A reality check for me.

**kiveve** · 06-17-2008, 02:54 PM

I'm newly out from lurking here at FV & trying to figure out how to stay at home with my two girls. Staying at home would mean cutting our income almost in half -- and, cutting our expenses almost in half. That's a tall order.

I like the suggestions from another thread about starting to live on one income now, before I actually stop work -- that way we can save the extra that we don't spend and get accustomed to living on a leaner budget. On the other hand, I like the idea of just jumping in with two feet and making it happen NOW without too much though or planning.

Any thoughts on which way to go?

**baxjul** · 06-17-2008, 02:56 PM

We pretty much just jumped in and I quit my job. It worked out well, because we didn't have to pay for gas and childcare.

**eyrehead** · 06-17-2008, 03:12 PM

I was a stay home wife before we got pregnant, so basically it was jumping in feet first. I had quit my job a week before we got married (almost 15 years ago), so after we got married and got our own place, we were on a single income. Some months were obviously tighter than others, but we've always managed!! Good luck with your decision!! And keep us posted on what you decide to do!!

**Jill B.** · 06-17-2008, 03:36 PM

I certainly know how hard it tugs at the heart to walk out the door for work every day. However, I don't think you should jump right in. Your signature is very revealing on how close you are to being debt free (I think) except for the mortgage. Pay off the credit card in July and squeeze everything you can from your budget to pay off that HELOC before you quit. You will be glad you did. This will make your budget more managable. You will be surprised at how you will be able to do without your income if you are planning properly.

**FarmerSue** · 06-17-2008, 07:30 PM

Wow!
That really is a tough one. I guess trying to live on one income while you work may be very hard if you have to pay for daycare and your job expenses out of that. This calls for some real number crunching! Does your husbands employer have the medical coverage? I know that is a big consideration for Americans.
At any rate I hope you can come home sooner than you think. I quit my job right before I had my first and have never once thought about it since! This is where I'm meant to be!
Take care and good luck!

**kiveve** · 06-17-2008, 07:36 PM

Originally Posted by FarmerSue

Does your husbands employer have the medical coverage? I know that is a big consideration for Americans....

Thanks FarmerSue -- believe it or not we just saved $400 a month by switching to independent health care coverage (not great coverage, but good enough), and my husband works at a Community Health Center. Pitiful state of insurance in our country.

**DonnainME** · 06-17-2008, 10:24 PM

Good luck. Right now our only income is my Avon business. It's bringing in about $500 to $700 per month - depending on my customers. It's almost enough to pay the bills. I'm trying to push it harder though because I don't want to work outside the home again. DH is trying to get disability.

**Palooka** · 06-18-2008, 01:33 AM

I went from full time to part time and then to two days a week and did a budget to see if we could live without. It worked for us at the time. We also had a small savings.

**Palooka** · 06-18-2008, 01:35 AM

Originally Posted by DonnainME

Good luck. Right now our only income is my Avon business. It's bringing in about $500 to $700 per month - depending on my customers. It's almost enough to pay the bills. I'm trying to push it harder though because I don't want to work outside the home again. DH is trying to get disability.

Just want to say you are doing good if you are making that much from selling Avon. I love Avon!

**Karla** · 06-18-2008, 03:17 AM

I would see if gas/daycare cost are worth quitting, otherwise I'd pay off the bills and then live on one income and get some saved.

**SewCrafty** · 06-18-2008, 03:28 AM

Originally Posted by FarmerSue

Wow!
That really is a tough one. I guess trying to live on one income while you work may be very hard if you have to pay for daycare and your job expenses out of that. This calls for some real number crunching! Does your husbands employer have the medical coverage? I know that is a big consideration for Americans.
At any rate I hope you can come home sooner than you think. I quit my job right before I had my first and have never once thought about it since! This is where I'm meant to be!
Take care and good luck!

I agree with FarmerSue, take care of the biggest bills you have before quitting work. The stress just isn't worth it.

I too hope you can be home sooner with your little one much sooner.

**Gotonenerveleft** · 06-19-2008, 11:39 AM

Well for me I just took the plunge. I'm a stay at home grandmother and I quit work to keep my grandson. His doctor did not want him in daycare so I volunteered to watch him. I was making good money and I worried how we would do it, but jumped in anyway. Amazingly we found we were better off with me home. Am still not sure how it happened but it was true.

There are hidden costs with working. I didn't pay for daycare, but I did pay for gas, work clothes, food, and so on. Also I was usually so tired that we ate out alot. I would pay bills late, had the money but not the time to sit down and take care of them. Frugality was nowhere in the picture. I didn't try to cut costs on anything. It seems that everything was a blur back then.

You can probably do well if you quit, especially if you are paying daycare. You'd probably find some of the same things I did. Less expenses on the work front (clothing, gas, etc.) and for your children.(Kids hanging around the house require less new clothes than ones out and about each day) You can have the time to really focus on meals, energy savings, bills, etc.

Sorry this has been so long, but what I'm trying to say is that You can do it. If you don't want to quit right now, set a goal of when you can and just jump right in. You might just be amazed!!!

**luv-my-lexi** · 06-19-2008, 11:50 AM

Originally Posted by Gotonenerveleft

Amazingly we found we were better off with me home. Am still not sure how it happened but it was true.

There are hidden costs with working. I didn't pay for daycare, but I did pay for gas, work clothes, food, and so on. Also I was usually so tired that we ate out alot. I would pay bills late, had the money but not the time to sit down and take care of them. Frugality was nowhere in the picture. I didn't try to cut costs on anything. It seems that everything was a blur back then.

You can probably do well if you quit, especially if you are paying daycare. You'd probably find some of the same things I did. Less expenses on the work front (clothing, gas, etc.) and for your children.(Kids hanging around the house require less new clothes than ones out and about each day) You can have the time to really focus on meals, energy savings, bills, etc.

Sorry this has been so long, but what I'm trying to say is that You can do it. If you don't want to quit right now, set a goal of when you can and just jump right in. You might just be amazed!!!

This is basically my family too. I don't stay home but I only work 3 hours a day and my dd can come with me to work in the summer or on her school days off. We too blew tons of money cause I was just too tired to cook or try to be frugal in any way shape or form. It is so strange that by me not working full-time we have kept our bills paid off and put more money into savings than we ever did when I was working full-time.

Good luck to you on whatever decision you decide to go with.