Every time we post about the Duggar clan, readers are filled with questions: like, "how do they afford all those Jaybies?," and "Just how big is Michelle's vagina?" We're here to give you answers!
And so we present, everything you wanted to know, but were afraid to ask, about America's most famous fertile fam.
They really, really, really love Jesus. Even when he tells them to spank their kids.
The Duggars are evangelical Christians who follow the Bible incredibly literally. Dad Jim Bob ran for state senate because God told him to. The Arkansas Democrat-Gazette has more in this article from 2001 (back then the family only had 15 members):
The Duggars consider the Bible something of an owner's manual, a how-to for life. They sometimes employ "time outs" to discipline their children, but they also think the Bible teaches parents to spank and even instructs on how to do it. The children and Michelle recite a new Bible passage each morning, and they have actions to go with the words. For instance, when reciting Exodus 20, verses 1-17, the children run a finger along their necks in a quick swipe, as if killing themselves, as they read the passage, "Thou shall not kill."
They're also affiliated with an anti-birth control movement called Quiverfull, which preaches"that every child is a gift and blessing from our gracious heavenly father." Oh also, they have a bumper sticker that says, "Evolution is a Lie: Save America Please."
They pay for their large family through a series of investments they started making when they first started spawning in addition to their TLC Show 17 and Counting, product endorsements, and book deals
From the Arkansas Democrat:
The Duggars had a turning point in their lives 11 years ago when Jim Bob attended a meeting that discussed financial freedom through living a debt-free life. Michelle eventually attended the meeting, too, and now she and Jim Bob conduct the seminars out of their home.
But, according to another article in the Democrat:
Jim Bob Duggar started buying and selling cars while in high school. Wanting a business that he and his wife could operate together, he decided in 1985 to sell cars full time. But for the first year, he had to keep his job as a stocker and checker at the now-defunct Consumers Food and Drug in Fayetteville. Michelle Duggar ran the Springdale dealership while her husband was stocking groceries, and when Precision Imports began netting more money than Jim Bob Duggar was making at Consumers, he quit his job. Michelle Duggar continued to help run the business, answering phones and even towing cars for a wrecker service the couple started on the side to bring in more money during the winter. As if they didn't have enough irons in the fire, Jim Bob Duggar made extra money by investing in real estate.
They promote the Financial Freedom Seminars of a fellow Christian named Jim Sammons, who promotes debt-free living through the bible.
How much do they spend on staples?
From the Today Show appearance earlier this year, the Duggars remain debt free because they are super thrifty.
In the past, Michelle's gone to garage sales and bought shoes for a dollar. We probably spend less on clothing than what a family of four would spend. We spend a lot of money on food - $3,000 a month on food and diapers and that type of stuff.
If you want to learn more about the Duggar lifestyle from the horse's mouth, the family has just come out with a book called The Duggars: 20 and Counting!: Raising One of America's Largest Families—How they Do It.
As for the questions about Michelle's vagina and it's size and/or health, those we cannot address... or particularly care about. Only two men know the answer: Jim Bob, and J.C.
Duggar Family Official Website" />
13 Children Add Up To Asset For Challenger [Arkansas Democrat-Gazette via Quiverfull Official Website (sorry guys)]
Earlier: And Baby Makes 20