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@Looch, you are awesome! We planned to try to live on one salary but I got pregnant so quickly and we were both working for so little it didn't work out.

I have a weird situation that won't transfer well into much advice, but I think my big savings come through absolute bare minimum spending. We've been incredibly blessed through hand-me-downs for Chickie, and for clothes for myself, I borrowed a friend's maternity wardrobe, and then made do or thrifted post-baby clothes.

I've also gone suuuuuper cheap on personal hygiene items - I now wash my hair with baking soda and apple cider vinegar (google "no poo"), and I wash the baby with Dr. Bronner's soap, which one big $14 bottle from Target has lasted me an entire year because it lathers so much from so little. I don't do fancy face creams and I barely wear makeup anymore. We also cloth diaper during the day (I can't keep her from rashing overnight so we do disposables then) and I do cloth wipes part time too, to save money.

And (this is NOT for everyone) DH and I also donate plasma, which has a small amount of compensation. It's not a lot, but between the two of us, it's a goodly car payment-type amount per month. We've gotten some flack for this because some folks think you shouldn't ever sell life-giving material, but if this is the way that the plasma product industry works then I don't see why I should walk in there twice a week and let them take more than a liter of bodily fluid from me and then try to STOP them from paying me when they pay everyone else.

Sorry, DS was making noise instead of napping and I didn't get a chance to finish my thoughts!

Sometimes just starting to save is the most difficult part. Once you see that fund growing, it becomes a challenge to increase it.

For us, it would have made more sense if I stayed employed but our childcare options were poor, so it would have compromised 2 careers instead of one. I wanted to work part time, but my employer had other ideas, so we parted ways. If I need extra income, I would look to watch another baby. Since I'm already at home, it wouldn't be too difficult to add in another infant.

I'm a SAHM due in part to my husband's job bringing us here to Tokyo. We're actually able to live very comfortably because our rent and utilities are paid for by his company. If we were back in the states, I would definitely be working.