Question for Sahms from a WannaBe

Hi A.,
I am just back to work after staying home for a few years. I make almost 50% of our household income.
I think its more about good planning and choices than it is "what does your husband do".
We had both our cars paid off before I stayed home. We eat every meal at home except Friday nights - its my night off, we splurge and go out to dinner. I buy the kids clothes at a re-sale shop. I mow the grass. We cut costs at every corner. It worked for us because we really wanted it.
Good luck. I know its scary to take the leap.....
T. S.

Hi A.,

I am like most moms I read about that have responded. My husband works for a title co that is closing as of Aug. 31. When i became a SAHM we made huge sacrifices. Everything is budgeted, vacations are short and local, I play grocery game for my groceries, I buy clothes at resale shops and we don't eat out much.

What we have learned are these are the years we will never again have the opportunity to spend with our children. The sacrifices are worth it! I agree also with the first person who responded. It takes faith! We also tithe knowing that our return will be much greater. God is good, he has always provided. We have also had a ton in medical expenses, my son was diagnosed with a spinal disorder last year and my husband was diagnosed with bladder cancer. We could not have gone through all of this without our church family.

The only other thing I can add, is sometimes, if you figure what your spending on gas to get to and from work, clothing you need for the office as well as your daily meal, if you are able to eliminate those expenses as well as child care, it often times will solve your problem.

Good Luck and God Bless,
B.

Well, I have 5 kids that are close in age and working costs more than staying home w/them. I have always done something to bring in some $$ even if it is NOT a lot. Sacrifices always have to be made for anything that is worth having. I go to resale shops for me too and rarely pay full price for anything. We go to a market to buy vegetables for $20 instead of $60. i have learned how to make my $ stretch. I also have an at home business that consistently brings in more money each month.

Several summers ago, my dd wanted a $200 water slide. Instead of telling her, "NO", we did door to door sales and whatever else and made enough money to buy it. I believe in setting goals and resetting them if you don't achieve them the first time. She will never forget it!

When you make a way to sah w/your son, he will always remember it and you won't regret it either. You just have to be creative. I am sure you are spending $ on things that you wouldn't if you didn't have the money there to spend. Keep a log on everything you buy no matter how little or big to see what you are spending and what you could cut out. Figure out how much you spend on gas, clothes to work in, daycare, eating out and you may not be making as much as you think. Do the numbers and see what you REALLY need to make it each month. It may be just a small amount and you could easily do that by doing something on the side.

I suggest starting a biz at home while you are working and when you begin making the number you need, you are able to stop working your full time job and can stay home!!! This can be achieved if you REALLY want it. Is it a hopeful wish or a GOAL? The difference is that goals are written and have a deadline on them!

Blessings,
M.
Mom to 5 Wonderful Kids
www.4MyChildrenSake.com

Hi A., Well, it was a huge leap of faith decision for me and my husband to make. I was a teacher for 7 years before getting pregnant with our first child. My husband is a real estate agent, which is solely commission-based. So, it was/is definitely a faith-based decision, and the Lord always provides. We definitely cut back on our spending a lot. I used to buy expensive clothes, go out to eat all the time and basically just spend money whenever I wanted. Now, I buy most of my daughter's clothes and toys off of Craig's List, I cook almost every night, no more dry cleaners for ironing all of my hubbies clothes...I do it myself, we don't live in a brand new home or drive expensive cars. We make sure to tithe to our church every single time we get a paycheck because God is the giver of all good things. For me, staying home with my daughter has been worth it without a doubt.

Hey there :) I've been blessed to be a SAHM now for many years. My husband manages a team of Hardware engineers at Hewlett Packard. We usually have enough to get by while we have been raising our 4 children. However when our oldest hit 16 2 years ago, it was time for me to look for something to help out.

That's when I found Ameriplan. It's a 16 year national discounted benefits company based out of Plano, TX.

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My hubby is a paramedic. He works 24 hr shifts on a 3 day rotation. He works a second full time job on his day off. He basically earns 2 full-time salaries. But he has to work 112 hrs per week. SUCKS, but sacrifices must be made. We also live in a small 1900 sq foot house, and only have 1 car payment. We bought a used car and pay very little for it. We never go out either, and I buy all my kids clothes and toys at resale shops. I find so much at them, that I am able to buy BRAND name only(polo gymboree etc) for just a dollar or 2. I then sell everything on ebay when my kids are done with it. I also find other treasures and sell those on e-bay too. Generates a small income and pays for all my kids needs and or wants.

i agree with karen the first reply - its not what job your hubbie has that allows you to stay at home - its sacrifices you have to make in order to do it.
my husband has a very modest paying job - under $40.000.
i was a podiatrist before i had children earning big bucks.
when my son was four and displaying behavioural problems from childcare i decided i was only going to get one chance to raise him.
we sold my new car and brick house on the oceanfront, now i live -get this -in a 2 bed trailer under 1000 sq foot, with 2 kids!, one of our cars is 20 years old, the other 10.
i am always looking for ways to make extra money!
its worth it to watch my kids blossom - i also homeschool.
if you like to have your hair /nails done every coule weeks, fancy clothes and vacations, dont do it lol

My husband is an architect...and before you go thinking that he makes big money...he doesn't. I was working as a high school teacher and making more than he was...

We just decided that when we were going to start a family that I would be home with them...we paid off all our credit card debt and one car. And built up our savings.

We are budgeted pretty close there are not a lot of extras and the savings we had have dwindled over the past 4 years, but we are making it. I sell the kids stuff to the resale shop as they out grow it...and only buy their clothes there or at Sams. Oh, I also sell stuff on Ebay from time to time. My husband drives a car that is over 10 years old, but paid off...my car was used and we only have 6 payments left on it. I plan meals and grocery shop for a week at a time and know I can't go over our budgeted amount. We eat out only once a week. We both get x amount of spending cash each pay period and when we are out that's it. I love love love to read and would buy books like crazy...now I am the queen of the library system, I can work it and still read all my favorite authors for free, they also have DVD's, we borrow almost all of our movies for us and the kids. I also love coffee, I make my own and get one Starbucks every month or so as a special treat.

Dave Ramsey is a great resource for developing a budget and money management plan.

It is so worth it though...I love being the one to watch my kids grow and develop...we go to story time at the library, walk/ride bikes at the park, belong to 3 different play groups, we make art projects, cook together, etc. Some days I will admit that I miss work and I do need some time away...when I get to that point it is time for me to have a mom's night out with some other moms. So, don't think being a SAHM is all wonderful, it is exhausting and being on call 24/7 can wear you out. But as I said to us it is worth it.

Sorry for the novel...{{{{{hugs}}}}}

Hi A.,
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Ameriplan
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My husband is a geoscientist for Baker Hughes. He works very hard so I can be at home with our son. We cut costs on many things in order to save money. I also go to school full time. I became a stay at home mom 2 years before we had our son so I could go to school. We planned ahead, so it works out nicely for us.

My husband is a network specialist. When I decided to become a stay-at-home mom there were a lot of financial changes that we had to make to accamodate this decision, but it was something that we felt a little sacrificing was in order for.

my hubby is in the army. and no, he doesn't make a lot of money! we barely scrape by most months. but i think it's important that i be the most dominant influence in my childrens' lives, so i sacrifice a lot so i can be at home with them

I help my husband "bring home the bacon" while working at home. I am able to earn extra income for my family while being at home with my children and while fulfilling my regular at home duties. When a friend shared this WAH business opportunity with me, I got excited and joined her team of helpful and supportive moms - all earning money from home. Now I am, too!! Check out my website and click on "get more info now!"
www.workathomeunited.com/K.

I was a "wannabe" SAHM/WAHM until I made the decision to go for it. I left my corporate human resource manager job (60+ hrs/wk) to work from home. I love what I do, which very simply, is helping people. My hubby works as a government contractor at Ft. Hood. I can't put a price on being home for my 7 y/o. I've been home for over 3 years now. LOTS of moms do what I do, too! It was scary, but worth it!

My husband was offered a new job when we moved from OK to TX. My suggestions:
1. be flexible (we moved from ND to OK to TX within 2 years - i realize that is not ideal and we moved before we had the kids)
2. we cut down on all our bills. we went to one cell phone and put it on the minimum plan. we cut our cable bill. we sold a vehicle. i realize that some things cannot be cut, as we both have student loans, etc...but you'd be surprised how much you can cut if you want to...BUT BE HONEST, DONT MAKE SOMETHING UP THAT YOU WONT FOLLOW THROUGH

3. do a BUDGET. look closely at what you spend each month, then you can see where you can make cuts and know what your bottom line is.

4. i realize that some people do not have the opportunity to stay home, but i do feel that many could if they made some changes (no idea about your situation though)

5. buy groceries SMARTLY....dont buy a lot of pre-packaged foods. we ate a lot of rice and noodle dishes...you could stretch them that way!

ALSO, figure out what you actually take home afte taxes and daycare! you'd be surprised! my sis started watching several kids in her home...helped w/ expenses too

GOOD LUCK...let us know what you decide! :)

Hey A.!
Well my hubby works for a company called CINTAS. It is a first aid and safety supply company. If you hubby wants to check it out, just go take a look a www.cintas.com. Look at the First Aid division because there is a uniform side as well but I think that the First Aid is a better fit for someone with a family to think of. Basically you get a van and a route and about 160 customers to start. You are trained in OSHA requirements and you go monthly to make sure your customers are compliant. You replace the products they are out of in their first aid kit as well as sell safety products and training such as cpr, fire, forklift etc. It is a great job, I did it before I had my baby. It is nice because they provide you with uniforms and boots as well as a gas card for your van. You take your van to and from work so it cuts way down on your gas cost. If you need to use the beltway for work you can expense your ez tag. You have a base salary and then make about 10% commission on everything you sell. It is a great company and your days fly by seeing your customers. They usually try to give you a route somewhere near where you live, if possible. If he is a people oriented person he should check it out, I know they are looking for people now. It is a very professional environment to work in. I loved it and my hubby does really well.
On a different note, my husband and I are on the Total Money Makeover by Dave Ramsey. It is a book you can check out at the library or purchase at Barnes and Noble or whatever bookstore is near you. The Total Money Makeover teaches you how to get a realistic budget in place and how to tackle your debts and pay everything off including credit, cars, and your home. There are testimonials in there of people making like 40K and getting out of debt with a family! It is so awesome. It has changed our lives financially so much! We are watching our debts melt away and it is amazing. We have money budgeted to go out about once a week and when we pay something off we take the money left over that month and reward ourselves. This way you don't get bogged down in the thick of it! Anyway, check it out and best wishes to you. I hope you are a SAHM soon, it is so great :) Have an awesome day!

Hi A.-

My husband works as a credit analyst for a large company, but it's not really his job that allows me to be a stay at home mom. What I mean is, when we made the decision for me to stay at home we needed to make some changes in our lifestyle to make it work financially. At the time that I started to stay at home 4 years ago we were living in a brand new 3000 sq. ft. home that we had built in a suburb of Chicago. We sold that house and bought a 25 year old 2000 sq. ft. home in another suburb. When the market started to turn for the company that my husband worked for in Chicago we saw that it was pretty much inevitable that eventually he would be laid off so my husband started looking for a new position in a state with a lower cost of living. That is what brought us to Texas and it's these changes that allow me to stay at home. His income has not significantly increased to make up for my lost income, we have just cut back on our expenses.

If staying at home is something you want to do, there are ways to make it work.

Good Luck,
K.

Hey, I am a stay at home mom of a 2 year old little boy and a 3 month old baby girl! Not too long ago, I searched for what seemed like forever to find the perfect way to be home with my kids, without sacrificing my income! I finally found an amazing company that has been such a blessing! If you want to work at home and be with your kids like I am at the same time, request more info. at www.mommyworkingathome.net I want to help other moms raise their own kids and keep them happier & healthier!!!

Hi A.!

My name is A.. I recently quit my secretarial job so I could stay home every day with my 4 month old son. The cut in pay was hard, so when I heard about a company called Work At Home United, I was very interested. It is turning out to be such a tremendous blessing to our family! Not only am I getting to stay home every day with my son, I'm also "bringing home" a paycheck every month. If you'd like to learn more about the company I work for, please check it out at http://www.workathomeunited.com/ashleyk

A. (____@____.com)

My fiance is a construction worker, and only making $30K a year. I tried to be a SAHM, and wasn't able to make it with the finances, so then I became a nanny, and that also didn't work. I found a way to be a SAHM/WAHM that is not any kind of scam. You don't even have to sponsor parties or set up booths at festivals or anything. I am with a team of local and national moms called The MOM Team, and we have partnered with a wellness company that sells all natural cleaning, health and beauty, and wellness products. A lot of these products are comparable in price, if not cheaper than walmart/target items. Now with The MOM Team, you could choose to just purchase the products, or if you wanted to, you can also make an income off of it. This isn't a MLM scam. There are no parties, no inventory, and no collecting money. Plus you get a free website, free training, and free support from moms around the country. Please check out my website for addition information. Even if you are just interested in purchasing green products for the protection of your family please visit it as well and I can get you more information on all of this.

Thanks,

K. B

http://www.BestForGavin.com