part (and I’ll share more about the practical things we do in upcoming posts), but we believe that God helps us to live on less.
Click here to read other posts in this series.
{ 147 comments… read them below or add one }
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Love it! Its always a good feeling when you spend less than you are intending & actually get more!!!!!!!!!!! I found 3 pair of jeans for my over 6 ft tall son the other week @ Goodwill for $4 a piece, normally we spend around $30 because he is not only tall but super thin as well. Was super thankful for that also.
That’s great Karen!
Karen- My husband is like that, I also find really good prices on clearance racks at kohls, jcpenny etc. but you have to have the time to look around a lot
What a blessing you are to mothers and families. Yes and we can’t o it by ourselves. God is there I help us in ALL things. Just need to ask.
Thank you so much for your encouragement Vicki!
Beautiful. Awesome. Thank you.
I have also found myself praying over where to shop for clothing needs in the past year or two. It makes so much sense since He knows what’s hanging in every store. The passage in Mathew is perfect – what a great reminder for us to focus on our Great Provider. His resources are never limited.
You are welcome Deanna. I love that God cares about every detail of our lives. He is soooooooooo good!
You are absolutely right! Every single thing we have is because God gave it to us. I commend you for not only acknowledging, but sharing with the world that God provides.
I used to ask my husband how he could be so carefree, and he explained he has faith that God will take care of us.
Thanks Susan! I like your husband’s response.
Amen!
Thanks Alexi!
Perfect! I once lived in Japan and my friends there prayed for everything (the first time I’d been around people who did that). They took me shopping for my apartment and prayed that we would find good deals. We ended up getting things at unbelievable prices. Pretty Cool.
That’s neat Jenny. Thanks for sharing.
I don’t know if they still do it, but levis used to have a lifetime guarantee. In the past I have contacted them, they provided me with a postage paid label, and they REPLACED my jeans with brand new ones at no cost.
Ooh–that’s even better Shea! Thanks.
Way to go! A couple of months ago I put a juicer into my shopping cart on Amazon. The price was $60 and I really wanted this juicer. But I also felt like this could just be a whim of ours and that maybe we wouldn’t use it if we bought it. So I forced myself to wait – for 2 months.
Fast forward to when I needed a new griddle. I figured I would be spending about $70 for the griddle I wanted and was prepared to spend that much. I am/was tired of getting by with a cheap one and wanted a better quality one. I headed to the outlet malls and the kitchen store there.
I found the exact griddle I was looking for $30. Yay! I was perusing the store and happened upon the exact juicer I had in my cart at Amazon – for $35! I quickly called my husband to see what he thought and he said to buy it. I got the griddle and the juicer for just under $70. God is good!
That is so cool Jennifer. God is such a good provider. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you so much for posting this. I always feel as though we are missing out on something but the truth is we are not…it’s just clothing! People get so hung up (no pun intended) on where they buy clothing. I am so grateful for your blog and wonderful ideas! thanks!
Thanks for the encouragement Samantha!
What a powerful message! Thank you for sharing.
You are very welcome Jamie!
Oh dear friend, I LOVE IT! I absolutely LOVE IT mashallah. I actually wasn’t expecting the spin you put on it, thanking God for His provisions, instead of talking about how shopper savvy you are (you do seem very good at this living on a budget business too:)
In my religion, we are urged to pray before any “interesting” decisions we may want to make, such as shopping, job application, volunteering outside the home, marriage, career choice, a new business/elective class, etc.
The prayer offers many good benefits as you would know seeing as you prayed about this decision (something I’m working to implement myself), such as guidance from the Lord, help in obtaining what we did pray for (you sure got an amazing bargain there!), and also calmness of the heart and connecting to the Lord and also consciously yielding that all success can only come from Him anyway, so you are just making sure to implore for it in the first place.
Really so good mashallah:D
Thank you so much Rahilya. You are such an encourager!
Has anyone told you how much a Proverbs 31 woman you are? My favorite “don’t worry” passage: Phillipians 4:6, if we just let our requests be made known to Him, even if it’s something He isn’t planning on doing, the peace of God that surpasses all understanding will be with us. How great a promise is that?
That may be the highest compliment I have ever received. Thank you so much T.R.R.!
I buy our clothes at Savers. $5.99 pants, $3.99 tops, $1.99 kids clothes. It’s great!
They are opening more stores all over the country. http://www.savers.com
Those sound like amazing prices. Is it a thrift store or are they new clothes?
I also shop at Savers. It is a thrift store of sorts so the clothes are used, but I have had incredible luck finding what I need there. They are big so they usually have a lot of different sizes and styles in stock. Plus, they do all kinds of deals where they will have everything half off for a day or something similar. That means the shirt marked $3.99 is now only two bucks! I realize this might sound corny, but I feel so grateful to God every time I leave there because I end up paying way less than what I would for Walmart clothes and get far superior quality.
you are so right, we can’t do anything without Him. “in all things big and small, seek Him.”
Thanks Michelle.
There is almost no need to buy anything new.(Except for underwear and socks). I bought 8 pairs of pants-6 jeans, 1 pair of nice black pants and a pair of brown cords for $40 at Goodwill. I completely replaced my pants with Calvin Klein and Jones of New York which I definitely couldn’t afford new.
Thrift stores are my favorite way to shop, but I don’t always find my size there. I love it when I do. $40 is an amazing price for a new wardrobe!
I realize I sound like I’m in their marketing department, lol, but seriously check to see if you have a Savers near you. I have had much better luck finding my size there than at Goodwill. Most Goodwills put things on the rack by color (not size) so finding your size can be taxing. Savers puts everything on the rack by size so it’s much easier to find what you are looking for.
I love reading your posts! This one made me want to stand up and cheer! I love when we get opportunities like this to brag on God! He is good and faithful – all the time!
Thank you so much Nicole. We can cheer together!
I love your “bottom line”. I’ve found in my life the amazing ability of God to not only bless me (like finding pants in your size within your budget), but also His ability to teach us (like you’ve shared he has in your life).
I had my “bottom line” moment last year when I finally gave up on all the methods I’d tried to lose weight (I’ve been overweight since I was a teenager), and no matter all the changes I’d made to eat more healthy, work out more, drink more water, I just hadn’t been able to find the right mix that would work for me. So I turned it over to God, and over several weeks he taught me that exact balance that works for ME, with my body type and health challenges (and includes addressing some of those health challenges with medication). Now it’s a demanding and excrutiatingly slow, but I finally know the answer to what works for me. Now I just have to implement and stick with it while taking care of my family, but that’s the easy part. He showed me that it IS possible and exactly what it will take, so there’s hope. (Plus, now that I know exactly how much effort and time it takes for me to lose each pound, I feel a little less guilty for not being more successful before now. After all, God gave me this body, and he knows exactly what challenges and abilities he’s given me, and He doesn’t compare me to others with different challenges and abilities so I shouldn’t either.)
Sarah, thank you for sharing that beautiful story. I love that God cares about EVERY detail of our lives.
i absolutely love this story
and how it shows
that the Father cares for us
in all things
i shared a story
a few months ago
about praying over an expander
lost in a lake
that God led us to find
after much prayer
if you’re interested in reading it
click here http://www.stuff-and-nonsense.net/2011/06/needle-in-haystack.html
thanks for sharing!
alison
Alison, I read your story and it made me cry. God is so good!
Wonderful, thought provoking message. God should be with us in everything we do. One of my goals is to strengthen my relationship with him.
A friend once was in severe debt and had no idea how to set up a budget or get started. She asked me to help. I helped her get started and when we got to the part where she was going to start giving a small amount to church she said “what if I don’t have it to give?” Then she looked at me and said that God would provide and she would pray that he would provide and get her through.
I always admired her for that statement. It had a great impact on me.
Thanks Dianna. I have found that whenever our family chooses to obey God, even if it doesn’t make sense on paper, somehow He makes it work. Thanks for taking the time to comment!
Thank you so much for sharing with us! I am in a similar situation financially ~ and I used to be in the situation where our mortgage was more than we now make in a month ~ a LOT more. We are living on 1/4th the income we used to make, and you have given me hope that we will survive! I hope you don’t mind me adding your blog to my Pinterest “money saving ideas” board. I think so many people could benefit from your approach….not only your approach to handling finances, but also how non-judgemental and faithful you are. Thanks again!
Thank you so much for your encouragement Lisa. It is definitely my heart to be non-judgmental, so it’s good to know that I am coming across that way.
I’m glad I can encourage you too. Blessings!
I also pray before I shop, and I just wanted to say thanks for sharing! I love it when God shops with me, too; I always get the best deals then. I love reading your posts!
Thanks Rosie. I’m glad you’re here.
I just found your blog on Pinterest. I love this story and hearing about God’s provision. God is so good. I love seeing, hearing about, receiving these small miracles. These thing may seem small but they remind me of how Big God is and how even our small problems are important to Him. Thanks for your blog
May God continue to bless you.
Thanks so much Grace! Glad you’re here.
I started reading your post and was thinking, “ok, but where is all this planning does God and his faithfullness come in?” since we live our lives “knowing” He will provide rather than seeing it allwork out on paper…… I was so happy to see you live the same way!
God bless!
Thanks Molly. He is definitely the One who makes everything work!
Your blog and all the wonderful comments are so inspiring. Thanks to all of you for uplifting me today! May the Lord continue to bless each of you!
Thanks so much Penny!
I LOVE this!!! My husband and I discuss all the time how we really shouldn’t be able to be making ends meet. On paper it just doesn’t add up, but in reality we’re somehow living comfortably. We know it’s because the Lord is blessing us for doing what He wants us to be doing. It’s an amazing thing! Good for you for sharing this with others to hopefully give them the courage to fully put their trust in God.
Thanks Bethany!
I’m sorry, but what does God have to do with money? I thought this post was supposed to be about tips for money saving strategies?
Hi Melissa! Thank you so much for taking the time to comment. You make a very good point.
While the series is about saving money, it is our personal story of how we survive on less than $28,000 a year. We can’t make it without God’s help. I have story after story of how He has provided miraculously when there is no other way, so I wanted to be upfront about that in the series. I don’t want people to think that we have done this on our own when that isn’t true.
If you have more questions, feel free to email me: kimberlee (at) thepeacefulmom (dot) com. I would be happy to answer them for you.
Well that is the bottom line, isn’t it?
=)
“My God will provide all your needs according to His riches and glory in Christ Jesus.”
Stay blessed!
Good word K. Thanks!
Kimberly – I am inspired and excited by your post. I am a stay at home mom with a wonderful husband who has been layed off twice in the past two years. I am also a Christian and when my friends or acquaintances ask me how I’m doing I always turn my thoughts and praise to God and his provision for us through it all. I know He loves me with a passion far surpassing the love that any earthly father (or mother) can feel for their child and it is trusting in that love and knowing he has a plan for us that keeps me plugging on. Of course, its nice have have some practical skills in budgeting, etc to pull it all together and so I am eager to read everything you have in store.
Thank you for having the guts to be a christian in the public eye and for sharing your insights.
All the best,
Leslie
Thank you so much Leslie. It is a little scary sometimes to step out, but I know that I have to tell what God has done for us. He is so good!
Amen!
God is faithful even when we are not….and that’s an awesome thing!
Many Blessings,
Melissa
Yes He is Melissa!
I frequently go to resale/consignment stores. They usually have a nice selection of clothes and shoes at half the price AND I save time by not having to go to the mall or shop at multiple stores since there are so many different brands there! I also take some of my clothes, shoes, and assessories there and if someone buys them I get a store credit. I only go every few months but I usually walk out with 60$ worth of clothes but had enough store credit that I only paid 20$ or less. It’s a fun way to buy some fun trendy pieces or seasonal items without shelling out the $$$.
Thanks Alecia. That is another great idea for buying clothes cheaply.
What an inspiration you have been with your blog. There is no doubt God will bless you and your family for keeping him in the forefront. I pray for more blessings to come your way!!
Lori–thank you so much for your encouragement. It is nice to get feedback and to know that what I am doing is helping others. Thanks for your prayers!
I needed to hear this so much this morning. It almost brought tears to my eyes to read that passage in the Message version, so appropriate and so true. I’m so glad I found your blog this morning!!!
I too am living on an incredibly strict budget as I am the only one working right now and my husband is in medical school
Thanks!
I am so glad Kelsey–welcome!
Thank you soooo much for this installment! I have been learning to trust God in the little things lately. This has really changed my perspective on trying to live on less. Why didn’t I think of involving God in my shopping? It all belongs to Him in the first place! Thank you thank you thank you!
You are so very welcome Theresa–blessings!
I stumbled upon your blog through pinterest and am catching up on the installments. I ABSOLUTELY love the wording of the passage from Matthew! Just brings such an even deeper understanding and conviction for me! Thank you! just what I needed to hear today!
I just found this on Pinterest. Thank you so much for sharing this. We have four kids and live on a small income as well. It is nice to know that we are not alone and that we should not fee guilty about it!
Kimberlee, I came upon your blog through Pinterest and I am loving it! My husband and I do not have children yet, but we are trying to financially prepare so that I can stay at home and raise our children one day. I am a school speech pathologist (I have several students who have Asperger’s) and my husband is a part-time college pastor, so we are preparing to live off of his salary alone. Thank you for your wise tips and your Christ-honoring advice!
This is so Awesome!! Even though our income is more than that you have totally encouraged me to be more frugal with the money we do have!! Thank you for the bible verse and your tip about praying first. I think that is the best planning tip I’ve heard yet! I will be coming back here for a lot more great ideas!
Thanks Bethany!
Hi! Loving your blog! I’m a single mom of a 13 year old daughter and a son, 11. I home school and only work part-time, so my income is very limited. Fortunately right now we are living with my parents while I pay off credit card debt that I incurred after my divorce when I was trying to make it on my own. I started homeschooling after I couldn’t afford their tuition any longer. Even though I don’t have rent and utilities, I still have food, clothes, gas, braces for both kids, and debt which has me living paycheck to paycheck. Did I mention that my car is on it’s last legs also? LOL Yeah it’s difficult, so any advise I can get from others is very welcome!
Sounds like a very tough situation Michelle. Hang in there!
I love your post!! We also, live on what is considered below the poverty line. We recently took a pay cut to $20,000 a year, basically part time, as local missionaries on the University campus near us. I am about to give birth to our fourth BOY (ha… our budget will have to increase one day for me to feed all these boys!!), but I can identify a lot with what you wrote. And I love, most of all, how you wrote about how we can’t do it without the Lord. I also, pray before I shop, and usually I pray over my grocery budget (which I also squeeze into around $100… thanks to couponing I’m able to get much more with that than I used to!). We honestly won’t be able to pay all the bills on $20k, so we are praying for divine provision, which the Lord has always proven faithful to do. We just aren’t willing to give up the momentum of what is going on on the university campus and what the Lord is doing there… not when God is able to provide. So, anyways, I hear you, I appreciate your post, and love what you’ve written. Its neat to hear I’m not the only one out there that lives like this.
Because, I think I’m the only one I know around us (aside from overseas missionaries) who lives like this willingly. But hey, if we never present an opportunity for God to move, and us to believe him to move, will we ever really see supernatural activity? I don’t think so. And finding 3 pairs of pants and a name brand shirt for $35 in this country, is supernatural activity. 
ANyways, just wanted to say thank you for your post. (However, I do have to say I’m not sure how you manage to homeschool them all. Mine are all between newborn (when he comes) and 5 yrs old… that’s another mountain to tackle another time since I’m REALLY not so good with teaching that age… so for now they will rotate through christian school one or two at a time until they are literate (third grade or so) and then I may homeschool.) Blessings to you and yours.
Jenilee Samuel
“If we never present an opportunity for God to move, and us to believe him to move, will we ever really see supernatural activity?” So true, Jenilee, so true.
I would rather live in a way that seems foolish to the world and see God move, than to meet all my needs myself and miss out on knowing Him more intimately.
I found this post on Pinterest. After reading it, it is inspiring. I’ve found that God has provided for me and my husband, always and it’s nice to see someone else living with Him in everything. With any luck we will both be in college in the fall, and it means living on 2 part-time jobs. I have no idea how we’re gonna make it, but I pray everyday that God will show us the way. I think this blog, might have been step 1. I’ve always been frugal, but I know I’ll REALLY REALLY have to tighten our belts. Thankfully, it is only the two of us and our four legged kiddos (2 dogs and 2 cats). But this is such an inspiration. I feel like if someone out there can make it with 4 human children, then surely we can with just our four legged foursome and God’s intervention. Thank you, this provides so much peace to my mind in a moment of weakness and doubt!
Love it! Yep, God’s hand is showing again! Good for you for being faithful. Works EVERY time! (if we could only remember that!) lol
Thank you for posting that passage; it’s one that I often need to be reminded of!
I would like to ask your readers who are really struggling to please let someone know, too, if they think God is leading them to…I know some people pray for provisions and God tells someone else to give to them, and I know He can do that and does but sometimes I think it’s OK to ask for help, too, although it can be humbling. My family right now is blessed above our needs and honestly if I knew a friend or family member needed something I would love to help them. When my church says they have a specific need for someone I give items from my stockpile or whatever and try to be very generous. But sometimes, it’s hard to help people if they never say they have a need.
Thanks Diane-that is a very good point.
Thank you for this post. I felt led to let you know that I stumbled on your blog after praying about an issue for a while and I know it was exactly what God intended for me this evening.
I am so glad you are here Katie.
This brought chills all over my body! Thank you for sharing! God is there for big and small needs! That is a great thing to know and witness!
Hi! I am a mom of one (currently – hopefully more in the future). My husband and I are just starting out and looking for a way for one of us to stay home permanently. Your blog has inspired me that it is possible. Specifically, this post reminded me to let go and let God take care of it – He loves my daughter and our family more than me and He will work it out. Thanks!!
I have been reading your posts since yesterday (found you on Pinterest) and I am really falling in love with your blog. The realness speaks to me. This post in particular REALLY spoke to me. Thank you so much for posting the scripture with your story. I NEEDED THAT!
So often as I raised my children as a teacher and single mom, I would find a need (or maybe a want) I did not know how I would provide. I would turn to the Lord for an answer and then would follow “my feeling” which I believe is God talking to me. So glad you do this, also. So many pray but then do not get still to listen. Now as my husband and I face retirement and half the income, I will look to your website for new ideas. Thank you.
I just wanted to tell you that your Message excerpt almost made me cry. Despite my faith, I struggle with religion-based blogs and books since they rarely really connect with me in that spiritual way (and frankly sometimes even really irritate me). That excerpt was perfect and really touched a nerve with me an even just in reading it, felt my faith strengthened and that seriously NEVER happens! I just started reading your blog but I have a very nice feeling that I’m going to stick around! =)
Joann, you have no idea how much your comment means to me! I want to show people that God is real and we don’t have to be religious rule followers to have a relationship with Him. So glad you’re here!
Kimberlee
I loved that you prayed about where to shop! I know that Heavenly Father wants to and needs to be part of our lives. I know he cares if we are on a budget and that he wants us to live within our means to take care of our families. How responsible and faithful of you!
Gold star!
Thanks Jan!
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