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December 2011 Moms
KScheibe12
member
Wish I could be a SAHM
KScheibe12
member
Some days I love my job and feel fortunate to work there.
Other days I hate it with every ounce of my being. Today was one of those days... I'm really hoping we can find a way for me to stay at home once the baby comes.
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Re: Wish I could be a SAHM
We cut out cable (except for the internet) and use things like Netflix and the free version of Hulu, cloth diaper with disposables only at night, I pumped for a bout 5 months instead of formula fed, and get take out once a month.
If you guys can afford groceries, car payment, mortgage/rent, health insurance and baby things on one salary, then go for it!
I plan on SAH until April of next year at the earliest. My position was eliminated at my job back in April, so I've been collecting unemployment, so I am contributing to our family a bit. Before I was let go I was looking for a new job, but then the morning sickness started and I'm going to start to show any time now, so I don't think anyone will offer me a job anytime soon.
If I happen across an amazing job before then I'd probably take it, but won't really start looking for anything until February.
BFP #2: 8.31.16 Dx w/ GD @ 28w DD Born @ 36w: 4.21.17
We're in the same boat. I make about twice what my husband does and have insanely good insurance (his job doesn't offer any at all). But even with the decent salary and benefits, my job hardly seems worth it some days...
I went back to work after my son was born only because we were ttc and knew it would be short term.. which it was. After my daughter was born DH and I decided I wouldn't return and I'd stay home and do daycare instead. We were both shift workers and didn't want two shift working parents for our kids. It was a very well paying job so it's been tough adjusting to a huge cut in income. I absolutely hate doing daycare so we're planning to move and downsize a bit so that I can stay home with the kids and not work after this baby is born .. or hopefully even sooner. We're having to move farther north which means more of a commute for DH to work but in the end it's worth it for us.
I'd definitely do some number crunching. Test it out and see if you can live on one income. I stay home, but DH works a full time job and he delivers pizzas on the side. Not ideal, but it works for us. I offered towork in the evenings when he is home, but we figured out he can make more delivering pizzas than I could doing much of anything around here.
I make more money than SO, but we are planning on me not working once the baby comes. We will also be living in England then, so that makes it a bit easier. We did the numbers and still feel we have enough money for all necessities. We definitely can't live the life we do now (lots of just buying whatever we want within reason, travelling, expensive shows and entertainment) but our lives are going to change so much anyways that it will already be a big adjustment.
My SO will get overtime so that will just be saved and used for extras we would like. I also am an advanced knitter and crocheter, so now that I won't be spending 10-12 hours a day working I can spend some time selling patterns I create for projects and things I knit/crochet/dye/spin/weave/sew. Once the baby is a bit older and I am not tied to breast feeding as much I will also teach knitting classes (used to do this years ago before my job sucked the life out of me!) and maybe work at a yarn store part time.
I'm really looking forward to it! Hopefully you can take a good look at things and make it work for you, too.
Me too. Why do we women have to be such good providers? I make 20K more than my husband. We could work the budget to live on one salary if it was mine, but not if it were his. Growing up I always thought I would be a SAHM. I like my job just fine, but I know it is going to be so hard to go back. I'm hoping that by the time we have a 2nd his job situation will be such that he makes at least what I'm making now, and we can make that transition.
I quit my job last September and we've been working on budgets to keep me home for good...especially now with a baby on it's way!
If you do make quite a bit more than DH it might be hard. But really we were shocked when we started figuring up everything on one salary. If you start adding daycare into the mix it's probably not very smart to have both parents working. We don't have cable (which I don't miss). We don't have a home phone. We budget 1-2 nights out. Grocery shop with a strict list (sales and coupons planned). We're paying off our last car payment next month and find car payments to be a big unneccessary joke.
I've always joked that if you make more money you spend more money. I find this super true now. With me not working I don't feel it neccessary to make as many "splurges" to treat myself. Only a few pedicures a year, and clothes only when needed (not when they are just so darn cute!). My husband takes his lunch to work now instead of eating out. It saves about $7 a day and he's lost weight (so he's happy).
Like others said... take these months to crunch numbers and see what you can do. If anything else make it a long term goal if you wish to stay home. Whether you love your job or not one might change their mind completely once they meet their baby. I've fearing the opposite...the stress of being stuck at home might send me back to work! We're all different!
This is all great advice, especially not having a car payment. Paying cash (using tax money this year and last year) for our vehicles was one of the best decisions we have made. I don't have a brand new minivan, but a 2002 Town and Country fully loaded with a DVD player, CD player, automatic doors, seat warmers, etc. and it cost me 6 grand out the door. DH got a junker just for commuting, and paid $500 cash and it's actually a pretty great little car, we just need to replace the muffler so it's not so noisy. Inexpensive fix! It's great knowing they are ours, and I don't have to work to pay for our vehicles! And grocery shopping is another good idea. We cut out all the extras like chips and cookies and stuff like that. We have a very low grocery budget for a family of five, and it's awesome!
Having a budget and sticking to a budget is key if you can live on one person's income! I don't go out and get mani's and pedi's much at all, but I have a monthy allowance for my Starbucks addiction. I stretch it to last the month! We didn't cut cable or internet or anything, just switched providers. Comcast was so expensive once their triple play special is over, so we switched to Dish, ATT for internet, and dropped our landline, and it's saved us so much money! I also watch a friend'skids a couple days a week for a little extra money, but we even put that into our budget so we're not blowing it. My budget advice-have a special category for pregnancy food cravings!!!!!