I’m a pregnant mum-of-11 and I NEVER spend any money in January – here’s how I do it
A PREGNANT mum of 11 has revealed she spends NO money in January.
Courtney Rogers, 36, was a virgin bride when she married pastor husband Chris, 32, in October 2008 – adding she DOESN’T use contraception.
They now have six boys and five girls aged between five months and 10 years – and she’s expecting again.
Courtney and Chris home-school their huge brood and ferry them around the neighbourhood where they live on a 12 acre plot in Santa Fe county, New Mexico, USA, in a 15 seater van.
Their monthly food bills are $1,200 (£975) and last January they were forced to cut out all meals and days out, as they were costing them well over $1,000 (£812) a month.
Now Courtney has revealed this year she’s spending NO cash, calling it ‘No Buy January’.
She explained it on her Instagram page. “We take the month of January and “fast” from unnecessary purchases. We try our best NOT to eat out, buy clothing, do any entertainment that costs extra, buy unnecessary items, etc. However, there ARE a couple exceptions.
“1) We ARE allowed to use any gift cards we received over the holidays.
11 kids and counting...
March 13, 2010 – Clint was born weighing 8lbs 14oz
July 26, 2011 – Clay was born weighing 7lbs 13oz
September 16, 2012 – Cade was born weighing 6lbs 9oz
July 25, 2013 – Callie was born weighing 4lbs 8oz
October 24, 2014 – Cash was born weighing 7lbs 6oz
September 12, 2015 – Colt was born weighing 4 lbs 6 oz
September 12, 2015 – Case was born weighing 3lbs 8oz
May 9, 2017 – Calena was born weighing 6 lbs 6oz
June 10, 2018 – Caydie was born weighing 7lbs 9oz
June 6, 2019 – Coralee was born weighing 8lbs 9oz
November 29, 2020 – Caris is born weighing 9lb 3oz
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“2) We ARE allowed to buy any emergency clothing item (ex: replace missing coat or shoes)
“This challenge is easier for us considering we don’t have any January/February birthdays. I do need to purchase a new carseat and pack n play and hoped to use my January registry coupon to do so. Hopefully, this will be the only non-grocery purchase.”
The kids wear hand-me-down clothes and shoes, with stay-at-home mum Courtney hitting the sales to save money.
But they still go on holiday every year, camping near their family in Georgia, 1,500 miles away, with the trip costing $1,000 (£812) on travel and expenses.
Courtney and Chris also never buy Christmas presents for each other, so they can afford to spend $100 each – £812 total – on their brood.
Courtney and Chris, who were both homeschooled, insist teaching their kids isn’t a chore, in fact, they love homeschooling their kids.
The parents also run a farm of their 12-acres of lands, with two bottle-fed lambs, as well as dogs and chickens.
“I love having them with me all the time and seeing them learn and knowing what they are learning,” said Courtney, who also teaches local kids at church Sunday school.
“I can adapt the lessons to each child and I don’t have to make them sit for hours all day. I love how it’s flexible and the kids can run around outside or feed the lambs between lessons.
“I’m more like a tutor. I’ll set the children work to do and they will come up to me and ask me questions about it.
“I’ve often got a baby in my arms, or I’m changing a nappy and I’ll have four kids queuing up to ask me a maths question.”
Also Mum to Clint, 10, Clay, eight, Cade, seven, Callie, six, Cash, five, twins Colt and Case, four, Calena, two, Caydue, 21 months and Coralee, 10 months, Courtney has had seven vaginal births, two C-sections (one of which was to twins) and also sadly had two miscarriages.
She and Chris met through mutual friends at church camp in Georgia in 2007, then spent a year living 300 miles apart – her in North Carolina and him in Georgia.
They got married in October 2008 and Courtney, the eldest of six kids, discovered she was pregnant two months later.
“Sadly, I had a miscarriage,” she said. “When I got that positive result, it was a dream come true, but then we lost it in the December.”
Just five months later, she fell pregnant again, with their firstborn Clint. Several babies later, they moved from Georgia to New Mexico.
Courtney, who has never suffered with morning sickness, said: “I love being pregnant. I love growing another person inside me, thinking about what they will be like and picking out names.”
Courtney doesn’t like using birth control but swears it isn’t for religious reasons and says her massive family is a personal choice.
“Some people think it’s for religious reasons, but it’s not,” she said.
“I am the only mum at our church who has lots of kids. I think the most anyone else has is four.
“I have never been comfortable going on birth control, as I don’t like the idea of taking a pill.”
“On a good day, I will also get three washing machine loads of clothes etc done,” she said.
“Then everybody helps out with lunch – it will be something like sandwiches or leftovers – and I’ll put the little ones down for their afternoon nap, while the other kids watch a movie or get their chores done.”
Chris is usually home for dinner, which could be lamb fajitas or pizza, but sometimes works late, doing odd jobs like landscaping, construction or helping with renovations, to bring in extra cash – while they also plan to rent out a new property on their land.
The couple, who seldom argue, even try and do their bit for the environment by using cloth nappies and wipes during the day and bamboo nappies at night, which can be composted.
Meanwhile, despite the World Health Organization recommending a gap of 18 to 24 months between pregnancies, Courtney – who was advised by doctors after her caesareans to try and leave a longer time if she wants to have vaginal births – sees no reason to stop having children any time soon.
Courtney and Chris normally wake at 7.30am, seeing to baby Coralee and making a breakfast of cereal and fruit for the other kids, who wake at 8am.
“The morning is the most hectic part of the day – there is always so much going on, with kids running everywhere,” Courtney said.
The older children, who each have chores to make sure the day runs smoothly, help clear up after breakfast and Courtney starts her day of classes – giving the kids a break after a few hours to help bottle feed the lambs.
“I’ve been told there is a higher risk of haemorrhaging if you have lots of babies, but that’s never been something which has worried or affected me, because I give birth in hospitals so they are prepared,” she said.
“I had my first baby when I was 25. I didn’t think they would all come so fast, but I wouldn’t change it.”
She said: “I have been criticised for having them so close together, but I take good care of myself and my babies.
“The people who ask how I can give all my kids enough attention are usually those who send their kids off to school.
“I do not understand their logic when I am around my kids 24 hours a day.”
“I do not regret having so many children – the more the merrier as far as I’m concerned.
“Chris and I love being parents and, as a family, we have a great time together.”
You can follow Courtney on Instagram @littlehouseinthehighdesert.
Meanwhile, Sue Radford previously revealed she and her family get death stares on the street as they exercise during lockdown.