SAHM Going Back to Work - Feasibility

Updated on January 11, 2012
K.M. asks from Portland, OR
14 answers

So, what makes it financially feasible for a mother to work outside of the home? In other words, after paying for childcare how much money leftover makes it viable for a mom / parent to work outside of the home? Just curious about your thoughts and opinions. I know that the situation is different for everybody, but I just want to bounce some ideas off all of you.
Thanks in advance!

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C.P.

answers from Columbia on

Basically it comes down to two things:

1. Is the money you have left over enough to justify your absence from the home and the hardship/juggling required to work?

2. Do you feel like the work fulfills a need or creates more needs?

Usually, answering those questions helps. Good luck!

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B.G.

answers from Champaign on

We talked about this A LOT before I did it. For us, it meant a change in my husband's schedule as well as mine. I teach at a university, so we knew I would have a nice Christmas break with the kids and summers free. We have 1 child in school and 1 child in daycare, so our costs my be lower than yours. Our older son goes to daycare after school (for about 1 1/2 hours) and will have to during his spring break (not the same as mine).

We just really had to weigh the pros and cons. The job I have is unique, and we knew if I didn't take it there was a very good chance it would not be available again later.

Now that I do work full time I have to say that I am a much healthier person for it. I love my kids and I love my time with them, but I am so much happier now that I have more adult time.

I don't know that it has made a huge difference financially, but we do notice things are a little easier, a little less stressful. About half of my money goes to childcare.

I think in the end I knew I wanted to do this. I knew it wouldn't set us back financially (it might have if we had 2 kids in daycare), so we decided to go for it. It has been an adjustment (housework and all), but i love it.

Good luck with your decision!

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T.M.

answers from Tampa on

In my mind, it just really depends on what your skillset is. For instance, if you never finished high school and therefore only have the ability to get a job that pays minimum wage, then it often doesn't make sense to work unless you have older children that would be in school.

My personal situation is that I have a Master's degree and have significant experience in my field. Therefore, I do earn a fairly good living and it makes sense to work.

Another group of things to consider.... What are the dress requirements for your job? Are you required to wear a full suit every day? If so, a wardrobe like that costs a bit to maintain. Are you going to have a long commute? There is gas and time to consider. There are just so many factors at play here.

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J.W.

answers from St. Louis on

I really depends on the person. If the most one can make is 20,000 and the other is making 100,000 most of the one income will go to daycare and taxes. When the incomes are closer it becomes more profitable at a lower income.

What has to go into the equation is the value of your time, taxes, day care, transportation, clothing, and one people always forget, guilt gifts. Everyone always forgets that we feel real guilty when we work outside of the home so we buy our kids stuff we wouldn't otherwise buy.

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C.O.

answers from Washington DC on

It all depends upon the household. If I work - it's all "cream" as some would say - my income makes no difference to our budget as when we got married we planned on my NOT working to raise kids so NEVER did we factor my income into a budget.

If you can't make enough to make a difference - for example: if the parent that wants to go back to work can only earn say $36K a year - then is it really worth it? Day care - depending upon the age (as another example here in DC an infant full day care is about $400 per week - so that's $21K a year) so is that worth it to work to pay for day care?

In my opinion, if your income is needed to keep the household running - then if you go back to work you have to be able to make more than day care costs and the added taxes that that income will bring - as well as gas, upkeep on a car, commuting expenses, clothing expenses, etc. to make it worth your while.

If you have a experience and a college education and can pull in over $50K a year - that would make up the difference for going back to work, taxes, transportation, etc. Just remember to factor in taxes, commuting expenses, clothing expenses, etc. when deciding to go back to work.

GOOD LUCK!!

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B.A.

answers from Chicago on

Things to consider is cost.
1.daycare
2.clothing
3.purchased meals or convenience meals
4.raising your tax bracket
5.need for 2 reliable vehicles that would need immediate repair instead of fudging for a few days(possibly a rental)
6.car gas for to and from work and daycare
7.plan for sick children like who takes off and will it impact job
8.knowing what you need to stay sane and what your kids need versus need to pay bills
9.hair and makeup(most stay at home mom's can put off a haircut/color a bit longer)
10.hiring others to do things you won't have time to do

There are a lot of things that become new expenses unless you commit to making sure you are well planned as a quick dinner when you ran out of time could erase that days earnings. A sick child on a day when your boss expects you to be there dead or alive could get you written up or fired. Don't want to scare you. If it's extra cash you need then perhaps part time. Either evenings or early am so hubby is home? Or cutting the household budget like get rid of cable or the text package on a phone. If it's sanity or you were a large wage earner before then it's just heading back to work but if you didn't earn a lot then you really have to weigh the pros and cons

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S.B.

answers from Redding on

Financial feasibility is one thing. I've raised two kids myself so working was a matter of necessity. No question about it.
Another thing in recent years that I have noticed is that sometimes the woman works for the health benefits. I know many women who work and basically bring nothing home by the time they pay their health insurance premiums, but at least their families are covered by employer sponsored health insurance. These women have health issues or have a husband or child with health issues to the extent they couldn't pass underwriting for individual health plans and they work for the benefit of insurance.
I guess it depends on what you gain by working, and that could mean many different things to different people.
I know few families that don't have two working parents.
I know one woman who makes more than her husband, but her job offers no health benefits. His job is fairly low paying, but he has retirement, 401k, medical, life, dental and vision insurance for the family. Both of them working covers their needs. She works normal office hours and he works evenings and weekends with days off during the week so their child care expenses are intermittent even with 3 kids aged 5, 4, and 3. Plus, with the benefit of two incomes, she can afford to take time off for her kids' activities and not be financially hurt by it as far as the mortgage being paid etc. She works as much as she does to pay for gymnastics and sports for her kids. Even the 3 year old takes gymnastics classes with her older sister and she just loves it. Plus...they get their energy out in a structured way which helps keep mom and dad sane. The other day she added up how much she had paid just for gymnastics alone last year and there is no way her kids could have done it without her working. She, like many moms, feel that working is a way to afford certain opportunities for their kids.
Like I said, some women work with no financial gain other than to cover their families with health insurance. They are working in exchange for a provision for their family.
I guess it all depends on how working meets your needs in some way.
I'm flying solo, so I don't have any choice. My kids have turned out to be wonderful individuals with a stong work ethic because of it.
I suppose if you're not getting any benefit by working, that's something to consider. I had a job that cost me more in gas getting back and forth than I had left over for groceries. I had to find something different.

I just know that lots of people have gotten creative because of the economy. In my business, we have many moms who work evenings and weekends while dads can watch the kids and there are no child care expenses. They make at least $10 per hour. If they work 7pm-10pm 5 nights a week, that's $150 a week. We have some moms who do that plus an overnight care for our patients 8pm to 8am and that's $120 in one night.
In that scenario, it's an extra $270 per week, or $1080 per month while their kids are sleeping and no childcare involved. Our caregivers wear scrubs, which we provide, so there is minimal clothing expenditure. 90% of our employees are moms and they appreciate the flexibility.

If your heart is in it, look in to caregiving agencies in your area. It's just a thought.

If you don't want to work or don't have a husband you can coordinate hours with, things can get difficult. But there are ways to make legitimate money without missing time with your kids as well. My daughter has an 8 month old and she works taking care of developmentally disabled adults in the evenings. Dad takes care of the baby while she's gone. She has zero child care costs and loves her clients. She began taking care of them before she ever got pregnant. She helps them do laundry, pay their bills, takes them grocery shopping, etc. She works 5 hour shifts during the week and occasional weekends. She makes a minimum of $1000 per month with no child care expenses.
I guess I'm saying it's possible to find a way to make it work if you want to and need to.

There are too many variables to know if it's feasible for you, as a mother, to work outside the home. Only you can calculate all of that out.
But, I do know plenty of moms who do it, and quite successfully, in ways that benefit their families.

Just my opinion and just my personal observations.

Best wishes.

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S.M.

answers from Columbus on

I see you've had some great answers already. It also depends on the support you'll get from your family and the flexibility a job will offer. If you don't have anyone to watch your child if they get sick, then you'll be missing work and possibly use up your own personal days. If a job requires you to work on weekends or holidays, then that limits the time you can travel or be with your family. So many things to consider!

I don't have a degree but I've finished several college-level business programs and I have lots of experience in my field. But nothing I could find would be enough to "break even" after paying for childcare. So I was prepared to work evenings, weekends, and holidays (my husband is a teacher) but that meant we'd only ever see each other in passing. I was still job searching when I got pregnant again, and finally quit looking when I couldn't hide the bump any longer.

Now I work from home selling Mary Kay, and it's worked out really well. There are a lot of direct sales companies that are great for moms. You can check www.dsa.org to see most of them. I've met a lot of women who sell Thirty One, Scentsy, Pampered Chef, and so on, and they are very successful. It seems to be a great solution for moms, as you are your own boss, and there is unlimited earning potential, plus you have the flexibility that a "regular" job can't offer. If you have any questions about direct sales or Mary Kay, feel free to ask me anything.

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D.K.

answers from Pittsburgh on

Um, how is this different than for a single mom to work outside the home? As far as I can see, single moms have all the same expenses as married couples (more because no one else is responsible for sharing them) and yet it 'pays' for them to work. Otherwise, there would be no food, home, school etc. So I guess I am not buying the 'argument' that it doesn't 'pay' to work. Working full time also usually provides health insurance - a huge expense if you have to buy it yourself, especially a family plan which have gotten way out of proportion to individual policies. I rarely hear of a man deciding whether it 'pays' for him to work. He does because that is the job of an adult human being - to support oneself and one's children. Why would it be different for me?

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K..

answers from Phoenix on

There is no general answer here.

First of all, it depends on your area, the cost of living, housing, wages, etc. For example, the 36k figure that was used by a previous poster is not a bad wage for my area, and daycare is around $200 a week & under. Of course this cost goes down drastically when your child(ren) is/are in school.

It also depends on what type of benefits you wish to have for your family. Some people work just for the benefits, and they are fine with not having much extra. Sometimes the mate that makes more money is employed by a company with no or poor benefits. You don't know how much you need those benefits until you don't have them. One medical emergency can put you in debt.

It also depends on your debt load, your spending style, your hobbies, habits, what you consider a necessity & a luxury, etc.

Also remember that some people are better stay at home parents than others, and some are more happy working. That is a major factor, in my opinion. Just because you can stay home doesn't always mean it's in everyone's best interests. Also, if the 2nd parent working would take pressure & stress of the other spouse & family as a whole, it's a huge thing. But again, a very individual decision.

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☆.A.

answers from Pittsburgh on

IMO, if someone needs money for basics like food, shelter, clothing, etc, then they might need to work to add income. If that job equals the need for FT childcare, another car, more insurance, better wardrobe, and you'll break even--it's usually NOT worth it
If the FT career plus childcare, trans, etc. is NOT worth it, then a woman can look into a job with hours around her husband's job--thus eliminating the need for child care, extra vehicle, etc.
Generally speaking, if the woman has what is considered a career, as opposed to a job, it might well be worth it financially. If her skills are more of a "job" level--usually not. BUT it also depends on how low the first income is--sometimes to clear $100 per week IS worth it to a family struggling to put food on the table, right?
My answer is referring only to the financial aspect of your question.

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L.G.

answers from Eugene on

Depends upon how much you miss your working life. I didn't work for money but the love of my profession when my kids were young. I still love my profession and I began to really earn money at it around 40 years of age. Companys take your seriously once it is clear you are done with baby making.

It depends on each woman and money is not the real issue here. If it is, you might not make enough to put up with all the corners you have to cut and the extra expenses working incurs. If your child is school age then it's worth it because the Latch Key programs at the schools aren't expensive and you would not be with your child from 8-2:30 anyway.

J.S.

answers from Seattle on

You've gotten so many answers from a financial point of view. My point of view is completely child-centered. I am my daughters' mother, and I am the best person for them. They need me, and I also need them! I love being their stay at home mom. I babysit and give flute lessons during the week for a little extra cash, and I recently started working a PT job two shifts a week from 5 - close, which allows me time away and my husband time with the girls, but I'm still a stay at home mom. And I'm so thankful for it. It would take not being able to buy food for me to go get a FT job and be away from my kids - both the school aged ones and the little ones. I had these girls because I wanted to raise children into wonderful adults, not because I wanted some extra people around on evenings and weekends!

This is my honest perspective. I have a friend who tried staying home with her girls and it drove her crazy! She was not being her best to them, so she went back to work and is a much better mom for it. Every situation is different, but I still stand firm in saying that the kids' needs come first, always.

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G.B.

answers from Oklahoma City on

In my opinion if the person can make a salary that is enough to still bring home any money after expenses are paid then she could easily go back to work. Like you say though, if she goes to work and does not make anything there is only the purpose of being a working member of society. Which is often a needed thing.

On the other hand. If the family is low enough income they can get most of their child care paid for by the state. They can do all kinds of things to help supplement their bottom dollar.

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