When 14 Kids and Pregnant Again special first aired in 2004, James Robert "Jim Bob" Duggar and wife Michelle, have been making enough already to take care of the family's needs. Bob is a professional realtor and once served as a lawmaker in the sixth district of the Arkansas House of Representatives (1999-2002). He also owns several commercial properties in his local area as an investor.
But thanks to the TLC reality television program, the star of the 19 Kids and Counting now has a net worth estimated at $3.5 million, said Starcasm.
Despite the growth in wealth, the Duggar family has been living a modest life, following their money philosophy to "buy used and save the difference and to live debt free." Apparently, bob and Michelle learned that after attending Jim Sammons seminar on Finding Financial Freedom program in 1990.
Also, thanks to TLC and 19 Kids and Counting reality show, the Duggar family gets to enjoy many other non-income perks that goes with the show's popularity, including traveling around the world, free furniture from sponsors when they moved to a much larger home. The 19 Kids and Counting family also received some financial aid in Jill Duggar's recent mega-wedding.
But how does the Duggars afford to feed and clothe 19 kids, and with the family continues to grow? Simple, they buy cheap and save.
In one episode of 19 Kids & Counting in 2014, Jim Bob taught us to take advantage of free kiddie meals when he took out his children for pizza. Jim Bob brought the kids to place that offer free meals to kids.
The Duggars maintain a $3,000 budget on monthly groceries and buy in bulk, claimed Michelle.
"For groceries, we mainly shop at discount grocery stores, warehouse clubs and co-ops. You can save thousands of dollars by doing just that. We buy mostly in bulk and stock up once a month on staples like butter, cereal and oats--it's just cheaper. And then I go back every three or four days to get our fresh produce," she said.
The 19 Kids and Counting family does not buy anything new. Michelle claimed the family has never bought a new car. Instead, they buy a car that is at least three years old. For clothes, the Duggars buy at thrift stores, she said.
For furniture, Michelle said they hunt for bargains at Craigslist. "As a matter of fact, Jill and Derick are going to be looking on Craigslist for furniture for their home. There's beautiful stuff available. People are constantly moving and they get rid of things they don't need. You've got be willing to wait to get what you are looking for with just the right price. I'm willing to wait for a little bit to buy things we need. We've already decided we won't go into debt to buy things," the matriarch of the 19 Kids and Counting said.
More importantly, the Duggars literally prays for bargains. Michelle, said that she always tells her kids that if they really want something, they have "to pray about it and then go shop for it, because, honestly, God provides in amazing ways."
