I'm a 22 year old mother of three and I'm ashamed of not working, but I let a man take care of it
A YOUNG mother has hit back at trolls after she was slammed for letting her husband do all the work while sticking to a strict budget.
Paige, 22, has revealed that her family of five is managing to survive as a family by staying “within” their means.
This means that their accommodation is small, they don't spend money on new products like cars and they have a strict budget in mind when it comes to grocery shopping.
People often ask her how she 'allows' to be a stay-at-home mom.
Paige replied in a video and shared it with her 79.9k TikTok followers.
The mother-of-three said: “The simple answer is that you just have to live within your means.
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“We live in an apartment, and yes, it is not a house. I wish we had a house, but right now we can't buy a house, so we live in an apartment.
“It's big enough for our family, it's nice enough for our family, and that's fine with me.
We don't have a nice car because we can't afford the car payment.
“So we have a 2001 car that might be scary to some of you.”
But Paige and her family are happy with that, as the car has heat, working windows and seat belts that make it “safe.”
She also explained that eating out would cost their entire paycheck, so she's smart when it comes to her grocery shopping.
Experts say supermarkets are adopting shopping habits to get people to buy the deals.
Buying food is a very easy way to make people feel happy, which drives supermarkets to make it an enjoyable, fun experience for customers.
Budgeting or making a shopping list makes them feel like they are denying themselves.
So they need to adopt good shopping habits and find other ways to reward themselves instead of using food.
But Paige isn't letting the supermarkets distract her from her budget.
Strict budgeting
Paige will spend just £39 a week on her weekly grocery shop for her family of five.
This includes a loaf of bread, nuts, long grain rice, sausages, ham, cheese, mixed vegetables, milk, yogurt and Kool Aid.
Paige added, “You have to learn how to grocery shop and cook food for your family.”
She also explained that she does not have “a million subscriptions” to TV channels.
Paige said: “Like, we have Netflix, we have Disney Plus, we have food and that's it.
“We don't even pay for Netflix because it runs through our telephone subscription.
“Things like this will make your money go up.
“We may not have the nicest things, but we certainly have everything we need and my kids have everything they want.
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“People just don't think it's okay to live like this, but I certainly do.
“And my kids are happy, I'm happy, and that's all that matters to me.”
Paige is a stay-at-home mom with the help of her partner who works.
She went on to say in the video, “I have the option to stay at their house.
Four simple ways to get your children involved in sports cheaply
- FITNESS CLASSES: Healthcare institution Nuffield Health is offering free weekly fitness classes for girls aged 11 to 16.
The Move Together sessions are designed to build strength and confidence and are suitable for all levels. - FUN RUN: Junior Parkrun is a free community event that takes place on Sunday mornings at almost 500 locations across the country.
A 2 kilometer route has been mapped out in which anyone between the ages of four and fourteen can participate. Register for free at parkrun.org.uk - SWIM SESSIONS: Many councils offer free classes or sessions for children, so it's worth checking out what's happening in your area. Take a look at your municipality's website.
- TENNIS TIME: Charity Tennis For Free organizes sessions for anyone who wants to get their hands on a racket. Some sessions are for children aged 12 and over, but there are also special family moments.
Find the group nearest you at tennisforfree.com/sites.
“So I'm going to take that opportunity and do it because I'd rather be home with my kids, raising them and making them home-cooked meals, rather than them growing up in a daycare center and eating fast food every night.
“And I'm not saying there's anything wrong with being a working mom, because once upon a time I was a single mom and I had to take care of my family, so all I did was work.
“And some people just want to work, and that's fine too.
But personally, like I said, if I get the chance to stay home with them, I will do it for them because that's what I want and I think that's what's best for my family.
“I get a lot of hate comments that I'm a stay-at-home mom, that I let a man take care of me.
“I do not understand. I don't even care about those comments because this is the life I chose and this is the life I want.”
In another video, Paige revealed how she used to be a single working mother but is now with her partner who works.
The video she shared went viral, with more than 2,000 people rushing to the comments section to share their thoughts.
One wrote: “It's amazing how many of us really don't know how to shop for groceries. I literally just learned how to do that this year.”
Another added: “Same! In an apartment with a paid-off car from 2007, but I get to be with our babies.
A third said: “I'm ashamed of being a stay at home mum.
“Sometimes the comments from family members affect me, but I don't feel comfortable with childcare. There are not many nice people in the world.”