how to be a stay-at-home mom?

Question

How do married couples have enough money for the wife to be a stay at home mom? It just seems so impossible!

Answer 1

You balance and budget, Its not easy. In my case my husband makes enough that I dont have to work, I currently work by choice and my money is spending money.

Ash

Answer 2

My husband makes $40,000 per year and we have 3 children (and one on the way) and I stay home with them so it is definitely possible. Here are some tips from us that we hope will help you:

1. Get rid of cable or satellite - you can't justify the expense and everyone (including mom lol) will end up watching too much TV anyway. You can buy the movies you love on Ebay really cheap and watch them whenever you want.
2. Only have a cell phone for emergencies (so get a $30 stripped down plan or a Trac Phone)
3. Write down what you make each month and how you will spend it each month. That way all the money is accounted for and you won't have unexpected surprises or overdrafts
4. Mom should look for ways to either make money or save money. Some wives are super coupon clippers or they learn to sew. Others watch children in their home, teach piano lessons, make and sell a product, sell Mary Kay, etc.)
5. Give yourself some "mad money" every once in a while so you can take a break and relax from the budget restraints.
6. Dont' have a credit card. If you do have one, start paying it off right now and then tear it up.
7. Don't ever buy another new car (unless you can pay cash)
8. ALWAYS be looking out for deals and bargains. We got a mortage from Rural Development. The interest rate was 50% lower than from the banks.

It is definitely NOT impossible. In fact, now that my husband and I have written our budget down and I'm making a little extra from home, we are comfortable. Frugal, but comfortable.

Best of luck. Your children will thank you for this!

Answer 3

we are a middle class family with 4 children between ages 10-1 and i am a stay at home mom. sometimes staying at home works out better in the long run than paying for a sitter while we both work. although i plan to go back to work when our 1 tear old starts full time school right now all we can do is budget our money. my husband has a decent paying job and puts in lots of overtime too.

Answer 4

The BEST way to acheive this on a limited budget is to have all your debt (cars, school loans etc.) paid off completely before having the child. This leaves you with only the house payment and general bills. This is what me and my husband have done. Paying our cars and school loans off left us with an extra 600 dollars a month, meaning we no longer needed me to work to pay it! My husbands salary covers the mortgage and basic bills just fine. You just have to stick to a budget. be sensible. Eat out only on special occasions. Don't buy more gorceries than you actually need. Don't buy new clothes just becuase you feel like it. It's easier than you think if your husband makes even an average income (= Best of luck (=

Answer 5

You have to cut back on alot of luxuries but it is worth it. I stay at home during the day but work 4 nights a week once my husband gets home. I only work about 4 to 5 hours a day but it gives us extra spending money.

Answer 6

This is absolutely possible if you really want it. There are two ways to stay at home.

The first is saving money. Realize that things that people think they need are not necessary. Lets look at the era of the celebrated modern housewife--the 1950s.

Most woman stayed at home, not just the rich families. During that time, when a woman stayed home she cooked their food from scratch, repaired/ made clothes for her family, and did many other things to help the budget stay within reach. Most housewives did not have their own cars and only indulged in luxuries if she had money leftover from her household budget. People didn’t go on yearly vacations, buy designer clothes or need to eat fast food at least once a day. Very few had credit cards and most were not in debt. This can be a very happy, relaxing and fulfilling lifestyle if this is what you want.

Ways to save money:

Clip coupons.
Buy generics. Remember most are made by the same companies as the name brands!
Join a swapping site or board to get what you need.
Join Freecycle (but don’t spam the board!)
Buy used--garage sales & eBay are your friends.
Learn to cook well. Its much cheaper to buy a box of pasta, a can of crushed tomato & paste, add a few herbs than to buy premade meals--or eat out. Why buy a jar of pasta sauce when you can make a better one for 1/10 of the price? Think of convince foods as foods for people who don’t have a lot of time. Staying at home is a full time job, so budget your time as well as your money to save.

You don’t have to only shop at Walmart or deny yourself actual necessities. You can be smart about what you do.

You might find you need to get rid of one of your cars or move to a smaller place. You might find you can’t afford the conveniences of modern life, but if its what you want then you’re truly living.

Second option: WAHM or work at home mom.

There are many options which allow you to work at home, so you can make a full or part time salary.

You can start an online or eBay business.
You can get a job which allows you to tele or cyber commute.
You can babysit or open a home daycare.
If you’re crafty, you can make things which you can then sell at craft shows.
You can teach something you're really good at.
There are a thousand other options!

Look to your talents. What are you good at? Can you make money doing it?

I am a stay at home mom. I do both of the above options--I stay at home and I work at home. My husband does not make much money--most people would have trouble living on what he makes if both of us made that much & we didn't have children! But, his salary covers most of our needs. I cover the rest & lower expenses by doing all the “wife” things I love.

I don't feel deprived, wear nice (used) clothes, and still can afford to have a happy life.

There are some sites below which may help some moms save and earn money!

Answer 7

I stay at home with my 3 year olds only because we can't afford child care, if I worked all the money I earned would go to it, so I just don't see why work to put my children in daycare.

Answer 8

I have been a stay at home mom for 7 years. It gets tight but you just have to learn to sacrifice. Somethings are wants and some things you have to have. It's amazing how nice thrift store clothing is. Not saying that it's the best life but the kids have a constant at home.

Answer 9

It is almost impossible now-a-days with everything being so expensive...sometimes the father will have to work 2 jobs or if he is lucky enuf he will have one job that will provide him with overtime...if the mom is home during the day she might have to work at night....just depends on the couple....I know from personal experience that when 2 parents work during daylight hours no money can be saved cause it all has to go to daycare....its hard...& there are no real good solutions to this never ending problem...

Answer 10

We have 3 kids, and another on the way (surprise for us). My husband averages about $25,000 a year at his job; is preparing to go back to school. Frankly, we can't afford child care.

You learn to prioritize. I can cut the family's hair. I can cook the meals and pack lunches for my husband. We can shop at the Salvation Army store or resale shops. We shop sale racks at Wal Mart. We buy supplies in bulk when we can. We take advantage of available resources like WIC. We just moved; we bought our house through Rural Development, which subsidizes our payments. I babysit from time to time for extra cash. I am planning on starting a home-based business in the very near future.

It takes some practice to learn to separate the "wants" from the "needs." But it's worth it, and in our case, it's an indispensible skill. We just don't have a viable alternative at this point, especially with the new baby on the way. There is no conceivable benefit for me to go to work simply to pay a childcare bill. Imagine if you didn't have to work that into your budget, how much money each week that would free up!

If you're considering becoming a stay-at-home mom, I wish you well!

Oh- one final piece of advice: If you do decide to do it, reconcile yourself beforehand to insanity. :-) Just kidding!

Answer 11

I agree with you! But, you can do it if you lower your standard of living enough - don't go out to eat, no magazines, no new clothes (well at least for you or your husband) in other words, you have to watch every penny. It's a pain and in this day and age of consumerism, it seems impossible. But, you can do it and personally I think it's worth it, at least for those very young early years. Your attention and unconditional love is priceless, no one else can give that to your children (well, maybe a grandma). Once they start school, you can go back to work. Good luck!