My husband and I live off of one salary – five ways we make our money go further including our lunchtime rule
A WOMAN has revealed how she and her husband live off of one salary.
But she said it’s not always easy and that they’ve had to make five sacrifices along the way to stretch their money further.
She explained: “My name is Emmy and I’m a 23-year-old working wife of a medical student.
“I’m just trying to normalise living at or below your means when you’re in a financial situation that’s not ideal.”
The young woman then launched into the rules they’ve implemented, starting out with their lunchtime ban.
Emmy continued: “The first thing that we don’t spend money on is probably the one that has saved us the most money – and it’s not going out to eat at lunch.
“I work in an office where it is very normalised to go out and grab lunch.
“For the majority of the people that work there, they’re in a different tax bracket than me and that’s awesome for them, but I would much rather save my money.”
So Emmy and her other half came up with a strict plan, and said sticking to it has worked wonders.
She continued: “So I pack my lunch every day and I bring yoghurts, or wraps or sandwiches with the ingredients I bought that week at the grocery store and I save a lot of money by doing that.”
Second on their list was that they have had to postpone any travel plans for the foreseeable.
Emmy went on to say: “Last vacation we went on was our honeymoon and we talk about it all the time, how we’d love to do another big trip.
“But for right now it’s just not in the budget and that’s ok.”
She said instead they have favoured doing cheaper day trips close to home so they can still experience the buzz of travelling without paying for the “big, elaborate trip.”
Emmy also said that she’s had to stop buying new clothes and following fashion trends, describing it as “a slippery slope.”
And if it’s something she really wanted to get her hands on, Emmy’s advice was to check out the local charity shop or online for a cheaper alternative.
While the fourth thing on their list is to stop buying extra seasonal decor, and stick to what you have already.
She went on to say: “We don’t go out and buy new things every year. We try to buy things that are going to be classic and that we’ll pull out of our box and want to display the next year.”
I’m just trying to normalise living at or below your means when you’re in a financial situation that’s not ideal
Emmy
Finally, Emmy revealed their fifth tip. She said: “It’s car payments.
“My husband and I both own our cars outright, we don’t have car payments on them and that was very intentional.
“We both drive older cars – I drive a 2019 Honda and I always say it’s my dream car.
“Obviously, I wish I had a few more features but if I don’t have to have a car payment every month, I can definitely sacrifice those luxury features like heated seats and Apple carplay if that gives me a leg up financially.”
After sharing her helpful advice, Emmy then added: “Just your daily reminder that everyone’s financial situation is different and it’s ok to make sacrifices. Your future self will thank you.”
Emmy, who shared her experience via her social media profile @ohemmygeee, was inundated with comments.
And everyone was full of praise for Emmy for her openness and honesty, and said everyone could take a leaf out of her book.
One person wrote: “I love how you say, “right now” it’s not forever. But once you’re more financially secure, you’ll be wiser with your money.”
A second social media user added: “Love your mindset. You actually start making sure to take care of what you have and don’t take it for granted.”
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