There are a ton of families out there struggling to get by week to a week, regardless of whether you have two working people in the home, or just one. However, I am going to focus on those who only have one income coming in each week. Whether you are only living on one income because one of you lost your job, or maybe one is a stay at home parent, it can sometimes be a bit difficult using just that to live on. I am going to be giving you a few tips that make living on one income a bit easier and less stressful for your family.

-Plan a Budget: Creating a budget is going to become your best friend, trust me. Having a budget gives you a guide to go through with expenses during the week. Without one you are more likely to go off track and make unnecessary purchases and blow your money. I recommend creating a complete budget including meals, activities, bills, and all other expenses that you typically have to make. Do this for each pay period that you have.

-Use Coupons: The easiest way to save a bit of cash and make things a bit easier it to use coupons. A lot of people brush coupons to the side and don’t ever worry about using them, but trust me they make a huge difference. I try to use as many coupons as I possibly can when I go shopping anywhere, and try to stick to the items that are on sale and buy in bulk when I can.

-Earn Extra Money at Home: There are a TON of ways to earn extra income at home, such as running your own blog that you could potentially profit off of, or reviewing products for payment, or even taking surveys. You may not be able to earn a ton of money doing this at first, but it will help and make things not as bad on the wallet.

-Cut Down on Expenses: There are so many ways to cut down on your everyday expenses, such as buying the off brand of grocery items, reusing things that can be reused, turning down the thermostat and layering up to save on a heat bill, and also taking shorter showers to cut down on the water bill. These simple changes can really make a difference in your bills and you will be saving more money than you would think.

-Drop Unnecessary Expenses: Also, don’t spend money on things that are not essential. For example, try finding cheaper alternatives to family activities that you may be doing, drop bottled water and drink from the tap, or dropping cable and consider just getting Netflix or Hulu that only costs $10 a month and you are still able to watch tons of TV shows and movies at a much more affordable rate.

I know that living on one income might get to be a bit difficult, however it is doable if you are able to manage your money properly. I hope you take these tips into account if you are currently struggling with living on just one income.