America's Cheapest Family

[Minnie824]

Did anyone see this on yahoo.com? Theres a video in the front of the news area there. Apparently, they have 7 kids, 2 cars, house, live on $35,000/yr and have no debt and use no credit cards. Amazing. I think they have a book out too, which I'm guessing may provide some extra income. I can't imagine that!

 

[goofyforlife]

Did anyone see this on yahoo.com? Theres a video in the front of the news area there. Apparently, they have 7 kids, 2 cars, house, live on $35,000/yr and have no debt and use no credit cards. Amazing. I think they have a book out too, which I'm guessing may provide some extra income. I can't imagine that!

Actually if you read the article and do the math.... THey have to be making well over $35K in income right now.

It states their monthly expenses as $3,400 a month. If you multiply that by 12 you get $40,800.

Now you all know that to get $40,800 take home you need to be making roughly 1.25-1.3 time that to account for health care and various tax deductions. (Although with 7 kids they probably don't pay alot but they still have to pay SSDI/SSI taxes and such)

 

[mickeyfan2]

The article said they paid off their first home in 9 years making about 35k/year. It does not say they presently make $35K/year. They are now working on paying off their second home.

Their oldest son has a job, they charge for a newletter and he also works freelance.

 

[roselark]

I saw the video, but cannot find an article. Can someone link it?

Also they do have a book. I found it on Amazon.com. "America's Cheapest Family Gets You Right on the Money: Your Guide to Better Living"

 

[MaryKLady]

Did anyone notice their last name is "Economides"...they have to be thrifty with a name like that! I think I need the book

From dictionary.com:
Econom
showing thrift
Example: a thrifty housewife

 

[Stein]

I watched the video, but haven't seen the article. The video clearly states they make just under $35k. It would be an interesting read for sure. Anyone know where they live?

 

[BeckyScott]

I've read their book, but I haven't seen the video.

They aren't quite as extreme as Amy Dacyczyn, but they're pretty close. At the time when the book was written, there were a couple of the older kids that had jobs (part-time babysitting and such I think) and those kids paid for alot of their own stuff. But they do alot of the things that you read about when you read about families like that- bulk grocery shopping, couponing, rummage sales, saving money for everything so they don't do "payments", most of the stuff in the book I had read in other books, but if you're new to the idea it's good information.

 

[MickeyP]

Can someone please post the video link. TIA!

 

[PartyOf5]

I'm not sure how to post video links - but it was posted on Yahoo.com and the link went to ABC news.

I loved the part where they use walkie talkies in the grocery store.

 

[dizkids]

HAHA I saw this too on Yahoo. Using the walkie talkie's in the store....they looked like part of the help in the store. Hey good for them....lots of willpower to resist all lifes urges. I guess Disney is out

 

[Belle0101]

I finished reading their book a week or so ago - checked it out from the library so no cost to me.

It was an interesting read but I didn't learn anything that hasn't already been passed around the budget board.

One thing that really cracked me up was that they have, or had since I'm not sure if they still do, a time limit on showers, 10 minutes I think. If one one of the kids went over their time limit they would go and shut off the water at the main line. They said the kids learned fast to not go over.

 

[Plantlady]

One thing that really cracked me up was that they have, or had since I'm not sure if they still do, a time limit on showers, 10 minutes I think. If one one of the kids went over their time limit they would go and shut off the water at the main line. They said the kids learned fast to not go over.

I grew up in a house with well water.. we were very conservative of water. To this day, my showers last five minutes, tops.

Growing up.. my dad would pound on the wall, when our shower went to long. You turned off the water, or dealth with the wrath of him afterwards.

 

[Kellydelly]

I grew up in a house with well water.. we were very conservative of water. To this day, my showers last five minutes, tops.

.

How do you shampoo, condition, wash, and shave in just 5 minutes ?

 

[wvjules]

How do you shampoo, condition, wash, and shave in just 5 minutes ?

You wash one night, condition the next, wash on day 3 and finally on day 4 you are able to shave.

 

[mjbaby]

Shampooing every day isn't recommended for every skin and hair type, nor is soaping up every good for every skin type. I imagine that if one doesn't have overly oil hair and skin 5 minutes is more than sufficient for most days. As with most things, mindfulness is the key - most people could probably get away with using much less water than they do.

 

[IDoDis]

You could get in the shower, get wet, turn off the water, shampoo your hair and put soap on your body, shave, turn the water back on and rinse and condition.

I watched the video and saw pretty nice furniture, good food, and a nice house. Unbelieveable that they could buy all that on the net income of 35K which would be about 20K. That's about $1660 a month. Shoot, I spend that much just buying groceries and paying the mortgage (which is cheap)-- and nothing else.

 

[snomofinn]

I have short hair, and my showers don't go over 5 minutes, and I shampoo my hair first, rinse, put the conditioner in, while that's absorbing, then wash my body with shower gel, and shave with the same lather from the shower gel, then rinse! 5 minutes, start to finish.

 

[DisneyAprilFool]

I have long hair and it doesn't take me more then 10 minutes to shower, wash/condition my hair and shave. Of course, spend 4 years in the Marines- and you'll be an expert at it as well

 

[Plantlady]

How do you shampoo, condition, wash, and shave in just 5 minutes ?

Frankly, I have no idea why it takes everyone else so long.

Seriously.. I just do it. It was ingrained into me at a very young age, and now it's a habit.

 

[Barbers2005]

I'm impressed by the 5 minute showers. It takes longer than that just to shave my legs. I suppose I could do it faster, but then I'd need a lot more bandaids, so I don't know if I'd be saving any money.