.jpg "How We Balanced Two Jobs + Two Kids on ₹80,000 Combined Salary (Our Exact System)")
Let me be honest upfront. My wife Priya and I are not parenting experts. We're two working parents from Pune—she's a teacher (₹35,000/month), I'm in IT support (₹45,000/month). We have a 6-year-old daughter and a 3-year-old son. Our parents live in different cities, so no built-in childcare. We were drowning until we created a system that actually works.
This isn't "10 parenting hacks from Instagram." This is our actual budget breakdown, our daily schedule with exact timings, and the mistakes that cost us ₹15,000 in our first year. If you're a middle-class working couple trying to figure this out—this is for you.
Quick Navigation
- The Complete ₹80,000 Monthly Budget Breakdown
- Our 5 AM to 10 PM Daily Schedule (Both Parents Working)
- Childcare Solution: ₹8,000/Month vs ₹25,000/Month
- The Sunday Meal Prep System (Saves 10 Hours/Week)
- Quality Time: Our 90-Minute Evening Rule
- 5 Expensive Mistakes We Made (₹15,000 Wasted)
- Emergency Fund: How We Built ₹50,000 in 8 Months
- Free Resources That Saved Us Money
⚠️ Before You Read
This is specific to our situation: Pune city, combined income ₹80,000, rented 2BHK, no car, both parents working 9-6. Your numbers will differ. Use this as a template, not a rulebook.
Also—we still mess up. Last week I forgot daughter's school project. Two days ago we ate Maggi for dinner because meal prep failed. This system helps us succeed 80% of the time. That's realistic.
💰 The Complete ₹80,000 Monthly Budget (February 2026)
Here's exactly where every rupee goes. We track this in a simple Excel sheet every month:
💡 Key Insight: The 50-30-20 Rule
50% Needs (rent, groceries, childcare): ₹40,000
30% Wants (entertainment, clothes, eating out): ₹24,000
20% Savings (emergency fund, investments): ₹16,000
We're close: 50% needs, 31% wants, 19% savings. Good enough!
⏰ Our 5 AM to 10 PM Daily Schedule
This is Monday to Friday. Weekends are different (more chaotic). Here's the real schedule:
⚠️ Reality Check
This schedule works 4 out of 5 days. One day a week, something breaks—kid gets sick, traffic is bad, work emergency. We've stopped feeling guilty about it. Perfect doesn't exist with two jobs and two kids.
👶 Childcare: ₹8,000 vs ₹25,000 (How We Cut Costs)
This was our biggest expense initially. Here's how we reduced it by 68%:
❌ What We Tried First (Expensive)
- Full-time maid: ₹12,000/month - quit after 3 months
- Premium daycare: ₹18,000/month for both kids - couldn't afford
- Relative help: ₹15,000/month + accommodation - didn't work out
Total spent trying: ₹25,000+/month (unsustainable)
✅ What Actually Works (₹8,000/month)
- School till 3 PM: Already paying fees, no extra cost
- After-school program: ₹4,000/month (3-6 PM) - daughter
- Daycare: ₹4,000/month (8-6 PM) - son
- Emergency backup: Neighbor aunty (₹500/day when needed)
Current cost: ₹8,000/month (affordable!)
💡 The Key Discovery
We were paying for 12 hours of care (6 AM to 6 PM). We actually needed only 3 hours (3-6 PM when both at work). School/daycare covered the rest. This realization saved us ₹17,000/month.
🍳 Sunday Meal Prep System (Saves 10 Hours/Week)
Cooking fresh daily was killing us. Sunday meal prep changed everything:
Our Sunday Routine (10 AM - 2 PM)
Step 1: Big Basket Order (Saturday Night)
We order exactly what's on our weekly menu. No impulse buying. Typical order: Dal (3 types), rice, vegetables (7-8 types), chicken (1kg), eggs (30), bread, milk, yogurt starter.
Cost: ₹3,000 for the week
Step 2: Prep Work (Sunday 10 AM - 12 PM)
- Priya: Cuts all vegetables, stores in containers
- Me: Cooks 3 dal varieties (stores in fridge)
- Together: Marinate chicken for week, boil eggs
- Daughter: Helps set table, washes vegetables (she's 6, learning!)
Step 3: Cooking (Sunday 12 PM - 2 PM)
Make these on Sunday:
- Rice (pressure cook 3 batches, freeze 2)
- 3 curries/sabzi that last 3-4 days (paneer, chicken, mixed veg)
- Chapati dough (makes 40, stores 3 days in fridge)
- Breakfast items: Idli batter, dosa batter
Daily (Monday-Friday): 20 Minutes Only
- Morning (5 AM): I make chapatis from ready dough, pack lunch boxes (10 min)
- Evening (7 PM): I heat pre-cooked curry, make fresh rice OR use frozen (10 min)
Result: Fresh-ish meals in 20 minutes vs 1+ hour daily
⏱️ Time Saved Calculation
Before: 1.5 hours cooking daily × 7 days = 10.5 hours/week
After: 4 hours Sunday prep + 20 min daily × 5 = 5.7 hours/week
Saved: 4.8 hours/week = 20 hours/month = almost 3 full work days!
❤️ The 90-Minute Evening Rule
We felt guilty about not spending "enough time" with kids. Then we read research: quality > quantity. We created the 90-minute rule:
7:30 PM - 9:00 PM = Sacred Family Time
Rules We Follow:
- ✅ No phones (we literally put them in another room)
- ✅ No TV/screens during dinner
- ✅ No work talk between us
- ✅ Active listening when kids talk (even if it's random stuff)
- ✅ One activity together (board game, story time, craft, or just silly dancing)
What We Actually Do:
Monday: Uno cards while eating dinner
Tuesday: Daughter teaches us what she learned in school
Wednesday: Drawing/coloring together
Thursday: Story time (we take turns making up stories)
Friday: Dance party in living room (kids' choice of music)
What Changed:
Our daughter used to say "Papa you're always on phone." Now she says "I love our game time!" That's when we knew it worked. It's not about 8 hours daily—it's about 90 FOCUSED minutes where they have our full attention.
💸 5 Expensive Mistakes (₹15,000 Wasted)
Mistake #1: Buying Too Many Baby Gadgets (₹8,000 wasted)
We bought: baby food maker (₹3,000), sterilizer (₹2,500), electric cradle (₹2,500). Used each maybe 10 times. Regular utensils work fine.
Mistake #2: Premium Baby Formula (₹3,000/month × 2 months)
Bought expensive imported formula thinking it's better. Pediatrician said regular Nestle NAN works same. Wasted ₹6,000 total.
Mistake #3: Not Using Generic Diapers (₹500/month extra × 12)
Always bought Pampers/Huggies. Tried Mamy Poko Pants—works exactly the same, costs 30% less. Could've saved ₹6,000/year.
Mistake #4: Expensive Birthday Parties (₹12,000 on first birthday)
Spent ₹12,000 on daughter's first birthday (she was ONE, didn't even remember it). Now we do home parties with family. Costs ₹2,000 max.
Mistake #5: Credit Card EMIs for Clothes (₹3,000 interest paid)
Bought too many baby clothes on EMI during sales. Kids outgrow them in 3 months. Paid ₹3,000 in interest for clothes they wore twice.
Total wasted in first year: ₹15,000+ (that's almost 2 months of savings!)
🏦 Building ₹50,000 Emergency Fund (8 Months)
We had ZERO emergency fund when our son was born. Then he needed hospitalization (₹35,000 bill). We took a loan. Never again.
Our 8-Month Plan:
| Month 1-2: | ₹5,000/month (cut entertainment, eating out) |
| Month 3-5: | ₹7,000/month (I did weekend freelance work) |
| Month 6-8: | ₹6,000/month (back to normal savings) |
| Total Saved: | ₹50,000 in 8 months |
Now it sits in savings account. Touched only for real emergencies (medical, job loss).
📱 Free Resources That Saved Us Money
For Kids Activities (Free/Cheap):
- YouTube Kids: Educational videos (ABC, 123, rhymes) - Free
- Public library: Free membership, 10 books/month - Free
- Public parks: Evening play time - Free
- Drawing supplies: From local shop, not branded - ₹200/month
For Parents:
- WhatsApp parent groups: Share toys, clothes, tips - Free
- Excel budget tracker: (I can share template if needed) - Free
- Google Calendar: Family schedule, appointments - Free
- Parent Circle website: Parenting advice - Free
The Honest Truth About Working Parent Life
We're not perfect parents. Our house is messy. We feed kids Maggi sometimes. We forget stuff. But we've figured out a system that keeps us sane, solvent, and mostly happy.
The budget works. The schedule works (mostly). The kids are healthy and happy. Priya and I still like each other (most days). That's success in my book.
You don't need ₹2 lakh salary to raise kids well.
You need a plan, flexibility, and to let go of perfection.
If we can do this on ₹80,000, so can you. Adjust the numbers to your situation and go for it.
Questions? Other Working Parents, Drop Your Tips!
What works in your family? Different city, different income? Share your budget/schedule in comments. Let's help each other figure this out!
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