Buy Used and Save the Difference

Photo by: Fuschia Foot

TLC's reality show 19 Kids and Counting is turning heads. Parents Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar take the command "be fruitful and multiply" very seriously, with 19 kids and who knows how many more in the future. Just envisioning the gargantuan cost of diapers, food, and housing costs hurts my head.

What may not be so obvious about Jim Bob and Michelle is that even before scoring a reality show, the family carried no debt for many years. Those of us quivering over the cost of, gulp, a third child can't fathom that such a huge family can survive, let alone thrive financially.

No mortgage, car payments, or credit card bills invade their budget, yet feeding a small army three times a day may make those credit cards look like a better option.

"Buy used and save the difference" is the family motto. From boys' bunk beds and thrift store clothes to making their own laundry soap, the Duggars know where to spend and where to save.

By cooking with whole grains, buying in bulk, and having fun for cheap, the family has enough. By saving and investing wisely, the Duggars own their 7,000 square foot house on twenty acres and drive a 45-passenger bus to haul the family around on road trips.

They will also be the first to admit that in choosing a large family not everyone can have a long Christmas list. The kids learn how to have fun creatively and share a unique closeness. Whether you agree with their philosophy on child rearing or not, it's inspiring to see such a large family making it financially and happy with less.

So in our efforts to wear it up and use it out, place yourself in the mindset of having a huge family to feed before insisting that Junior needs a fifth Baby Bach video. The following may stretch you a bit to make it do or do without.

Just know that long-term efforts to conserve will only yield green in the money and environmental departments.

• When you request a second round of pre-meal chips and dip, empty the leftover salsa into the new bowl to avoid waste. Sound silly? With nearly one pound of edible food thrown out per person per day the garbage is piling up.
• After about two weeks (or two months depending on your hygiene), it's time to unwrap another bar of soap. Instead of tossing the sliver into the trash, get the new bar wet and smash the two together.
• Java junkies, stop tossing those grounds every morning! Dump them in the front flower beds as a fertilizer instead. They'll pep up the perennials and repel Kitty at the same time. Coffee can also be used to absorb odors in a stinky closet or freezer—add a couple drops of vanilla to a bags of old grounds and get a free destinkifier.
• When you roll out of bed and turn the shower on, you wait at least thirty seconds for the cold water in the pipe to pass through. Stick a plastic tub under the shower head and throw that extra water on your lawn instead of flushing it down the drain.
• Grow a new hairstyle with purpose. If you have even moderately thick hair, consider growing it out and either selling or donating it to Locks of Love. Hair must be at least 10 inches in length and cut with a ponytail around it for recycling. All wigs are donated to children 21 and under suffering from medically induced hair loss.
• I'll be the first to admit that I donated plasma for a buck during a tight stretch in college. If you donate twice a week, earn an extra $230 a month for about 16 hours of sitting in a chair. And your donation can save a life. You must be careful with your diet and fluid intake—it's not fun to faint from dehydration. Also get checked out by a health professional if you plan to make it a weekly event.
• Should you end up unexpectedly in a hospital, be relentless about asking your nurses how much certain gadgets cost. I've received a bill for a $7 aspirin. Many of the gadgets, like support hose, Sitz baths, and basic medication are far cheaper when purchased outside of the hospital.

Bonus: Oh Baby! Green Savings for Kids