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One thing you might wonder when you see the Duggars, stars of the canceled TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, and its spinoff Counting On, is how they’re able to afford daily expenses. They claim they’re debt free and have never had to rely on government assistance, but how do they manage this? Well, we’ve got some answers for you.

Here’s how the Duggars really make their money, plus how one family member’s bad habit that could be putting their finances in jeopardy (page 8).

How much they spend

The Duggar Family
It costs a lot to feed all of them. | TLC

First, a little about how much it costs to have so many children. In their book The Duggars: 20 and Counting, Michelle and Jim Bob Duggar revealed it used to cost roughly $3,000 each month to clothe and feed their brood (when all the children were living under one roof).

Each week, they went through 16 boxes of cereal, seven gallons of milk, and about 16 rolls of toilet paper. Their costs are likely a little lower now, since some of the older children have moved out and started their own families.

NextMost of their money doesn’t come from their TV show.