How We Budget for our Family of Ten ║ Home-Based Income

Today I'm sharing how we budget for our family of ten on our single, home-based income. I give particulars of our personal budget as well as general information on our methods. We always have a good amount of money in savings using this method so we can withstand some of the unexpected things that happen in the course of life! According to epi.org, a family our size should need around $11,000 a month to live in our area. We live on just over half that amount and do it comfortably. Our $2,000 spending category includes food, entertainment, household goods, birthdays, small projects, gasoline, etc.
www.andreamills.tv
Mills Family
P.O. Box 323
Moorcroft, Wyoming 82721

[@rawlyroo5975]

You will be missed . This channel is a gift from heaven .

[@cindyb8775]

yes, it is, a gift I did not discover until I kept seeing youtube tribute videos and since seeing them, I've been watching her videos and I am so incredibly sad. Sad that I am so late in discovering her, sad for her husband and children but yet, I am so happy to know wholly and completely that she is with the Lord and in his keeping.

[@DanaLynne]

Tom, you really need to monetize your youtube channel. The extra income would be such a blessing to your family now

[@Blessedbears]

So glad he is now! Hope it helps! I make sure to watch the entire ad to help!

[@madineal1475]

I love that you customize your smaller house instead of getting something large and unaffordable that doesn't suit your needs. Thank you for breaking this down. I'm going to apply some of this to my life!

[@TomMillsFamily]

I have a question, how would your husband survive if he didn't have you to handle this stuff?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I love it when I get a comment from my favorite person!

[@BlackKaida]

You guys are so darn cute! I hope I can have a marriage like yours one day :]

[@tanianava1768]

Tom Mills You two are sooo cute!

[@patriciaorsborn7165]

Tom Mills God has truly been good to the both of you!! But it's plain to see that y'all really do work at your marriage and raising your children. Good job!!

[@janlovesmany712]

Tom Mills wow ...my Tom just thinks it happens even after 40 yrs... but hes a good guy and i love him... your a gem!!

[@melissamcclain34]

Rest in Peace 🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊❤❤❤❤🕊🕊🕊🕊🕊

[@BrownEyes71]

Tom I am praying for you and the kids during this time.

[@TheSeedOfChange]

I have one child. (Almost too much for me personally to handle, but at least I know that.) I am also an atheist. But, I love your videos! You are so down to earth and seem like just generally a sensible person. I think I'm sort of fascinated by what a good balance you seem to have struck between your obvious religious beliefs/traditional values and embracing 21st century life. I have a lot of respect for you and your family. Thank you for sharing...

[@eratoisyourmuse659]

Sara Carter I am an atheist mom of 4! I myself, am greatly fond Andrea Mills and family and the way they balance financial, spiritually in their lives. I think as mothers, we respect and value the techniques of those who can teach us practical and ingenious way to make balance in our own lives I too, respect and admire this woman and organization. As mothers, regardless of our religious/secular beliefs, we still have so much in common. Much respect to this family and their great organizational ideas!

[@anitaoliva9431]

Proud Mom g

[@breathlessinbedvlogs]

Agree!

[@EvadoCouto]

I’m agnostic with no kids yet and am so fond of Andrea. It’s so hard to believe she’s gone.

[@heyitsajiid]

Dear Sara Carter, go on Ligonier Ministries and subscribe, you will love it. Also, read a book called " The Case For Christ", written by a former atheist. I truly hope that you come to faith, so that you can experience joy that the world cannot comprehend and understand. In summary, God sent his son to die for our sins so that we can live forever with him in heaven. You don't have to lift one finger, Jesus paid it all. For more historical proofs follow on youtube "TheBibleProject" and also, Sergio and Rhoda in Israel. Truly hope to see you in heaven. I am praying for you.

[@loveandlife4222]

Tom - what a wonderful blessing your beautiful wife was for you and your beautiful children. As I watch these videos your precious wife made, I can’t help but think what a wonderful resource for you as you raise your family without her. Also such precious videos for your children. As they watch these throughout the years they will have a wealth of information to help them but also they will know how much their mom loved them. Bless you and your precious family. I too am from and live in Wyoming - on the entire opposite end of the state as you are.

[@kimberlyduncan1053]

You are very brave to show what your bills are & what you spend. Some people can be so judgemental! You ate doing great & you have a wonderful family. God has truly blessed you!

[@robbien.3964]

Kimberly Duncan I completely agree!

[@Blessedbears]

Yes!!!

[@michellemunoz5133]

I obviously didn’t know her, but I would’ve loved to! What a beautiful and brilliant mama. Such an inspiration. This world sure did lose an amazing soul.RIP. You are home. Prayers for your precious family.

[@breathlessinbedvlogs]

You have such a warm light about you. I'm not religious at all and what I appreciate about your videos is 1) they're warm & interesting 2) you're never bashing people who are not religious or trying to get people to change. You're inspiring me to appreciate what we have more & giving me new ideas on staying organized. Totally binge watching your videos ❤

[@drummerlovesbookworm9738]

This video shows that you really have made a choice about where to spend your money.....scaling down some things and making room in your home and heart for the kids. So wonderful. So, so wonderful. xoj

[@lindasmith3266]

You have such a gentle spirit about you! I love your videos. Very informative.

[@PotawatomiProud]

So glad you kept your happy music. Thank you!🙏🏽❤️😊

[@vanesamancilla3786]

Im fairly new to your channel, but already have a lot of respect for you and your family. I always look forward to seeing your new videos.

[@jessicamatthes1611]

Thank you so much for being so willing to share this with us! It's so helpful! I was reading comments and saw that you don't have an interest in monetizing your videos. I completely respect your decision but I think you should consider allowing ads on your videos. It's clear you put a ton of time and thought into these videos and I don't think anyone would mind that you get compensated for all of your work! Either way, I love your channel, it's so refreshing:)

[@titalinda9093]

Jessica Eckersley I agree with you!!

[@bluepitchick]

Jessica Eckersley totally agree plus you can think of it as money that goes right into your vacation fund! That way it's not money you NEED but it's a bonus.

[@CookieCrumbFun]

That was full of so much helpful info. You seem to have a good hold on your budget. Its a great thing for the day we live in. So many are drowning in debt. Thank you for being on here and sharing with us! You are a blessing to me. my family enjoy your videos so much. Praying for you all!

[@valerielain1481]

Thank you for explaining. God bless you and your family. I like to mentioned I am from a family of nine I am the oldest girl. My parents have passed on. We all still have each other. So yes it is a blessing to come from a large family.

[@patriciaorsborn7165]

I appreciate your tips, I like seeing people who are really involved in the lives of their families. I'm a retired teacher, and I know how important it is to children, you're raising children who will be productive, contributing members of society. I am a big proponent of home schooling. Involving your family in some type of spiritual journey is a good way to bring up your kids, no matter what your beliefs are, whatever Higher Being you believe in. You also appear to be teaching them to be fiscally responsible. Good job!!

[@thehomespunwife]

Thanks for this wonderful breakdown of how you budget for your large family, Andrea! Great tips for everyone to implement, even smaller families or older couples!

[@jackie64b]

You make me motivated. I love watching your videos on how you manage your home. You're very impressive!

[@triciakrn]

Loved this video. Thank you for your willingness to share.

[@erinkimmel9479]

Ok you've inspired me to get out the ol' spreadsheet and do a budget next month. Our income has been more than sufficient in recent years so I quit keeping track once things weren't so tight. With paying off our house, I need to make a plan for what to do next! Great video Andrea.

[@PotawatomiProud]

YOU Never cease to AMAZE me.😊

[@brookd007]

I automated our finances several years ago. We have a "rewards" credit card only for our bills and everything is set up to be "auto drafted" out of this card. It makes it super easy for me to sit down once a month and see what all our bills were and make sure everything looks right and to pay it off. As a bonus, we accumulate rewards points that I can cash in for gift cards for Walmart or Amazon. I never carry a balance on this card and there's no yearly fee for it, so it's a free way to automate taking care of those pesky bills without anything ever being late no matter what's going on at bill time.

[@KarenReep]

Thanks for sharing! We are a family of nine. I'm thinking about doing a budget video too! Very helpful.

[@jillygirl2024]

Thank you for being so open - I am new to your channel and don't laugh, but I find it difficult to budget for just one person, so I am always looking for budgeting, frugal ways to save $, and frugal cooking ideas

[@thefranks8726]

This has turned out to be a helpful video for us! We’ll be adopting in a few short months (Lord Willing!) and so this gives us some things to consider for our budget. Right now we spend as little as possible and throw the rest in savings, using it when absolutely necessary. These categories are going to be very helpful. It’s amazing that this is your budget for a ten person family! I know lots of singles and couples that spend more than this on just themselves!

[@BlackKaida]

I find you and your whole family so heartwarming and inspiring! I'm 27 and don't have any kids yet, but I like learning so much from you and seeing how your family interacts with each other. It's an amazing dynamic and they are all awesome people :] I have some questions for your Q and A video! Questions: What level does the ACE curriculum end at? I know Thomas is 15 now so is he planning on using the curriculum all of highschool? If he is going to continue with ACE is he planning on taking the SAT when he finishes the Grade 12 work? Do any of your kids have idea on what they want to do when they grow up? Do any of them have career goals that involve going to college/university? Do you feel the ACE curriculum will prepare the children well for college/university if they want to go? For example, with 11th and 12th grade Trigonometry, Calculus, Physics, English, History, Biology? How long do you think you'll want your kids to live at home with you? I know a lot of people in my generation are having issues finding work and getting their feet on the ground and end up living at home for a long time, just wondering how you feel about your kids living with you into their 20's. And lastly, I'm a veterinary student (from Atlantic Canada) and I'd love to here a bio and little talk about your pets! It's always so much for me to see them in the videos and animals are really my joy in life. I thought maybe you could do a little showcase of the furry family members and talk about their ages, names, and where you got them and a little about them (ie. who their favourite family members are or what their favourite activities are). I might be the only one interested in that haha but maybe others might be interested :3 So thankful for all the videos you share!

[@loz6124]

You have stunning eyebrows! You're such a beautiful woman, both inside and out!

[@smparker15]

Thanks for this video, super helpful tips! I am also glad to know of someone who handles their money like me. My mom is annoyed that I am not using a money program (I have my own printable), saving receipts, tracking money in/out and having a weekly time where I do all of this. In her mind someone in their mid thirties should be more organized with their money. I am organized, it just looks different then her way of organizing. I guess we are never too old for our parents to want things to be better for us!!

[@sandramullen7804]

Aww Andrea. So nice to hear your sweet voice . Such a calm and sweet lady . Rest in peace sweet hesrt 💙

[@LifeByJen]

Great video!! I am going to try this starting next month. Thank you so much for sharing!!!

[@r.wagner5142]

Love your channel! It's so interesting and cool!

[@keikosah8254]

Andrea, have you ever thought of doing a video showing baby photos of the older kids, photos from your wedding and just other memories you have? We get to see the little ones growing up like little Sophia and Claudia but I think it would be fun to see a baby Thomas and such too!(as long as the older ones agree lol!)

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We're planning those kinds of videos for our February theme, so coming up!

[@gr33n4eva]

Andrea Mills you should do a video introducing your pets. :)

[@1vansrnice]

I’ve seen this video so many times and it popped up on my suggested again, love watching these! I miss Andrea’s “how we do.....” videos 😢

[@bethgordon7386]

I like your method of budgeting. It's quite similar to the way I used to do things several years ago. For some reason things kept getting complicated and drifted away from budgeting. Now I'm doing more expense tracking that actually budgeting. At the end of December I decided to get our financial house in order and I have a very simple system in place that I can tweak as needs change. I would love to see videos how chores and payments are handled. If I remember in an earlier video you had time cards and clock. Plus how your handles computer/internet usage. Oh and a video on discipline too. :)

[@GenuineJess]

I love how detailed you are with money organization. I need to be the same way.

[@SocaMusicLova1]

seeing your budget made me more confident with mine being that we are self employed with children and working our way out of 180k debt and trying to keep a buffer big enough to cover 2 months of bills

[@thriftyworkinggirl7481]

Very helpful, thank you for sharing! ☺️

[@ktm10593]

Just wanted to let you know I love your videos so much ! Just started watching tonight and I watched about ten now lmao

[@aboveallLove523]

This beautiful woman is now an Angel . Watching these videos she is remarkable! Amazing mother and woman Thank Andrea for showing me patience and how to parent💜

[@gypsiemomm]

I so wish I had all your great insite when I was bringing up our 6 children. We have 3 left at home but ages 13,17,20. My 13 yr old loves watching your videos with me. She is gleaning all your wisdom! Hope to meet you someday in heaven! I pray for your family everday!❤

[@katherinemurphy7078]

Why oh why do I have to live so far away from you!!! I could use a friend like you! Thanks for always answering my questions

[@capucinecooper490]

I LOVE THIS VIDEO THANKS HELPED OUT SOOO MUCH!

[@pamriquel]

So so helpful! Thank you ❤️

[@ShigekoOtori]

Hi Andrea, can you do a video on your bed time routine? I'm really currious, how you do that with 8 kids around. Lots of love from germany :)

[@leithagrover9116]

ShigekoOtori that would be cool

[@teresah4972]

I wish I had known Andrea in person. You can tell by the videos she was beautiful, inside and out! Lifting you all up in prayers.

[@leem200]

She has left a legacy for all of us. Her advice is sound. She will forever be in my heart. I miss her.

[@camillek5793]

The way you budget is very similar to how we do it. ❤

[@andreab1362]

This is very interesting...Love your videos!

[@Charis6540]

That is so awesome that you are giving your children a skill that they can use now and when they are older, my husband and I are looking into that same insurance, we also use our credit card as much as we can and pay it off every month, we have a cash rewards card and I save the rewards and usually at the end of the year we have around $500 in rewards that we can use for what ever we want

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We cashed in our credit card points this past fall and got a check that paid for a good portion of our trip to California. It was really nice!

[@shelleybean1112]

Watching whilst waiting for 2021 I wouldn't hv watched this tom if you hadn't miss uploaded everything is meant to be miss you andrea x

[@brittanyfilori1681]

Love the new look!

[@yasminchebaby]

Thank you so much for this video.

[@thesmithshow4397]

Andrea your eyebrows are amazing! Beautiful!

[@megangoggans1208]

Watched the ads! Trying to help with monetization.

[@thewatergal5770]

Just found you. I don't know how I never saw your channel before. Subbed immediately! :-)

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Welcome!

[@Christina-ls3qo]

I always find it so interesting to see how families decide to spend their money so thank you for sharing! What do you do about saving for retirement or kids educations? Also, do your children do activities? This is an expensive part of our budget.

[@rebeccacastillo9444]

Wow! $585 for a house. California sucks. I pay around $1,400 for a two bedroom apartment. I need to love lol. Love the video. It makes me realize that I need to plan better with our money

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Tom is from California and prices there are sickening!

[@gracelovepeace1]

😭😭.. Rest in peace

[@elliem.8537]

Hey Andrea! Can you please do a video on what you do when someone gets sick? Just a suggestion. 😊😊

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I'm planning a month of herb/home remedy videos coming up soon!

[@TheLilmissSlytherin]

Andrea Mills oo there's herbs for fertility?? please do a section in your herb video on this please. ttc for 4 years now with nothing

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Eden and I have watched all of Shoshanna's herb videos here on KZbin. kzbin.info

[@sarahgattis4084]

About how much would you say it cost for your unassisted home birth. My husband and I have 2 kids and are planning a home birth if God chooses to bless us with another one.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

+ Sarah Gattis We spent about $50 for supplies. We had an elective ultrasound done which cost $120. We bought our own birth pool which was the biggest expense. I can't remember how much we paid, but they're about $250 on Amazon. A little kiddie pool would work just as well, though. (Or you could do a traditional birth and skip the pool altogether.) Depending on what you have on hand and how simple you want to be, you could get by with old sheets and some string and scissors for the umbilical cord! I'd recommend the book Emergency Childbirth by Gregory White to help you to know what to do if there are any complications. It's a small, simple book designed for policemen, firemen, etc. and is just perfect for information without too much information.

[@dr0pb34rz]

Hi Andrea - great video :) Can you do a video on how chores work with your kids - the whole clocking in and out thing? Do you immunise your kids? Just finished my menu cards Andrea Mills style!!

[@ms.anonymousinformer242]

I watched one of their Q&A videos and she says they stopped vaxx'ing after the 1st or second child was a baby. I was so relieved to see that they do not poison their kids with injections. :-)

[@electronictrip]

such a good wife & mama she was. she sure took good care of her children and husband. and he took care of her and will continue to take care of their children. Gods way is always the best way!

[@minnieridgeway2736]

I have a similar process. with my bills and planning ahead.

[@MomBehindTheComputer]

You are so organized! Love it!

[@stormwinters6634]

wow that sound like a crazy amount but at the same time I'm a single woman now that my kids are adults. but for the whole brake down for a family of 10 seems reasonable

[@thefranks8726]

Do you or how do you budget for orthodontics/dental/vision? Also, do you have life insurance for your kids? I know it’s kind of morbid to think about, but a friend of ours had insurance for one of their sons that developed a disease later in life that would prevent him from getting insurance now. It’s a good thing his parents got him the life insurance because now the son has a family of his own :) This video was very helpful! We’ll be going over our own budget again soon and I hadn’t considered some of these categories. Thanks!

[@manjar50]

HEAVEN HAS GAINED A BEAUTIFUL ANGEL. RIP

[@marlenebranom]

Hi, Tom, I was wondering do you have to be in the ministry, as in a pastor, or a teacher in the church, or have your own church as you do in your home? I an younger then my husband he is going to retire in 2 yrs and he will have health insurance but I won't and I haven't been able to work because of raising children, and I did a lot of daycare but when I claimed it on my taxes they said it was a wash because I didn't make enough. And they don't think like us that love the Lord as in I didn't charge enough so I had a choice 1I could charge more, 2 or keep doing it as a loss so I kept doing as a loss. I wanted to raise our children not anyone else. And there are families that work and pay almost their whole check on daycare and I felt bad for them. So I am disabled so I am going to apply for it but I know in the end the Lord takes care of us so I'm trying all the doors. Thanks in advance if you don't know can you point me in the right direction so I can find out? I still pray for you all I pray you are doing well?

[@Hannah123605]

Have had a look at the Samaritan Ministries website and it sounds very interesting. Would love a video explaining why you choose them over regular health insurance and your experience with it

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We rarely ever go to the doctor and the cost of regular insurance is ridiculous for a family our size. We love having a way to meet our needs while giving to others who are part of the body of Christ. We've only submitted needs to them twice (Solomon's birth and Claudia's birth) but they were very helpful negotiating better prices for us and then we got tons of greeting cards in the mail from all over the country each one with a check in it to help us pay our bills. It felt really special!

[@livinglife5313]

Love this 😍

[@courtascot]

Thats impressive that the 3 older kids can help put computers together? Must be very smart.did tom teach them or did they figure it out themselves

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Tom taught them. It's like a little computer factory when they're all working together. :)

[@iloveservicedogs104]

I've never heard of the Samaritans purse insurance do they help with medication? my medication bill is $1500 a month I just found out due to my illness that I need $8000 in dental work I don't have any dental insurance.

[@qianahawkins3436]

ma'am.... u are amazing. i wish i had money 2 buy u a new van or a car 2 donate 2 you bc yall deserve it. i wud love to see yall travel in an rv for a few months with that huge family. lol

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

You're really sweet!

[@mariaa7588]

Thank you so much for sharing Andrea! I was happy to see you use Samaritan Ministries. I used Christian Health care for awhile. Have you had any problems with it? It covers maternity correct? We are in Wyoming too. We do the zero based budget but it's been challenging since opening our business . Learning curve!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, Samaritan Ministries covers maternity. In fact, that's the only time we've ever had a need with them. They helped us with Solomon's birth and Claudia's birth. (Sophia was our unassisted birth so we didn't have any medical bills.) If you do a home birth, Samaritan shares 100%. (Normally you have to pay the first $300 of any need you have.) Where in Wyoming are you?

[@rosalynnweaver3295]

I need to tell my husband to start up a side business in computers. He has he's masters in computer science and he works at Caterpillar right now in a few weeks he got a new job. At Caterpillar they work he's butt off he doesn't have any extra time for anything else. With the new job he doesn't work over 38 hours with he's salary. Do you have video how you guys got your business going? I just looked at that website epi.org and what my husband makes and what we spend is what it says we need to make in our area 😩 I need to work on cutting costs more. It says 6,479 and he brings home around 6,500 after taxes.

[@kaylalowery2321]

Awesome!

[@poopsieanna3680]

thank you for your info, wish I would have met you

[@Budgetwithquincy]

Family of 10! How awesome! This was a very interesting look into a great budgeting system! Keep up the good work. Come and budget with me on my channel sometime!

[@jillygirl2024]

WOW trash, sewer, water seems high but when you think about it being for 10 people then it is a good deal my city bills sewer & water every three months & it runs around $30 for a single person - trash is covered by taxes unless it is a very large apt house then they must have a dumpster- 5 apts in my house so landlord pays water & septic & trash is paid thru taxes. At first, your electric also seems high but w/ 10 people, several computers going @ one time as well as a business then it would be high. I enjoy learning about budgeting, tips on saving $ as I have a difficult time budgeting for 1 person on an income that flucuates

[@mildredlane3717]

do u have a video on herbs u dry and useage? thanks

[@QilaChannn]

The boys should make a channel discussing about gadgets, custom made computers and all technologies stuffs.

[@annbeth6730]

how did we manage before computers

[@debbieomi]

Hi Andrea, like many others, I assumed you were getting a bit of money from your channel. I have Adblock on my computer so wouldn't know if you had ads or not on your videos. I read your comments here and really appreciate your reasons for not doing the ad thing. What about the tip jar though? Most people would only know about from going directly to your channel and it's not something you have to talk about in vids or write about in the description. I guess I think of it like this... I don't watch tv. I watch my computer which includes many You Tube channels. Every once in a while, I like to "thank" these folks with a few dollars for providing me with knowledge, thoughts to ponder, or some form of entertainment. In my face-to-face life, with friends, I might buy them a cup of coffee or share a couple dozen cookies with them. Not so easy to do here. :-) Well, anyhow, I will keep an eyeball on your channel just in case you do ever add that tip jar. LOL

[@debbieomi]

As soon as I hit post, a bolt of lightning struck! I would like to send you a taste of Michigan box. It will take me a while to come up with all the goodies as right away I know two items I have to include but won't be able to get until closer to spring. :-) Are there any food allergies in your family? I hope you will accept this offer!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

We'd love to get some Michigan treats! We don't have any allergies so everything's game!

[@debbieomi]

Yay! I am excited! I wish it was closer to spring. Lol

[@momof6boysandaprincess592]

Hi! I was wondering if your homeowner's insurance and property taxes are included in your house payment? I have to budget monthly for these things because they are not included.

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, those are both included in the $585 and the mortgage company pays them.

[@willydawgs]

Buckle up for your auto insurance to probably triple once Thomas is licensed to drive. Our auto insurance went from $67/mo to $234/mo when our son turned 16. The insurance industry is so biased against young male drivers!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yikes!

[@michellegibson5065]

willydawgs nope, all depends, my son's ins was only$78 for his 2005 Saturn. shop around he is now 18 and he has paid his since he was 16. We look for a vehicle that was cheaper in insurance. For instance one vehicle we look for was almost $200 to insure versus the Saturn was only $78. a lot of arranged in between $120to $150 a month. it just all depends on what kind of vehicle you buy. make sure you get all your discount that you can. Also are Insurance offered if our kids took a safe driving course through our Police Department he got an extra discount and he did which he took that before we even knew about it was a being a discount. I found out about the safe driving course and made him take it because I thought it was a good thing. anyway good luck God bless and have a wonderful week.

[@strangekat2840]

Michelle Gibson Over in the UK, I was recently quoted over £1000 a year for insurance. That's with a full licence, but no no claims discount because I've never been able to afford insurance. My mum pays less than £500 a year on insurance for hers and my step dad's cars.

[@annbeth6730]

being biased towards someone because of their gener is illegal in UK

[@sherremullins3354]

This woman did it all. I will be praying for her husband and children. Rest in peace.

[@linak7155]

I personally know a BIG family of 10. (2+8= )The Mom has homeschooled all of her children (still is), and also plans the budget for the family. She has an album with cut out paper coupons. They go camping once a year to Connecticut 🏡 Abba Father has been good to them!

[@CoffeeBuzz]

Thanks for this video! This may have been asked but do you guys save for your kids college funds or what is your plan for that?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

This may not fit with other people's thinking, but college isn't necessarily a dream we have for our kids. There are many reasons for that which we may get into in a future video, but for now I'll just say that if any of them choose to go to college, we'll probably apply for scholarships, work, etc. to pay for it. We've checked out College Plus which is a business that helps you figure out the fastest, least expensive options for getting the degree you're working for.

[@Aques89]

your video doesn't have ads..

[@pattiamaro2426]

What life insurance do you use?

[@goode2shuz1]

We make about the same income as you do and our bills are about half as much as yours. I live in a small town and the living expenses are cheap, plus our house is paid for (we are older than you). I like your ideas on putting money in savings for those unexpected items that come up. And also savings for the once a year or every once in a while expenses such as kids savings, car repairs, birthdays, etc. I have just opened a savings account so I am going to try that. My one bill that is my problem item is my one credit card that I just can't seem to get paid off. The balance is about $5,000 right now. I pay about $200 per month on it (always over the minimum payment due) but just can't seem to get it paid for. How would you recommend I get this bill paid off once and for all? This is the only credit card we have.

[@kensyasjourney6342]

What do you do for dental? Do you skip cleanings if you had no visits in 2016? If so how do you upkeep the families teeth?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

I don't want my children to have x-rays unless absolutely necessary and I'm not a fan of fluoride treatments. I give them a charcoal cleaning and checkup myself once or twice a year so I can keep tabs on how their teeth are doing.

[@kensyasjourney6342]

great info!! thanks for sharing!

[@leeanncornell8305]

Hi!! and Wow Congrats you are doing a fantastic job and look forward to watching future shows to learn new things. : )

[@lolitamorris2943]

R.I.P., lovely lady ...

[@Lainlein]

I'm wondering what you'll be doing if any of your children plans on going to college. You mentioned earlier that you're not too fond of that idea, but of course it might still happen. Do you think they'd qualify for a scholarship, given the many siblings, etc.?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

If any of them want to go, I suppose we'll apply for scholarships and they can work to pay for it. (There are also loans if it's really necessary.) There are some great resources (like College Plus) that help you get a degree with the least amount of time and money spent on it as possible. We'd definitely take advantage of something like that!

[@itsabondslife6724]

My gosh your expenses are like twice as much as my husband even makes in a month lol

[@LifeByJen]

It'sabondslife but you have to remember there are 10 of them! That's only about $500 per person per month if you averaged it out.

[@itsabondslife6724]

that still seems high to me. I am not at all hating on her. I think its wonderful she can afford that much each month and that she has a means to take care of her kids. I am telling my husband he needs to go into computers so that we can make that much a month lol

[@rachelburt5512]

Same! But they're older than me so they've had more time to build their income. We have half the amount of kids they have lol

[@volition51]

I'm guessing your house insurance and property taxes are included in your $585 house payment, which is fantastic! It's crazy how car insurance varies around the country, here in Michigan I pay $123 per month for just pl & pd on my minivan. But in Wyoming it's $90 for 2 cars, including full coverage on one. Thanks for another great video!

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, the insurance and property taxes are part of the house payment. As for the car insurance, I'm sure the fact that we have really old cars helps!

[@volition51]

Andrea Mills Thanks for the reply, it prompted me to look it up and it seems Michigan is 3rd highest for car insurance, but Wyoming's not far behind at #8. Still think I'm paying too much for minimum coverage on 11 year old car. Seeing your $90 is the nudge I need to shop around 😊

[@debbieomi]

I am in Michigan, also, and pay $140 for full coverage on a 15 year old mini van. It still blue books above insurance reimbursement if I had plpd so I keep it at full for now. I shopped around and decided to stay with State Farm. No one else touched full coverage for less than $150. And, I'm in the NW of the lower peninsula- very rural area.

[@hollydanielle3652]

Actually, we are in Michigan and recently bought a 1 year old van and are saving $100 a year paying full coverage in comparison to plpd on our old van. Safety features on newer vans make it not only safer for your family to drive around in but also easier on your pocketbook 🙂

[@vbryington]

What if your busy slows down and don’t get as much customers? Does that hurt you money wise?

[@TheMillsFamilyVlog]

Yes, our money always fluctuates because we never know from day to day if there will be customers or not. Thankfully, Tom has a lot of loyal customers and, even though it's often a juggling act, we always have what we need. We rarely ever get as much as our ideal budget accounts for (though there are the occasional months when we get more.) When we get less, we put less into savings. Non-essentials get cut first, such as the vacation fund or car fund. If money is _really_ tight, we take money out of non-essential funds and use it to pay bills. If money us super tight and we've done both of those things, we just stop shopping as much as possible and eat from our pantry until more money starts coming in. That's one of the reasons to keep from borrowing money, if possible. When you don't owe a lot, you're not faced with the threat of losing something when money is tight.