10 Tips To Make Ends Meet For Big Families

Big families are common in developing countries, while many parents in developed nations tend to stop having children after their third or fourth child. Of course, this isn’t the case across the board, but the average household size in Australia was 2.6 in 2011″”and that number is expected to decrease in the next 15 years.

The truth is that having a big family is difficult, particularly in developed countries like Australia. The cost of living is much higher which makes it more difficult to sustain a large family. So why do parents choose to have a big family?

There are a number of reasons to choose to have a large family:

• Parents who come from a small family, may want to give their kids more siblings to enjoy
• A lack of access to or knowledge of how to use birth control
• Religion. Not all religions are accepting of contraceptives.

However, once you have a large family, it can be a challenge to care for them. One young woman, who we will call Ceci, recounts the following stories from her life growing up in a big family:

“Everything we used was generic, bought with less than $100 per week and that’s for a family of eight: four boys and two girls. Dad would encourage us to bring back any lunches we didn’t eat, and would often make mystery soups with our leftovers.

Friends with smaller families often had cleaners come in once a week, but a cleaner wasn’t an option for us. We did all the chores.

We were taught to only ask for things we needed, not the things we wanted. It’s thanks to this upbringing that I know how to budget!”

Growing up in a large family is challenging, but there are many wonderful things about it:

• More siblings to play and enjoy life with
• More support as you transition into your teenage years and adulthood
• Faster child development
• Older children can be positive role models for younger children

Here are some tips to help large families make ends meet:

Make a budget: Create a weekly budget and stick to it!

Buy wisely: Before making purchases ask yourself: do we really need this?

Use Coupons: Thanks to the Internet, there are more coupons and coupon codes available now than ever before.

Grow Food: With lots of hands to help plant and weed, growing your own food in a garden can help cut food costs.

Shop Smart for Clothes: Shopping at discount and thrift stores may not seem like fun, but you can get great clothes at a wonderful price if you shop in the thrift stores near upscale neighborhoods.

Cancel Services: Cancelling the cable may not seem like fun, but many cable companies will lower your bills just to keep you as a client.

Go Generic: You don’t need brand-name toothpaste, toilet paper, or groceries. Buy generic as often as possible.

Save energy: Not only is it a benefit to the environment, but being careful with heating and lighting can trim down your energy bills.

Avoid using credit: Only spend what you can afford credit card interest can be a drain on a tight budget.

Don’t rely on one source of income: Having multiple sources of income to support the family helps minimize the risk if a wage earner loses their job or if injured or incapacitated.

Having a large family isn’t easy, but you can do it! It’s going to take more work, but smart parents will be able to survive and thrive with a big family.