From Two Incomes to One: Our Journey

My wife and I have always talked about the possibility of her staying home with our daughter full-time. It wasn’t a sudden decision—and it definitely wasn’t easy—but we’re almost there. In fact, we’re currently testing our budget in real time. And by the end of this month, it’ll be official.

We’ll be a one-income household.

It’s exciting. It’s terrifying. And it’s only possible because of one thing: budgeting.

More and More Families Want This

Lately, my wife and I have had a lot of conversations with other parents—especially moms—and we keep hearing the same thing:

“I wish I could stay home full-time.”

“I really want to be home with my kids.”

It’s not that they hate their jobs. It’s just that priorities shift. The idea of being there for the little moments, of raising your kids on your own terms, starts to matter more than the second income.

But the biggest challenge? Making the numbers work.

Life Comes in Seasons

Something that’s helped us make peace with this transition is the idea that life happens in seasons.

Not every season has to be your biggest earning season. Not every season has to be about climbing the ladder or building wealth. Some seasons are for being home. For raising little ones. For slowing down. For doing less, but being present more.

This season for us is about our family. And while we’ve had to make some sacrifices, the tradeoff is worth it.

There will be other seasons. Seasons to build, to earn, to invest, to grow in other ways. But this one? This one’s about giving our daughter the kind of childhood we want for her—and giving my wife the chance to fully live out that role without financial panic hanging over us.

Budgeting is what gave us the freedom to even consider this.

The Plan Before the Leap

Let’s be real—cutting your household income in half is a big deal. And doing it without a plan? That’s a fast track to stress and burnout.

That’s why, before making anything permanent, we started living as if we were already a one-income household. We still have both incomes for now, but we’ve shifted our lifestyle to match what our new reality will be. We’re running the numbers, testing the system, and seeing if it’s truly sustainable.

If we didn’t have a budget—if we didn’t break down our income, expenses, and goals—we’d just be guessing. And guessing while giving up a salary? That’s a no for us.

How We’re Making It Work

Here’s what’s helping us get through this transition with confidence:

  1. We track every dollar. We know exactly where our money is going, and we adjust on the fly if things change.

  2. We started a zero-based budget. Every dollar gets a job. There’s no fluff, no forgetting, no “where did it go?” moments.

  3. We practiced first. We gave ourselves a trial run. Could we make this work with just one income? That’s what this month is all about.

  4. We focused on what really matters. Some things got cut. Others got downgraded. But the tradeoff? More time as a family—and you can’t put a price on that.

It’s Not Easy, But It’s Worth It

We’re not completely there yet—but we’re close. And even in the testing phase, we’ve felt a huge shift in how we view money and time. There’s more clarity, more peace, and way less stress.

I built TheZeroBasedBudget.com for this exact reason. It’s not just a website—it’s the reason we’re able to make this dream a reality. Budgeting didn’t magically give us more money. It just helped us see our money clearly and use it better.

So if you’re a family thinking about making this kind of change: it’s absolutely possible. But don’t guess. Start with a plan, give it a trial run, and see where it takes you.

You might be closer than you think.