Living On One Income

I've heard over and over that a family cannot live on one income because the cost of living is so high. The cost of living is high, but I can say from experience, that it is possible. No, my husband didn't make a lot. His income was low enough to allow us government assistance - but we didn't take it. Why? We didn't need it!

We had a family of 4. No, the kids didn't have the latest and greatest video games, etc. They got them after they were out for a while and the price came down or they got them for Christmas/birthday from someone. They never felt like they were missing out, but ended up appreciating what they received more than their friends. They learned to work for what they wanted and saved up for things, too. This made them realize that all the time that it took to save, was not always worth the item they ended up purchasing.

The family was well dressed and well fed. I shopped at yard sales and thrift stores as well end of season clearances. It's amazing to me that we could get brand new clothes for almost nothing. Many times we got clothing with tags still on them for 25 cents or less and my winter coat cost $2 and still had the tags on it! The only thing we didn't buy used were undies, swim suits and shoes.

As for food, I didn't do the menu plan that everyone talks about. Instead, I'd scan the grocery flyers for excellent sales and then stock up on those items. I'd search the store for markdowns and buy them if they were a good price. By doing this every week, we had a nice little stock on our pantry shelves and I cooked from what I had there. There are times I'd use coupons as well. Our store would double and even sometimes triple them, but I found coupons are usually for prepared and junk food that really wasn't a savings, even after the coupon. I cooked a lot from scratch and made my own "groceries", ie: mixes and convenience foods. I also canned, froze and dehydrated foods as well.

No, we didn't have the newest things, but we never really seemed to miss them.  We always had enough - actually more than enough to keep everyone satisfied. Even on my husband's income, we still managed to put away more than 6 months of his salary in case of emergency. By the time the kids were in college, we had no debt and we were debt free quite a while before that! My husband lost his job, and didn't find anything for more than 6 months. When he did, we had to relocate and the money that was tucked away was the down payment on our new home. We ended up moving in one of the highest priced places in the state, but it was where the job was. When we sold our home, we got 10% of what this home cost - and this one wasn't nearly as expensive as those around the area. We got a "good deal" on this one!

Living on one income is not easy. It takes time and effort and it helps to have an attitude that you are satisfied with what you have. Yes, you will still see things you want, but impulse buying is not something one can or should do. Many people have buyer's remorse after an impulse purchase. Remember the clothing with tags we've bought at yard sales or thrift stores?

After moving here, I did work for awhile. We NEEDED a second car and extra car insurance, maintenance since my hours didn't match with my husband. I had to buy special clothes and shoes for work and with the job I had, they didn't last long. My shoes wore out in 3 months! I was buying 4 pair a year!  I'd get home exhausted and not feel like cooking, so we were eating prepared and take out. Our health declined, we gained weight and were sick more. I got injured at work and continued to re-injure myself, so when home, I wasn't doing much. My hours didn't allow for much time off, and I couldn't take off during normal vacation times, so we really couldn't do anything. My husband hardly ever saw me and neither of us was really happy. After all was said and done, my extra income wasn't really helping since much of it was going towards the extras that I had to have while working. The job was being more of a hindrance than anything!

I left work and we are again living on one income. We are back to eating better and all around living better.  My injury finally healed after a year (just like the doctor said!) and I am back to normal. No, I did not take workman's comp or disability although I was highly urged to. I saw no reason when I'm not planning on returning to work.

We sold the car and we are back down to one. I didn't need it any longer. There was a small adjustment period since I couldn't just hop in and go, but now,
I really don't miss it.

I'm back to cooking from scratch, canning, freezing, dehydrating and just enjoying life. I'm always learning new skills and honestly, I don't feel like I'm missing out at all. There is nothing I want or need - I have it all!

Bluprint -vs- Creative Bug

Photo by Surene Palvie from Pexels

I love all types of crafts, from needlework to making wreaths, so I'm always doing something with my hands and always looking for new and interesting things to try. I've done subscription boxes, combed the net for new projects, watched hours and hours of YouTube and am a member of a couple of guilds.

When I check my email, I'm always getting offers to join a new club, take a new knitting class, etc., and honestly, it seems like every time I try these things, they are underwhelming and I end up cancelling after just a couple of months.

Bluprint

So when Craftsy starting sending me their offers, I did the free week, downloaded a few of their free classes and patterns, but couldn't justify the price. Then Bluprint merged with Craftsy, and the price came down. I got some great offers, but still didn't join. Well, the price came down more and after a week free preview, an offer for a free knitting kit, I said to my husband I'm going to try it out. I paid the yearly fee up front (saving some money there) and picked out my kit from their list. I chose the LaMott Wrap Knitting Kit by Erika Flory featuring Cloudborn Highland Sport in the Santa Fe colorway. Within 2 days from the time I signed up, my kit was in hand! I was impressed with the quality of the Cloudborn wool as well as the pattern instructions. The kit retails for almost $47 - over half of what I paid for my yearly membership ($79.99)

The classes are well done and very professional looking. Yes, you can probably find videos that cover some, if not all, the topics on YouTube, but I can tell you, I've spent a lot of time trying to find exactly what I needed and weeding through a lot to finally find it, and sometimes the information that is given is not correct. Provided with the classes are downloadable materials. They may include patterns and/or other helpful information.

Another perk from the Bluprint membership is 12 keep forever classes that you choose. If you decided not to renew your membership, those classes will always be available to you to watch - as well as all the class materials that come with them. You get the codes for 3 of them every 3 months.

Included with the membership is free shipping on any order from Bluprint's shop. I didn't think I'd use it really, because the prices I viewed as a non-member seemed a bit high. Well, I got a surprise with that! Members get 15% off, which is ok, but the real savings comes from their coupons. For example, I found a 60% off coupon code on my member page off one item. I used it on a wool sweater kit. I chose the largest size I could  buy so that I was sure I'd definitely have enough yarn. This kit also has a class that goes with it, so not only am I trying a new technique, but I have a class to explain everything about this sweater. The cost? $33 including shipping! I got a lovely wool cardigan kit for the cost of what I would have spent on acrylic yarn to make the exact same sweater!

I have made a couple of other purchases since I've been a member, and believe me, the savings alone has more than paid for my membership! Everything is shipped by FedEx and I usually have the items in hand in 2 days. (This time frame could be different, depending on where you are located).

Creative Bug

Right after I became a member of Bluprint, I received a free month trial from Creative Bug. I wanted to compare both to see which was more useful and a better deal for me. Creative Bug offered me a membership for $7.99 a month and I couldn't find any place to pay for a year upfront.

With that membership came the video classes, class materials, patterns and CBTV.  Currently, they are offering a $10 JoAnn gift certificate when you become a member. I didn't find any other perks besides the videos, classes and Creative Bug TV.

The videos that I viewed didn't seem to have the same professional quality that Bluprint's has. Now, to be fair, it could only be the ones I chose and may not be that way with all the videos. It's possible they were older ones. The class materials were decent. I downloaded a couple of patterns and they were well written and easy to follow. One nice thing I came across on the videos I watched, was the opportunity to download a transcript of the class. It appears you had to download one for each segment, but still, it's nice to be able to have it in print instead of trying to find what you need in the video.

Which Is The Best?

So which is the best for you? It depends what you are looking for. With Creative Bug, you don't have to make along term commitment, since you pay monthly, you can cancel at any time, however, I could find no option to pay quarterly or yearly, so I found discounts on that price. I do know they run specials from time to time, so you may want to sign up for the newsletter to see when their offers become available. If I remember correctly, there was an offer for half price off of their normal price. Currently a year of Creative Bug runs $95.88 (12 x 7.99)

For me, Bluprint was the better deal. With free shipping, a free kit, amazing coupons and sales, lots of free patterns and nicely done classes/videos,  I am thrilled with my membership!! My yearly membership was $79.99. I've seen Bluprint have other sales and membership  has been lower. I've also seen quite a few nice offers of gift certificates. I'd suggest getting the Bluprint newsletter and checking the offers for yourself.

My only regret is not joining Bluprint sooner!

***Please note - I paid for the membership out of my own money. I was not given anything or asked by either company to do a review. This if from my own experience and sharing to help others decide if they want to try either/both companies out.