A mum with eight kids, who has a popular following on YouTube, has revealed their $15,000-per-month bills – but says kids are ‘cheap’.
When Kristine Pack met her husband, Matt, they both immediately agreed on one thing: they wanted lots of kids.
Over the years, they’ve welcomed Alyssa, 19, David, 17, twins Zac and Chris, 16, Michael, 12, Owen, eight, Chloe, four and Jade, two.
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And while the pair’s, aged 45 and 47, household is always full of chaos, there’s one thing they’re able to keep under a tight leash.
Per week, they fork out $500 (USD) on groceries and a whopping additional $15,000 on other household bills, including tuition fees, a mortgage, music lessons, sports classes, travel, and pet costs.
While it may seem like a lot, the average couple in the US, more specifically California, where the family resides, forks out around $8,800 per month.
And Kristine, who boasts over 10.5 million subscribers on YouTube, says that there’s “no excuse” for people putting off having kids.
“Kids are so cheap,” she told What’s The Jam.
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“You don’t need to be making big bucks to have a family.
“There are always government plans to help out if that’s something you need.
“We’re lucky enough not to need this form of aid.
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“But, to be honest, it’s all about being good with money.
“Kids learn to adapt.
“Make food from scratch and batch cook.
“I always strive to make my kids the healthiest food possible.
“But that doesn’t mean we always go for the most expensive cuts of meat or produce out there.”
Kristine and Matt, who split their time between California and Hawaii, met in 2003.
Coming from big families themselves, having a small brood was never on the table.
In general, their day starts at 6:45am and the first few hours are filled with work, gym sessions and taking the middle kids to school.
After breakfast is served for the youngest and eldest bunch, it’s time to continue with household chores and find time to turn the camera on and film for their YouTube channel.
Kristine said: “It’s pretty much non-stop chaos.
“We’re never sitting around doing nothing.
“It’s either work or the kids.
“When I do have free time, it’s spent prepping food for the week and making sure we keep on top of the busy schedule.”
Their frugal and organised lifestyle means their home is filled with hand-me-downs galore, including clothes and toys.
If they do find themselves short budget-wise, they will look at where to cut costs, with eating out, shopping and entertainment the first to be cut, as they consider them non-essential.
While it’s not always been an easy ride, they wouldn’t picture life any other way.
She added: “After the twins, I almost died.
“I wasn’t sure if I wanted more kids.
“But, after a while, I knew we needed another one for the bunch.
“The dynamic flows; it’s like they’ve always been here.
“There’s little arguing and they’re very sweet kids.
“Some people online say they’re forced, not happy and everything is fake.
“But their words don’t matter to us.
“The puzzle pieces always end up coming together.
“And life is better now.
“I didn’t know it could get this good.
“Our world would be entirely empty without them.”
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