This article in the Daily Mail has been doing the rounds showing how one income families with a mother in the home are paying 44% more in tax than the rest of the developed world. I don’t know whether the research also took into account the higher cost of living over here as well.

One or two of the comments about how individual families struggle so much because mum is at home struck a cord. I’m not sure I believe in ‘frugal living’ any more. Or rather I am not convinced it is possible to have a family with one wage and stay out of debt. In reality all that happens is we put off and put off buying what’s needed until in the end we have to buy a load of stuff in one go, blowing any hope we had of pulling back some cash. Mind you the fact that I have just spent loads on curriculum material means I got a 10% discount. lol.

It seems to me the level of tax imposed on single income families constitutes theft. It would be good to know a Tory Govt would put a lot of this right; but they seem rather quiet on the matter of being pro-family.

So, how to beat them eh? On the whole I don’t think we can; but we don’t need to cave and join them either. There are ways of keeping the inevitable debt down.  But more than that be careful how you think and don’t get tempted to horde stuff for fear you will never be able to replace it if you ever need it again. On the other hand don’t be throwing out things you will need again. Try not to think that you are entitled to stuff because others have it. I would guess this is harder for people who have had to give up a lot of things they once had, than for those of us who have pottered along like this for a long time.

SHARE what you do have. I think this really is the way to make small amounts go a long way. Children’s clothes are great for sharing as is food and for the home edders curriculum stuff. SHARE time and any talents you might have as well. In this way an alternative economy can work. Don’t do it on a tit for tat basis. Just give what you have more of and see what happens.

I am also very keen that the children learn to take care of one another. I really think a lot of the struggles families face in paying bills is because there isn’t enough sharing going on. I am hoping my children have learned that they are ‘my brother’s keeper’.  They don’t need to spend money on ’stuff’ and lots of holidays and meals out while one of their own is struggling to pay the gas bill.  I also want them to be there for each other in a crisis. There is something utterly soul destroying about trying to cope with a serious family crisis with no support from family, and I am teaching (I hope) my children that this must not happen.

The way to beat this Govt at their anti-family game is for families to work even more closely together and God will take care of the rest