Considering Jim Bob and Michelle Duggar are parents to 19 kids, you'd think they'd have
some financial struggles.
Parenting is expensive, especially when you have nearly 20 mouths to feed.
But the Duggars make things work - a phenomenon that many people have questions about.
From the 19 Kids and Counting fam's vacations around the globe to their hoard of private
planes, Jim Bob and Michelle are definitely doing something right when it comes to their
finances.
So, how do the lights stay on at the Duggar house?
As it turns out, a lot of factors are involved in their financial success.
No matter what you might think about the Duggars, you have to admit that their financial predicament
is fascinating.
Here's the truth about how the Duggars pay for everything.
High demand
Whether you agree with the Duggar family's conservative views or not, there's no denying
they have a huge fan base who are willing to pay top dollar to hear Jim Bob and Michelle
speak on a variety of issues.
From marriage advice to raising a faith-based family, the Duggars are often booked by churches
or other venues for speaking events.
"We'll do this as long as you don't edit out our faith.
Cuz if you edit out our faith, you're really not telling the whole story."
Event organizers can expect to shell out up to $15,000 for the couple.
And if you're wondering if the family pays their own way to these events, the answer
is probably no.
Worth every penny
Many celebs author books to earn some extra cash, and this family is no exception.
Collectively, the Duggars have written three books since they first became famous in 2008.
Jim Bob and Michelle, have two books under their belts: A Love That Multiplies and The
Duggars: 20 and Counting.
Additionally, Jessa, Jill, Jana, and Jinger Duggar penned a book about their conservative
upbringing titled, Growing Up Duggar.
"Everything was centered around like character, so learning kindness and patience and self-control."
Although it's unclear how much money the family has earned from their book sales, it's worth
noting Growing Up Duggar earned a spot on The New York Times' Best-Sellers List.
Keeping the cash flow
Throughout the years, the Duggars have experimented with online fundraisers to support their careers
and personal endeavors.
The family member most known to go this route is Jill's husband, Derick Dillard.
Dillard, who quit his job as an accountant at Walmart in June 2015, often resorts to
GoFundMe to pay for his international missionary work.
He wrote on his GoFundMe in November 2017,
"BIG NEWS!
I am currently serving through a program at my home church, called the Cross Church School
of Ministry.
I am so excited about this incredible opportunity for further ministry development, and I would
like to invite you to share in this excitement with me.
[…] I have a donations goal of $10,000.
This will enable me to fulfill my specific calling to ministry this year, including trips
for Gospel-advancement and humanitarian work in Northwest Arkansas, North America, and
abroad."
Although Dillard hit his funding goal, not many people were happy with his efforts.
According to Radar Online, a fan said of one of his previous fundraisers,
"Here we go again with asking people for money.
I thought it is Derick's responsibility to provide for their family.
Neither one has employment and it's getting ridiculous."
Upcycling those goods
One of the Duggar family's claims to fame is that they buy everything used.
["We've done it our whole lives.
You know, you pass down the clothes from the oldest kid to the youngest kid, and you're
saving money."
It's a safe bet the family would be out on the streets if they didn't invest in hand-me-downs.
So, what does the family buy used?
Just about everything - including their cars.
Jim Bob told Parenting,
"We've never bought a new vehicle.
We've always bought used vehicles.
We buy them at an auction, wholesale.
We can drive them for several years and turn around and get our money back out of them."
As for Michelle, she's also on board with the whole "buying used" thing, saying,
"We get our clothes at thrift shops.
You can find really nice name-brand stuff.
Our girls love it.
They will find tons of stuff."
It's true that the family often frequents thrift shops - and there are tons of episodes
to prove it.
The family flea market
When you have 19 kids, old clothes and unwanted items can pile up quickly.
"This is the first time in 24 years that we don't have a baby in diapers."
And a great solution to all the clutter is hosting garage sales and flea markets to make
some bank on your old junk.
Of course, the Duggar family can't host your average garage sale with a couple piles of
clothes.
"I found a lot of baby clothes that I bought for family members, just so they can say I've
got part of the Duggars."
The family's 2013 flea market boasted bake sales, a dunking booth, and a ton of stuff
to buy.
Incredibly, the family earned over $2,000 just two hours into the huge event, as documented
by TLC.
But throwing a garage sale isn't just about money for the Duggars - they enjoy getting
rid of stuff to stay organized.
Michelle told TLC,
"De-cluttering is really important.
For starters, I always tell the kids that if stuff comes in the house, we have to take
other stuff out.
We give things to friends that can use them or sell them at a yard sale.
There's just not enough space for everything."
That social media influence
If you follow the Duggar family's social media accounts, you might have noticed that they
often give shout-outs to various restaurants and fast food chains, like Chick-fil-A. From
dressing up like the chain's cow mascot to uploading shots of Chick-fil-A's food, it's
clear the Duggars are big fans of this restaurant.
One has to wonder, however, if their love for the restaurant and other chains they promote
is motivated by cold hard cash.
Some people suspect that the family has partnered with these establishments, and may get a financial
kickback each time they mention a partnership on Instagram.
If this theory is true, it's possible that the family rakes in thousands of dollars per
sponsored ad.
Side hustle
Although it might be surprising to some people, the Duggars work a lot of side jobs.
In fact, almost every member of the family has a gig outside of reality TV.
Take John-David Duggar, who dabbles in construction work and is a Washington County constable.
Additionally, John-David has his pilot's license, which means he can charge a fee to fly passengers
around the U.S.
John-David's younger sister, Jill, also has her own career.
For years, Jill has worked as a mid-wife to clients in the Arkansas area - a gig she often
discussed on Counting On.
And now that Jill is no longer part of the series, many assume she'll resume her midwife
work to support her family.
As for Jim Bob and Michelle's sons-in-law, Austin Forsyth might be the family member
with the most lucrative side gig. Austin and his dad, Terry, co-run a house-flipping business.
Wise investments
Many people don't know that Jim Bob is pretty savvy regarding real estate investments.
After Jim Bob bought his first property for $65,000, he quickly learned just how profitable
the real estate business could be.
A friend shared on the Duggar Family blog,
"Just thirty days after purchasing the property, a real estate agent brought Jim Bob and Michelle
a client who was willing to rent the property for $1,200 a month.
The contract stated that the renter could buy the property in 24 months for $250,000.
Two years later, he decided to purchase the land for a quarter of a million dollars!
This 3-acre lot that the Duggars had bought for just $65,000 had already provided a nice
sum of money from the rent checks and now they were going to receive even more!"
Maybe we'll be seeing Jim Bob on HGTV one day...
Gettin' crafty
One of the Duggar family's money-saving tricks involves do-it-yourself projects.
For instance, Jim Bob and Michelle make their own laundry detergent instead of buying it.
The Duggars save a ton of money by making their own household products and other frequently
used items.
Not only that, but the Duggars built their massive family home instead of purchasing
it off of the real estate market.
The Arkansas Traveler reported,
"The Duggars' built the all-steel house from a kit, debt-free, and what began as a family
project came to include the assistance of extended 'family' from the church and 'dear
friends.'"
Reality TV money
Obviously, the Duggars make most of their money via good ol' reality TV.
When 19 Kids & Counting was on the air, E! News reported that producer Terence Michael
estimated that the family brought home $25,000 to $40,000
"[...] for four or five days' work, which is roughly how long it takes to film a typical
episode."
When you consider that shooting schedule, the family probably earns anywhere from $6,000
to $10,000 a day.
That's enough for a whole lot of Chick-Fil-A.
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