10 Ways We Thrive On One Income! 

What helped me break my shopping addiction was learning about minimalism - not necessarily being a minimalist, but adopting the mentality

My mom is a stay at home mother and my dad is the sole provider. He always tells me "it's not about how much you make but how much you can save and manage your money." My dad earns a modest income but he's amazing at finding deals, budgeting, investing his money and trying to do car/house repairs himself. Growing up we didn't have the best of everything but at the same time we were living comfortably...there was never a shortage of anything.

I really feel like thrifting should be for everyone! It's so much more sustainable for the environment. Great video. 🌱🌻

"I feel like sometimes we use shopping as a bandaid to cover up some of the stress in our lives..." You just keep attacking me Mrs. Midwest. 😂😂😂 But it's true. ❤

I come from an upper class family, my father is a wealthy businessman (which I love BTW dad worked so hard to get where he is, he started from scratch). My sister wanted to marry a guy who is on the lower end of the middle class spectrum and my parents heavily disapproved of that and tried to get her married elsewhere and mom even beat her one day. But she remained stubborn and they got married anyway. They are married for 6 years now and have a beautiful 5yo daughter. They may not have as much wealth but I seriously never saw my sister sad after the marriage, my brother in law definitely set an example for me from a very young age of what a good husband truly is... You really don't need a lot of money to be thriving and HAPPY. BTW congratulations for 100K subbies in advance, your channel is growing crazy fast!! Love from a Muslim girl in Bangladesh 🇧🇩❤️ P.S. please make a video on how to use credit card so that it works in favor of your finances. I would love a whole video on this.

This woman equipped me skill to face life better than 3 years study in University

I noticed those tips are also great for the environment because they’re so sustainable! Not driving to restaurants, thrifting, using reusable fabrics, not shopping online too much etc 🌱

Ive been a stay at home for 7 years and we are pregnant with number four. We lived below our means for a long time, didnt have fancy vacations or clothes. And now we have been able to afford to pay off our first home, turn it into a rental and buy a much larger home. And we have almost always had an emergency fund.

For the online shopping tip: Don't save your card on your account. The extra step that you need to take to put your card information in could help you stop and think

Best swap we made was transitioning from all different cleaners to vinegar, alcohol and baking soda only! I no longer have migraines from using more natural options and it’s sooo much cheaper.

Caitlyn, this has nothing to do with your current video, but just wanted to say your skin care and beauty tips have really helped improve the texture of my skin. I’ve been looking super glowy lately and my make-up looks less cakey on my face due to proper skin care. That’s a big deal for me as I’ve had dry acne prone skin for a while. Will name my next baby after you ❤️

I’m a dude but I try to support your channel even though it doesn’t directly affect me 😂

Frugal, minimalistic living teaches one to appreciate small thing in life and makes us much more joyful. If you can't appreciate life at its lowest, you won't appreciate it at its highest.

Thrifting is Life!!!! I can't tell you the last time I bought something new. Even when I was making a good salary I shopped at thrift and consignment stores. 99% of the time the stuff I buy still has tags on it.

Caitlyn you have no idea how well you are preparing me for marriage! You’re like the capable wide described at Proverbs 31. Love you so much ❤️

My husband just got accepted to the CAF and he's the only one who works and I stay home with our 1 year old son. I absolutely love your video you are so inspirational to me

Honestly this is all really good advice for us unmarried girls living alone and working. Cheers!

Recently found your channel, and absolutely love it! It makes me feel like I’m not “weird” being a SAHM. I love my job staying home taking care of the house and kids. Sometimes I feel people judge me for staying home, and I don’t feel as useful as I was when I was working. Thank you for your videos!

You appreciate more when you do fancy stuff not so often, a much better grateful life😊

Another thing about homemade cooking is that for some reason it just tastes so much better. It has more of a cozy, homely feeling to it. You’re the reason I started baking bread and I just could not live without fresh baked bread ever since. Thank you so much for sharing that video. ❤️

Yes #10!! I've been a stay at home wife for 7 years and yet, I've never had an arguement with my husband about money. I think it's because I always ask him before I buy things over $30! Even if it's just birthday presents for the kids! I want him to be aware of how the money is being spent, where its going, and tell me how he feels about it.

Not buying disposable house products is such a big money saver. I cringe when I go to my family home where they use endless paper towels, paper plates and even plastic utensils! I’m thinking, noooooooooo lol 😂

I’ve been trying to tackle my amazon prime addiction. It’s liberating to be more frugal and learning about minimalism. We’re also living wonderfully comfortable on one income.

When it comes to sales trying to pull you in, a mentality that’s always helped me is that 1: it’s the stores priority to make money, not to help you save it, look into if it’s actually worth it 2: did you need any of these items before you saw them? If not then you’ll be just fine without it now

You truly are an example of a Proverbs 31 woman! 🌷 thank you for the video!

The way we save the most as one income family is by understanding that shopping is not something you do for pleasure, having some no spend weeks/ month/ year on certain items and also by being frugal.

Yay!! So glad to see a young lady who is a homemaker! You won't regret it. Your children will be so much better off than if you were a full-time working mom. Home is where the heart is.

Also would u be able to do a video on how homemakers can earn side money? I'd also love a video on how you started your blog and RU-vid and how to make those things make money!

We couldn't afford just living off my SO's income. Thankfully I do love my job. I care for little puppies, so it's a very fulfilling to be in a nurturing role. I'd love to be a homemaker when I become a mother someday though 💜

I also have a tip: be aware of the return dates of the things you buy. I bet all of us have at least one thing we bought, then meant to return for some reason but missed the return date.

Just got back from aldi and the thrift store!! Hahaha spent less then $100 for 8 work outfits and a week of groceries for my hubby and I.

Sorry for the very superficial comment, but I love this color on you ❤️❤️❤️. On an other note, I completely agree with eating out, keep it for special occasions only, it’s a lot more enjoyable to go out when it’s to celebrate something than just because you didn’t feel like cooking. A sister from Canada

I really needed this today ✨ I have been in a horrible job where lithe other women bully me but I have stayed for the money - I have just been offered a part time job that I know I will love but I was worried about the drop in income. It’s nice to see other people living more frugally and still being happy and stable it’s very inspiring ✨🌸

I’d like to add that it’s a good idea to get in a habit of looking at what I already have (checking the fridge, pantry etc.) before making a grocery list, going through my closets each season to remind myself of all that I have, and waiting until I run out of a beauty product before repurchasing. It cuts out all the “just in case” purchases I used to overspend on. Your videos are amazing and thoughtful. I look forward to them! 🥰

I LOVE thrifting!! I enjoy dressing in pinup and vintage fashion and thrift shopping is a great way to enjoy my hobby! Plus many of the stores nowadays have poorly made clothing with minimal shelf life

I love your tips. We live on a single income and I save money by cooking from scratch, exercising at home, cultivating a capsule wardrobe for myself and my children and husband and doing laundry more often so that we don’t need a ton of clothes. We walk when possible to save in gas. When we go on trips we take our own food when possible instead of eating out. I love thrifting when I have time but I won’t buy anything upholstered anymore. I once bought a beautiful couch that was said to have been recently professionally cleaned and maybe it had been but we found out later that it had bed bugs and that was a disaster to handle and so expensive. I love using reusable options. I love using cloth napkins and my family feels “fancy” when I use them. (: Amazon can kill a budget. Ha ha. They make it too easy.

Whenever I get in a spending mood, I always come back to this video. I tend to spend more when I’m stressed and this video helps reel me back in and helps me remember that I do have a lot to be grateful for and how lucky I am and how blessed I am because of my hubby 💕 thank you love 💕

Thank you for the encouragement! We are a one income family with 2 kids and sometimes it is tough when the unexpected happens!

Thank you for such useful information. 👏🏼👏🏼👏🏼 One things that helped me with saving was going over my bank statement each month to make me aware of where most of my money was going and another saving tip for those that don’t like to thrift would be only buy things on clearance and give yourself a budget before shopping.

Thank you so much for this! I love your channel. Your channel is such a motivation for me. We managed to save to buy a house with a few of your tips. Although we haven't been a single income family for the entire time, we actually are purchasing our first home and closing this July! Keep up the good work lady ❤

What helped me to not overshop is adopting the mentality that all the stores are like my personal warehouse and I know if I never need them I can purchase them but I'll let them store them there instead of in my house. Lol

Yes!! I'm 20 and in college and use all of these!!!! Except for the investment tip (I will eventually) I love these videos so much!!!! 💜 Thank you so much Mrs. Midwest!!!! 💜

You are amazing! I’m currently on a no buy week.. I don’t think I’ve ever done it before but watching your videos has inspired me xxx

it is so wonderful and helpful of you to post such a detailed video on this topic! So many people in todays age hold skepticism over the possibility on living on one income. In fact, until I found you, I hardly believed anyone COULD anymore! I am so grateful for the information you share with us, showing all of us dreaming of a home and family for our future that it is indeed still possible. Thank you for always brightening my day!

I’ve been trying to find practical tips I can apply to my life that are tangible. These are so helpful. Thank you!

I’m so excited for this video! As a soon to be homemaker I need all the tips!

Love a good video on saving money!!! I decided not to buy my kids any clothes over the summer as they seemed to have enough and it worked out great. I also started to only do an amazon order once a month. Whatever I want/need sits in that cart giving me a good long time to think it over.

One thing I picked up in college to really save on money, plan your meals and consider the ingredients you already have and make your grocery list according to what you have and your meal plan. This helps save money AND reduce food waste. Don’t be afraid to spend a little extra on groceries (within reason). If you truly enjoy the food you are making at home, you’ll be less likely to eat out. I try to spend no more than $50 on myself every two weeks for groceries. But sometimes I go over but I don’t go over more $10 over budget.

We only eat out for birthdays and anniversaries. I love to cook. It saves a lot.

Thank you! This popped up in my feed during a time of trial in this regard. God works in miraculous ways. You all are an inspiration!

I love the "cut down on single use towel items" and the subscription tips. With Mr buying us a home, and some bills being adjusted, and with us unfortunately needing me to work, I've had to cut down on subscriptions that we had (really it was video services and Audiable...which I could buy 3 credits for $34 total, and still get a steal on books that I wanted, outside of what I already had built up....which was my goal of 100 books this year, outside of rereading/"relistening" to, but it's nice to have something to listen to while doing chores). This is such a useful video just to get finances in order, let alone at the start of a serious relationship, then when marriage/home owning/children hit. It's a constant evaluation of your budget and what you need for the season of your life.

I hope your getting some decent YT ad revenue, because I ALWAYS get at least 3 ads for each of your videos, which I dont get on other channels.

My fiance and I both work full-time and earn very respectable incomes for being so young, but we were once told to live off of one income and save the other. I love videos like this to give me tips and helpful advice to achieve just that! Thank you!! :)

Thank you Caitlin!!!! 100k here we go!

Thank you for a great video - again! And also congrats for your achievements as a vlogger/blogger! 🍓🍨 It isn't just the amounth of money that manners. As a future vlogger myself it is so encouraging to see, how quality blogs like this slowly but surely start actually making money. Kind of like watching a virtual baby grow and learn new skills. The first step of a toddler or the first dollar of a business is already another goal reached! So proud of you, sis! ❤️🌸💮🌸

Absolutely loved this video!!!! make videos of your grocery shop how you save with food and what you cook!

Can you please do a more detailed video about thrifting? I try to thrift everything but when you say it is a skill I would like to learn more!

Yesss! If you cannot pay off your credit card balance in full each month, you need to seriously take a step back and re-evaluate each of the purchases made with the card and adjust accordingly for future months. Spend wisely with your credit card so that it services YOU, not you servicing the credit card companies through interest owing!

Yes!!!! I have been waiting for this video. Thank you for answering mine and probably many others question. _ Instead of microfiber cloths which leaches plastic into the waterways and ocean and hurts fish, animals and ourselves - Try natural fabrics like cotton or linen. My personal favorite is I bought Flower Sack towels for my paper towels best thing I have every purchased.

Cash envelope system helps too. We use to be guilty of shopping when we had nothing better to do. Now that 3/4ths of our income is in cash envelopes we see where the money goes.

YES! Understanding credit cards is KEY! We Have SO MUCH in common with our spending habits

Bringing us gold as usual! Thank you so much Caitlyn.

Great tips specially the grocery shopping one! I am practicing being mindful about my spending at the grocery store and

I tried to cut down on paper towels too and got a set of E-Cloths. The E-cloths are amazing!!! But I still use paper towels fir cleaning up after preparing raw meat to cook or any other “high germ” things.

Live this so much!! Always trying to constantly remind myself of this stuff!! Such a good reminder!! 💛💛

I feel like RU-vid has brought out a lot of unnecessary spending. I watch several channels that go to target everyday or buy fast food and coffee everday. Its easy to slip into that funk when you see others going it.

U can also shop at antique stores to save money. They carry a lot of beautiful items for your home and bc they’re not “in style” u can purchase them for a really good price.

Budgeting 101. TBH, what you said about shopping for covering stresses in life is soooo true! Often times, I find myself spending a pretty coin on materialistic things I don’t even need to compensate the stress of xyz- I also go eat out a lot (which is unnecessary).

This came at a perfect time I’m trying to do a no buy October and November (only essentials ie food and gas) and get rid of my bad shopping habits

Getting a notification for your videos always makes my day!! 💗

Thank you so much for all the things that you are sharing! I learned so much from you, Caitlin. ❤

I never thought I’d hear so much financial advice from a channel I subscribed to because I’d like to enhance my femininity. I love it!

I needed to know about this as I too want to be a housewife. Thank you so much for this darling 💜💜💜

Great tips, more videos on being frugal from you would be very helpful. You always look so well put together, would you consider sharing what is in your wardrobe with us? x Have a beautiful day

Great tips! I've found it very helpful to have a dedicated discretionary spending account with a set amount in it each month. I feel much more at ease because I have to learn to be content with what I have, and i get really excited when a new month rolls around!

Yay. Notification squad. I need your positive energy.

I am new to your channel and love your lifestyle and beauty content! My husband and I are both engineers, but we still employ similar budgeting strategies on two incomes. It helps keep us in check and save for our long-term goals!

This is very helpful, I mean your videos always are. But this one in particular is useful for us students too.

My husband is being transferred which means moving and leaving my job 😔. Videos like this are greatly appreciated. New subbie here and looking forward to more inspirational videos.

Have you ever seen people do a Thrift my Pinterest video? I would love to see you’re take on that! Great video and not just for one income families.In the past I was that person who didn’t use my credit cards correctly but I’m happy to say I only have one now and it’s almost paid! I now follow all these tips in my family and it has helped us tremendously! And it’s relieved much of my anxiety I used to get every time I looked at my account.

I save money by living below my means and selling wholesale and thrifted items online. The money goes to an account I do not touch whatsoever.

i never thought about having a "no buy" week each month.... thats a great idea! its like a fun challenge. I'm totally gonna do that!

Love your wise tips! May I also point out garage sales and estate sales have amazing items at fractions of the cost! You have to hunt though. I have gotten lovely clothing and household items for literally a few cents. I spend every Saturday from 7-1 hitting up these sales. My greatest finds: A Tiffany and Co crystal vase for a quarter, a Zara coat for $12.50, a Swarovski crystal heart paper weight for $3.00. These were my "frivolous" spends :) You are right though, you need an eye for quality and sometimes a willingness to put some elbow grease into things. Apps with people selling things near you often have a free section too! I picked up a brand new (with tags still attached) gray Calvin Klein wool coat for free...I will take it to the tailor and have it fitted. I hope this helps expand some people's options! The hunt is worth it!!! Take care, lovely Caitlyn, and God bless!

My mom has a credit card for a store that she likes and shops a lot there. She buys the items with the credit card but immediately pays it off with her debit card or cash. If you don't have the money in the bank, don't get it!

Please do a thrift shopping vlog or how to find good stuff!!! 💜

Man i could surely use all these tips despite being single ! Thank you so much Caitlyn !

Please share the tips you have about thrifting! Would also love to hear about how you and your husband budget.

I loved this! I would love to see a budgeting video and thrifting tips from you ❤️

Lol "ask your parents for information" (about investing) if I could do that, my mother wouldn't be working 3 jobs at the age of 46 just to continue renting out half of a duplex 😬 she is NOT the best to go to any advice for, much less financial advice

I dont understand why some people are so against second hand things. All of my kids and my clothes are thrifted. People are always commenting on how well dressed they are and are shocked to find out I bought them from thrift stores for only a few dollars. Another thing that people sort of look down on is reusable diapers. I was spending $200 a month on diapers for my 3 kids and we got to a breaking point where we just couldnt afford it anymore. I paid $100 for reusable diapers and have been using that same set for over a year. Its saved us thousands of dollars and all the new diapers are super easy to use.

I save money by cooking every meal from scratch, meal planning, gardening, buying second hand, sewing/knitting, only buying things we really need, eating out only on birthdays, not having subscribtions (no TV, no netflix, prepaid phone tarif), use cloth diapers, no travels/vacations to far away locations, cleaning with baking powder, vinegar & lemons, homemade cosmetics, cut my own & my childrens hair.

I love when you talk finances!!! It's something I'm very passionate about❤

Thanks for this video! as a new homemaker it’s great to learn new tips and tricks ❤️

Great video!!! I love this. I’m transitioning to being a housewife and this really helped

Love your tips! Can you please do a video on hair care tips?

Thank you so much. Didn't get time to save when I was young because I had to see my siblings through school. I am two years to finishing my daughter med school fees. Then I start off saving.

These are really good tips, I think our culture pushes the idea of using shopping as therapy. I used to have an issue with buying too many clothes that I would never wear and now that my husband is the only person working I had to evaluate every purchase more carefully

Really, really appreciate all your opinions!! Thank you!!

This is a great video. I will try the no spend week once a month and see how much we save. I will also, be sharing this with friends.

Thanks for this topic...trying my level best to stop unnecessary 🛍 shopping 🛒 and not to use too much credit card 💳 💞❣️💖💘