How to Go from Two Incomes to One

This post is one that I wrote for my amazing friend, Mique of Thirty Handmade Days because it’s one dear to my heart. Many moms want to become stay-at-home moms but have no idea how or where to get even started. Hopefully this post will answer the question of “how to go from two incomes to one” and will help you navigate the murky waters of going from two incomes to one. You can click here to be taken directly to the full post on Mique’s site or read the snippet below to see if it interests you. 

In 2011, I was a Project Manager overseeing 650 projects nationwide for large companies like Target, Dollar General, AutoZone, Kohl’s, and many more. I loved my job. I loved my career and I had worked hard to develop an amazing relationship with my clients and had earn the reputation of being “the girl that will get it done” within my company.

Then, on January 11, 2012, I left it all behind. I knew the moment they threw that 8lb 11oz screaming baby boy on my chest that I was no longer the most sought after PM, I was now Mommy.

But the reality of going from two incomes to one is hard and honestly, it wouldn’t have happened without some careful planning. So, how to go from two incomes to one?

Save, Save, and Save Some More

I know, it’s obvious that you need and should save money before jumping ship from two incomes to one, but the reality is that you should always be saving money. You need to develop the habit of paying yourself first. It can be as simple as starting the $5 savings plan, automating your planned savings, or even getting more creative and finding unique ways to save even more money. Just make sure you’re putting it away for a rainy day.

Make the Switch before You Jump

One of the best things that my husband and I did before I jumped shipped and left my job behind for changing diapers non-stop, was that we started living off just his income before I quit. We started automatically saving my paychecks in our savings account and just used his money to live off of. It wasn’t an easy transition but by doing it before my paychecks stopped helped us develop our budget more realistically and we were able to cut costs before they became a problem.