How do you manage to work from home?

Lots of times I hear people saying they want to be home with their children, but cannot afford to do so. I'm always asked how I do it, how do I save money and stay on a budget.
For me, working is not really an option, sad but true. I'd love to be able to get a job, but with the average cost of childcare for my daughter being $185 a week, it would be foolish of me to get a job only to have to pay that as well as more $$ for gas each week. We decided the smartest thing would be to stay home and work. I won't lie though, it's hard to juggle an 18 month old, meals, cleaning, playing, and work. Some days I feel like I have accomplished nothing. I try to stay on somewhat of a schedule though, so that helps.
As for our budget, I cook most meals- we only eat out maybe once a week, hubby takes his lunch to work every day- I always cook enough to have leftovers for him. I use tons of coupons- and they really do help, some people think they are a waste, but they save us lots each week. I usually spend no more than $65 a week for all groceries, tolietries, cleaning supplies, paper supplies, diapers, wipes, etc. My Murano gets about $25 in gas a week, which is mostly used on the weekend, hubby only uses about $20 a week in gas- luckily we live close to his job.
I would love to hear ideas of what others do to save money. I'm always open to new things, anything to save a buck!

WAHM article

I wanted to share this article from Nina at www.Bizymoms.com :
It's so true, especially with how the economy is right now, and gas prices. There are too many options and resources for those of us who want to work from home, all you have to do is look for them.

Moms and work at home jobs – the perfect fit
From the past, the role of the woman in society has been centered with the household chores. A mother is expected to take the upper hand looking after the children while contributing to the betterment of the family. The rat race in which human beings are involved these days suggests, she cannot only assume the natural duties of the mother such as looking afterher children, but also should contribute financially in order to fuel the two income family model. Failure to do so may tighten up the economy of the family and might mean they have to live with hardships. However, performing this dual role, over-burdened with work, seems to take the spice of the lives of modern day moms.So why not consider the alternative of working at home? May be moms and work at home jobs can make the perfect fit. Let’s examine why.Consider the typical case of a mother who gave birth to a child recently and has to go back to work. As moms we have to face the emotional challenge that goes with such a decision. You may have had a successful career but can you sacrifice the quality time you can spend with your child for that. As a mother your heart is against it. However the figures should also add up at the end of the month. Further if you are over-burdened with loans, you may have no other option. But isn’t there any other way?Then think about another case, a full time stay at home mom with relatively older children. She has ample free-time which she can utilize to earn something to ease the pressure of her spouse. At least this will allow her some degree of independence being not entirely dependent on her husband. Further this may allow her to get rid of the routine chores ofher day and engage in something she likes, sometimes as a pastime such as writing, and still get paid for it. However wouldn’t it add more value and flexibility if she’s enabled to do that at home? On the other hand job security is a thing of past today with thousands of layoffs and downsizing programs being exercised on a daily basis. The statistics will show you, women are the worst hit category. So any income generating activity you can engage at home is highly valued in today’s context. Many people ask this question. May be you also have already thought about it. The question is “can you earn the same amount staying at home?” The answer is two fold. It is yes and no. While we agree on the possibility of getting similar financial rewards, we should also acknowledge the fact that it is not achievable overnight. In other words you’ll not get the same income from the very fist day you start working at home. May be you will get very limited income as you start up. But believe that it’ll gradually increase.We are sure now you have understood why women and work at home jobs makes the perfect fit. BioBizymoms.com has been helping moms work from home for over 10 years. Visit today to enjoy free resources including live chats, interactive message boards, informative articles, and of course, the best home based business ideas on the Internet! Bizymoms also offers complete home business packages that get your business started right away!

baby bunnies & dr appointment

So, we now have a family of 3 baby bunnies in our backyard. Which is fine, although a little bit of a hassle when hubby cuts the grass. I'm not sure why they want to stay back there, if they only knew Kaitlyn, they would run, or hop while they could. She loves animals though, just wants to grab and touch everything, no matter what it is. I guess she took after her Mama on that one. I've always been the same way, and see myself when I catch her playing in the mulch.
I'm a little unmotivated today since we had to change up our schedule a bit to take K to her 18 month appointment. Although I'm not sure why they schedule appointments because I always have to wait at least 45 minutes before being called back to wait in the little room for longer. They said she's doing great, still tall and skinny, and really mature? They mentioned getting a potty for her, but I don't know, it seems to be rushing things a bit. Not that I would be mad to not have to buy diapers anymore, but I guess the thought of my baby growing up that much, wow. But, I actually did get some work done during naptime, as well as 2 loads of laundry. I decided that tomorrow I would do more, and that we would fill up the little baby pool in the backyard to go out there and play, and cool off.

A forgotten place for bargains

I never think to go to Marshalls, I'm not sure why, maybe because it's out of the way. I'm glad I went this week though- I'll be going again maybe this upcoming weekend! They are having great clearance deals right now on winter clothing. I managed to get a sweater for myself for $3, some Little Me sleepers for $1, and Limited Too pants for $3. Oh, and can't forget the item I got to start my Christmas shopping for this year. The only thing is they seem to be so unorganized, but worth digging through the stuff. I guess I need to add Marshalls back to my list of places to hit for bargains.

"you've got it made"

That's what I seem to hear all the time. People, I guess, have this picture in their head of a work at home mom sitting there at their computer with a smiling baby on their lap, but I must say, it's very hard. I applaud Moms who do it with more than one child. Some days it is impossible to get any work done, I consider myself doing good if I get an hour during naptime to get things done. Maybe I'm not organized enough, or it might be easier if K had someone to play with for a few minutes here and there. But, all in all, each day I feel accomplished if I got a few things done, a clean house, and a happy baby.