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June 2011 Moms
amberpro
member
Moms of 2+: SAH and Working
amberpro
member
After a heart to heart this weekend, DH and I decided we both really want a second child now. The problems with this desire are financial. 2 kids in daycare is going to be over $1000 a month.
Option 1 would be for me to continue to work. I'm a teacher. In order to have 2 kids in DC and be comfortable, we'd need an extra $700 a month (I'm thinking). Obviously this is the most feasible option, although we still need to cut out a chunk of budget to make it work.
Option 2 (which I would LOVE if this were possible) would be for me to SAH. DH is all for us to work this out, but we're not sure how. He doesn't want to pay $1000+ a month to DC just on principal. In that case, we'd need to make up at least $2500 a month.
The only way we think SAH would even be an option would be if I did something on the side... like sell Pampered Chef, tutor, possibly even an in-home DC (still iffy about that one, though).
So my question is how do you all do it? Where did you cut? Do you rely on coupons? Are you able to keep a savings? Are you able to ever do date nights or vacations? I think we can do it with a lifestyle change, but I'm not sure where to start. Especially if we were even going to attempt me staying at home.
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Re: Moms of 2+: SAH and Working
I don't have 2 yet but will have 2 in daycare come November. It will be costing us about $1800 a month. DH and I are both in education so at least we are only paying it for 9 months. We'll still be coming out ahead. (just barely) but we won't be putting much money in savings until DD gets to kindergarten.
I personally couldn't SAH so it wasn't an option for us but I know a lot of people leave education for a bit when #2 comes for all the reasons you listed. It's a tough call.
I stay at home, it really is not worth me going to work just to pay for daycare. We do get our date nights, get to go out to eat and go to the movies.
We don' t have cell phones, even the pay as you go plans seem to be expensive. We have our home phone as basic as can be, no call display, no long distance or anything other then it rings. We have the dish with just one extra package past the basics, and we use magic jack for all the long distance we need. Our Internet is not dial up and its not the lowest for high speed it's just one up.
I do a lot of cooking from scratch at home, we don't buy pre made foods(they tend to be easy but cost more). We buy in bulk and no not at Costco or Sam's club most the foods at those places actually cost more. They tend to be only name brands or brands I don't buy to begin with. Some things I buy are store brands and some name brand. I do use coupons but really I don't go crazy with them.
Having a deep freeze works great for sales, I buy freezer bags and separate chicken breast to portions we use. Same thing with pork chops, we stock up when things are a really good sale.
I'm still trying to think of ways to make a few bucks here and there but since I don't know many ppl it is harder to start something like Pampered Chef.
We are a family of 7 and 2 kids in college so I save on baby sitters :P
Thank you!
Where do you buy in bulk? I tend to agree about Sam's. You have to be careful.
Oh, wow. I've never even heard of that. I'll have to ask when I go back in a couple weeks. thanks. That would be an option.
I would love a .5 position, but the got rid of all of them at most schools during the last budget crisis.
Can you get insurance through your husband's job? I work about a .5 (as an RN) but I get insurance though DH so it's easy for us. Maybe the district could let you do that?
I used to be a teacher and now I stay home. 2 kids in daycare around here would cost between 1500-2000 a month, which, as you know, would pretty much be a teacher's salary after taxes. For that reason, we decided for me to stay home. Having the girls close together means that I can go back to work sooner (once they're school age, or at least the oldest is school aged).
DH has a good job, but we are not rich by any means. We don't pay car payments (which is great but our cars are old), and we just watch what we spend. We don't have a home phone and we don't spend a lot of money on "us" per month. However, we have enough for plenty of food, bills, cell phones, and a date or two a month. We try to buy off brand when possible, and I will only buy clothes for our family when they're on sale. For birthdays and xmas, we just ask our families for gift cards to the movie theatre or restaurants instead of actual gifts. That way, we get free dates!
I think everyone's budget and family are really different, so I guess you just need to sit down and talk with dh about what you guys are comfortable with having/not having every month. GL!
Totally agree about Sams! And Costco too. Everyone always tells me I HAVE to have a membership. I went with MIL, and found the prices to be higher than the sale prices at my regular grocery store.