When I am not pregnant, I work when DH is home with our kids. I make about $100 for 8 hours. When the kids were being watched outside our home (by my mom even) I was losing almost half of this per day-- now im keeping it all. So having a job that offers shift work (7-3,3-11,11-7) helps a lot. And I do still consider myself a SAHM as I only leave them 2-3 shifts a week.

Its great that so many of you know that you are going to be SAHM's and have the time to save up, that cushion helps a ton! Good luck--its a great choice you are making.

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“For beautiful eyes, look for the good in others; for beautiful lips, speak only words of kindness; and for poise, walk with the knowledge that you are never alone.”

Hi ladies...I'm new here. What is your opinion about staying home when your kids are in school. I have two boys, ages 8 and 11. I stay home except for a couple of classes that I take at the nearby college. I struggle a lot with not working emotionally because I've always worked until now. I recommend anyone that can stay home when their kids are small to do just that and to just make the sacrifices necessary to make it happen. The years go by quickly.

If I were you, I would start saving yourentire check now. If you have to live without it in the future, you should be able to get by. Then, you'll have a cushion in case your huband misses work days. Also, I would start looking into ways to generate income without paying daycare like working form home, working nights and weekends, a paper route, etc.

I have done daycare on and off since I became a SAHM. I only take one or two kids -- not the six child limit that is legal -- so that I'm not too stressed out to deal with my family. It works out really well. I get a little extra money and some tax breaks, as well.

I was scared, too, when I took the SAHM plunge, but we have done just fine -- for ten years . . . . You forgot to mention the amount of money you probably spend on eating out because you're too tired to cook when you get home . . . . And, work clothes can be a BIG expense!

Good luck!


M

My son was in day care till he was about 19months old. Let me tell you that working full time and trying to care for a baby are NOT easy! It leaves very little family time...you DO end up eating fast food a lot more. Weekends are consumed with chores and laundry because you don't have time for them during the week days.

I liked my job, but my husband got a promotion that required us to move back to the Chicago area. I always told my DH that I would never be able to work down town chicago with the 1 hour commute each way and also have kids. So, we moved in with my MIL for a while to help pay down our debt until we get our new house built.....and I am a new SAHM.

I was scared to take the plunge as well. One of my biggest fears is "what will happen when I decide to go back to work some day?" I worry that my profession will pass me by and I will get behind. I must say I am loving being a SAHM and would not change it for the world!!!! I feel as if I did miss out on many things when my son was in Day care. I now cook us meals a lot more and we are much more healthy because of that! We are also a lot LESS stressed from our previous life of rush-rush-rush.

My worst moments as a working Mom were when I was feeding my son in the morning and only had a couple of minutes to get out the door before I would be late to work. I felt HORRIBLE making my son rush through breakfast so that I could dump him off at another person's house.

My priorities have changed after having a child. My son comes first. I would much rather be a SAHM and be the one to care for my child than have material things.

My boss at my old job was a work-aholic and had two boys. She once told me that one of her boys begged her to stay home with them in the summer instead of sending them to day care. Mind you, her son's were about 6 and 8 years old. She told them that if she quit working then they would not have all those extra things they are always asking for. Well, in my mind......those "extra things" are not always THAT important.

Wow, well I am kinda in the same boat as you. My DH works refridgeration for builing new grocery stores... He works either way, but sometimes he is out of town, and stay at hotels those nights.. He gets paid good and has insurance... Thank god!!! My DS is now 3 months old. We had decided early on in my PG that I was going to stay home.. But the whole time I was stressed about where were we going to get the extra money.?? We have no debt other then our house, the cars are paid off. And we have no credit cards.. We just were the people who liked going shopping for things!! IE my DH has a four wheeeler that has been riden once in a while year.. I finally talked him into selling the thing that just sits there in the storage unit... But when we were childless, it was easier to go out and buy things that we wanted, not necissarly needed... And DH has a thing with tools, he always seems to need a new one for work.. So he says... Now that I am a stay at home mom, I am trying even harder to keep the money spending down.. I cut coupons, have almost sold off all my old work wear, heck if I ever go back to work, Ill need to buy up to date clothing anyway.. And really wearing anything nice now, just gets spit up on it, so why bother. We invested in a deep freezer, before I got preggo.. Mainly cause we entertained alot, and had to have burgers and other frozen stuff on hand at any given moment.. So now I just stock up on dinner items... So i rarely have to make that emergency run to the store... My DS is breastfed, so no formula here, he has been nursing great since he was born.. Growing like a weed.. Then for extra cash, my sister who is 4 year younger then me, has a son. She decided to take him out of the daycare he was at, and now he stays here... So i have a 4 year old staying with us during the day.. she pays me 80 dollars a week for him.. that pays for groceries for the week..
I also went through our hosue early on my materinity leave, and got rid of everything, that we really did nto use... I had a food processor that never been used??? Clothing tha twas not going to be worn anymore.. Etc.. Sold them for extra cash.. There are ways to save when staying home.. I find them at least..

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Tara, wife to Jason, mama to Jayden 12/23/06 PG with #2 EDD 8/3/08 ~ non vaxing, co sleeping, cding, bfing,AP family.

This is totally my case! My DH is also in construction and the weather is so unpredictable so that makes his paychecks unreliable. Also, things always happen to us in Feb and March every year ! This last week DH had to take time off work for his grandma's funeral and I am soo nervous about his paycheck coming this week! My DH is also a jack of all trades (master of none) and does a lot of side work (from doing additions, working on vehicles and right now helping a friend with his rental properties)- so that means I am not reliable to even work part time (I do however baby sit a friends grand daughter on occasion for my own extra money!).

Try to start an emergency fund and start to make the transition into becoming a SAHM- look for sales on things, start a stockpile- so you will have food for when times are lean!, don't go out to eat as much (make the crock pot your friend while you are working) and look for deals on clothing and so on! Also if you get into really lean times and don't have enough $ to cover all your bills- call your utility comapanies and see if they could possibly accept partial payments- just pay them back ASAP, if you get into another bind they may not be as willing to work with you! Check into if you are able to qualify for WIC if you are not working (I know I was able to until he would work overtime). I also suggest looking into a few books about how to save money and SAHM things. HTH!

I think that there is no problem with that- you are there for you children when they need you (no offense meant by that working moms!). Personally, when my youngest goes off to school FT I will start working either PT or FT. My DH wants to make a job change and if I am able to work that would be easier for us financially so we would not have to struggle as much then- I hope!