Stay at home spouses
Replies
-
I was a SAHM for 5 years but then I realized that if I didn't find something outside the home I was going to end up on a news program ending with "...and then she turned the gun on herself"... Kids are so much harder than full time jobs... I recommend a sugar daddy instead of a family if you want to stay home.
0 -
Stay at home dad, but I do PT about 1 to 2 hours a day. My wife brings home the bacon.................I just have to cook it, clean, do laundry, take out the trash, do the yard work, and best of all take care of our daughter. Honestly I really like what I do right now and wouldn't change it.
As for living off mostly one income, it's about not having any credit or loans active. Our van gets paid off next May, and then all that's left is our mortgage. I'm a cheap *kitten* so I look for savings any way I can and don't need to have the latest gadgets or technology to enjoy life.
Love it!! xoxo0 -
I seriously do not know how people make ends meet without two working people these days... but i envy those that can make that happen *LOL*
Because the cost of daycare is more than what the jobs the second spouse can find, pay. You have to manage.
I'm actually a single stay at home mom (of 2) who I looks after 4 children during day. I have my own mortgage and just bought a new van. Its all about the budget baby! I'm extremely good with money, (I have no choice) and we don't live an extravagant lifestyle. I have a great ex-husband who does his share and is very involved. I hope someday to be a 2 income family again - its sooo much easier! lol
This is not judgmental, but an honest question... Where do you get income from?
I get roughly a normal 'outside of the home' income by looking after the 4 other children, plus I don't have to pay for childcare which would be about 250$/week, plus I get child support, I stay away from using credit (only having one not maxed out credit card - who needs interest??? gross). I live in a small city in Canada where my Mortgage payment is decent and we live a low key life. Its really quite easy, just be determined. Of course I would love more money and I plan on going back to school (my degree was money well wasted, lol) once my 3 year old is in school. We want for noting because I plan ahead and make it work. I see a lot of my friends that have two income households struggle because they feel that they have the money they should just spend it. I see my money and think about where it has to go and then use what is left over.
I also pay for one daughters life insurance and RESP and my own RRSP and their father pays for our other daughter. Its all about balance! xo
Ps - I also make my wine in batches and avoid the liquor store! lol
Dude, you rock! I didn't realize you were getting paid to watch the other children which makes WAY more sense Way to go, sista 0 -
I was a SAHM for 5 years but then I realized that if I didn't find something outside the home I was going to end up on a news program ending with "...and then she turned the gun on herself"... Kids are so much harder than full time jobs... I recommend a sugar daddy instead of a family if you want to stay home.
No no no... I don't want to stay home WITH children *LOL*
I need a stay at home wife That'd be the perfect plan :bigsmile: 0 -
I was a SAHM for 5 years but then I realized that if I didn't find something outside the home I was going to end up on a news program ending with "...and then she turned the gun on herself"... Kids are so much harder than full time jobs... I recommend a sugar daddy instead of a family if you want to stay home.
No no no... I don't want to stay home WITH children *LOL*
I need a stay at home wife That'd be the perfect plan :bigsmile: 0 -
I have been a SAHM for 4 years. I want to go back to work for my sanity 1 more year when they enter school I will 0
-
Its a tempting offer, but I see youre packing heat. Thats a HUGE red flag in my book!!How many of you are or have a spouse that does not work outside of the home?
If you do not, would you like one? I cook... I cook very well. And, I'm easy.... Win:Win.0 -
Stay at home dad, but I do PT about 1 to 2 hours a day. My wife brings home the bacon.................I just have to cook it, clean, do laundry, take out the trash, do the yard work, and best of all take care of our daughter. Honestly I really like what I do right now and wouldn't change it.
As for living off mostly one income, it's about not having any credit or loans active. Our van gets paid off next May, and then all that's left is our mortgage. I'm a cheap *kitten* so I look for savings any way I can and don't need to have the latest gadgets or technology to enjoy life.
If I ever decide to play for the other team, I am gonna marry you. Though I am blessed with an awesome job, my wife is the cheapest woman I know. She was a single mom before we met, so she knows the value of a dollar. She also likes to look good, but refuses to pay even half price for anything. And even though I bring home the bacon, I still have to sometimes cook it, clean, do laundry, take out the trash and take care of the kids. I do however refuse to do yardwork. That is why we have a yardman...I figure it is worth $40 a month for me not to get my hands dirty.0 -
My Husband is a stay at home dad. He has been for almost 3 years. We have a set of twins Boy/Girl and our son has autism. He was only going to school for a little less than half days (7am-11am). He was ok with it for a year, but now he wants to go back to work. I am loving my new independence so I want to stay working, but of course he makes wayyyyyy more than I will ever make so I will go back to being a stay at home mom (I was a stay at home mom for 7 yrs) or maybe see if I can work part time.0
-
Stay at home dad, but I do PT about 1 to 2 hours a day. My wife brings home the bacon.................I just have to cook it, clean, do laundry, take out the trash, do the yard work, and best of all take care of our daughter. Honestly I really like what I do right now and wouldn't change it.
As for living off mostly one income, it's about not having any credit or loans active. Our van gets paid off next May, and then all that's left is our mortgage. I'm a cheap *kitten* so I look for savings any way I can and don't need to have the latest gadgets or technology to enjoy life.
If I ever decide to play for the other team, I am gonna marry you. Though I am blessed with an awesome job, my wife is the cheapest woman I know. She was a single mom before we met, so she knows the value of a dollar. She also likes to look good, but refuses to pay even half price for anything. And even though I bring home the bacon, I still have to sometimes cook it, clean, do laundry, take out the trash and take care of the kids. I do however refuse to do yardwork. That is why we have a yardman...I figure it is worth $40 a month for me not to get my hands dirty.
I have to cook and clean as well... lol... but I dont care, he has taken care of me for over 14 years.0 -
Its a tempting offer, but I see youre packing heat. Thats a HUGE red flag in my book!!How many of you are or have a spouse that does not work outside of the home?
If you do not, would you like one? I cook... I cook very well. And, I'm easy.... Win:Win.
*LOL* Why, are you afraid I'd turn on you?0 -
My wife stayed at home for about 10 years with 3 kids, we never paid for daycare. I always had a second job.
When the kids were older and in school I encouraged her to find a job :-) and she started doing real estate, which lets her work from home most of the time. Sometimes she can be really busy, and other times it is slow. but even with the bad economy she has steadily sold houses, and since I do not count on her income- we use it to pay bills off quicker, renovate or go on vacation, she is able to stay, while 50% of her co-workers had to leave. It is a strange job... The second year all of her sales, 6, were within a 3 week period, so we paid off her car (she still drives it). So it is not 'steady' income but year to year it is...
Not bad to have her home most of the time, but I need to really help out when she gets busy.... Also I only pick up overtime from time to time now...0 -
no, because of the trouble we would probably get into. Bonnie and Clyde come to mind....
Its a tempting offer, but I see youre packing heat. Thats a HUGE red flag in my book!!How many of you are or have a spouse that does not work outside of the home?
If you do not, would you like one? I cook... I cook very well. And, I'm easy.... Win:Win.
*LOL* Why, are you afraid I'd turn on you?0 -
I spent 16 years as a SAHM, 11 of them homeschooling as well.
To be a SAHW or M, it does mean that your lifestyle is different - there are reduced costs that go along with reduced income. If you are lucky - and smart - generally, it will balance.
Then I changed my life completely, went to college traded UP to a better hubby, and got a few more kids.
Then, I did a combination of stay-home wife/working wife, while we were remodeling our house (had to work to get out of the chaos of it -- remodeling WILL cause insanity!), more or less outside working while raising the four teens...
Now, we have our wonderful "empty nest", and I work because I enjoy it... and my DH is my stay-home guy, though not really by choice. He is soon to be a full-time student, so that's all good.
I really enjoy having someone take care of me :happy:
He makes me coffee, my morning juice, packs my lunch, does most of the housework, and is there for me when I need him.
We are looking forward to working together once we are both done with college.
Of course, when we are both working, it would be nice for us both if we had a "wife" (or "house guy") to do all these things...0 -
No, I have one of those modern husbands who thinks the woman should work, too. :grumble:
Me too. I've been a stay at home spouse since we moved here to Key West in July though. He keeps tellin me I need to get a job and i tell him i don't just to argue for the sake of arguing, lol. I KNOW i need to get a job, i'm the one that pays all the bills and keeps track of the money!! He just spends it however he wants
0 -
I am a stay at home mom... both of my kids are now in school though which makes me a stay at home... not sure what! I do a lot of volunteer work for my husbands FRG (family readiness group/ lovely army thing). We decided when we had our second kid that we would willingly make the sacrifices that come with a one income family, for the trade off of being home with the kiddos. So both of our cars are old, we don't do big extravagant vacations, and I have to cook a lot more than I would like Not only that but we have no debt. It is all about living in your means, and I have friends who are broke all the time making 2.5 times as much as we do. That said, there are certainly days that I would love to leave the laundry to someone else and go to work. 0
-
No, I have one of those modern husbands who thinks the woman should work, too. :grumble:
hahahah me too0 -
Huge respect for all of you working parents that juggle both. I tried working (and just for 2 days a week, 4 hours a day) and it was just too much. I worked until the first one was 18 months, got laid off and found out we were expecting another. After panicking on what to do, my husband picked up a new contract that almost doubled his then income, allowing me to stay home. Money was still tight, but I've always been good with money. I love to coupon, only shop sales and we get all the name brand stuff, but don't pay the name brand prices. I've been home now for 6 years, that 'baby' just started Kindergarten, the other is 3rd grade and I have a 5 month old. It's a lot easier now, as hubby's income has steadily went up. We used to also have tons of debt from school loans, cars and credit cards. We paid off all of that, paid cash for our new cars and owe nothing but a mortgage. I don't have to be as tight with money, but I still am- lol. I love being home and being able to volunteer at the school and be involved. I always wanted to be a stay at home mom when I grew up... never dreamed of being a teacher, doctor, etc.
I do have the days when I threaten to get a job, to get a dang break! My hubby always says he has to go to work to get a vacation. We have faced the normal struggles of him expecting the house to be spotless all the time, which isn't realistic. Now if he starts acting like I don't do enough, I take a girls weekend and let him handle it and I get home to all new respect for what I do. It's not sitting around and eating Twinkies while watching Oprah. There is a reason people pay lots of money for daycare- because it is a job. Instead of leaving the house in the morning and coming back and being the same as I left it, it is constantly getting destroyed and cleaned. I explained it to my husband as if you had a really big job to get done at work, you worked all day or several days on it, finished and were happy with a job well done. Then you go back the next day expecting to move on to something different and the job is undone and you are back at square one- frustrating much? I vacuum every other day, clean the house top to bottom twice a week, with daily clean ups in between, laundry never ends, the dog is the biggest baby of all, I get spit up on all day and rarely get time to myself. I crave getting to be in my car alone and listening to the radio as loud as I want. It's a thankless job, that I wouldn't trade for anything. I plan on staying home indefinitely- unless I'm admitted to the crazy house before then-
In the end, either way, it's a trade off, pros and cons of each, and each person/ family has to make the decision that is best for them.0 -
I was for 3 years. We adopted a baby during my last year of college andmy wife had a full time job. AFter I graduated the best job I could find had a take home pay of roughly $1600/month or some such- the local daycare charged $1500/month. SO the wife and I decided I would stay home and play Mister Mom.
I was the stay at home spouse for almost 4 years until our son began school. I have a much better appreciation for people who are "stay at home moms". I never pay them lip service now- that was the hardest job I ever had! I was grateful to go to work at just a 9-5.0 -
I really would go out of my mind staying home. I love my career. It's not for everyone 0
-
I been a stay at home mom since I was 18 to my oldest. Couldnt imagine it any other way even though it is REALLY exhausting0
-
I have been a SAHM for about 2 years now. I was a single parent of 2 for around 3-4 years before I met my husband and when our youngest was born it was more cost efficient for me to stay at home with him rather than continue to work.
I attend school part time in the evenings which saves my sanity because it is very hard to go from being the only provider of income and parenting to being at home ALL THE TIME!
Oh and my husband also WORKS FROM HOME......so we are home. Together. Everyday. All day. Forever.
The littlest one will start school right as I am finishing school and then he can go there and I can have my career!!!
People give me *kitten* because I am not head over heals all the time for being able to stay at home. Some of us are just not equipped to do it for long periods of time, I am a worker. I am happiest when I am working and being productive. I guess I just don't feel like keeping my house clean and cooking all the time is productive for me because I do those things even when I am working.
It is temporary and I am grateful that my husband is able to provide enough income for me to do it. I do get frustrated but I never forget what it was like to be single doing it alone. And I give respect to all those that do it alone. :drinker: 0 -
I seriously do not know how people make ends meet without two working people these days... but i envy those that can make that happen *LOL*
Hmm, I have to say I think it's allot cheaper to have one stay at home, clean, cook, shop, mend, decorate, plan things for the family. So much more gets done and there is allot more peace with a nester in the home making it a fun and safe place. Nothing makes me feel better than seeing my spouse come home and enjoy a clean home, with dinner done and me all smelling sexy. Sucks when he just wants to go hit the skate park after work though... lol0 -
Its a tempting offer, but I see youre packing heat. Thats a HUGE red flag in my book!!How many of you are or have a spouse that does not work outside of the home?
If you do not, would you like one? I cook... I cook very well. And, I'm easy.... Win:Win.
I think it's great when people know how to use firearms. Everyone should.
Steve0 -
My wife is a stay at home mom. It's a hard job with two kids (one is 3, the other almost 6).
We decided at before we were married that it was best to have children raised by us at home, so that's what we did.
Steve0 -
I am! I stay home, but I have 3 kids, only 1 just started school this year. For me, i take care of everything! My hubby works a lot, he's in the military, and we already figured out this house would be total chaos plus I am not going to work just to pay for childcare & gas. So not worth it for me. I am glad we're both good with money, plan ahead & don't have to struggle anymore.
Maybe if we didn't live so far away from our families I could go to work while they watch them for free..... But it won't happen anytime soon since we still have 11 years left until hubby retires from the military0 -
I have been a SAHM for 4 years. I want to go back to work for my sanity 1 more year when they enter school I will
SAME Here...!! Both of my kids will be in school full time in 2 more... years... lol. I wish I could find a high paying job without a degree so I could afford childcare that would be great 0 -
i'm a sahm to a 14 month old. it's a little overwhelming at times, but i enjoy our time together 0
-
I am so lucky I had the chance to spend the first few years at home with my kids, because in todays society it's so hard to make it on one salary.
I miss getting to spend all day everyday with them(I'm most wistful of me and my daughter going all around when she was about a year old).
I was so lucky, those are moments I am happy I had.
That said, I wasn't good at being a housewife. I got bored... I was living somewhere that I knew nobody..
And I take too much pride in a job well done in the office. All the compliments in the world about how well behaved my children were, or how good a mother I was... didn't make a difference. Needed my identity.
Anybody who puts being a SAHM mom down ought to do it for a while, I cannot stand the way some of the ignorant people in society berate them.
It's the hardest job that I ever had.0 -
I have a kept man. He used to be a chef, but wanted to work on his career as a professional athlete. Doing both was just too exhausting and counter productive. Now he trains full time. This JUST started, so I'm not sure how it will go...0
This discussion has been closed.
Categories
- All Categories
- 1.4M Health, Wellness and Goals
- 394.9K Introduce Yourself
- 44K Getting Started
- 260.6K Health and Weight Loss
- 176.2K Food and Nutrition
- 47.5K Recipes
- 232.7K Fitness and Exercise
- 444 Sleep, Mindfulness and Overall Wellness
- 6.5K Goal: Maintaining Weight
- 8.6K Goal: Gaining Weight and Body Building
- 153.2K Motivation and Support
- 8.2K Challenges
- 1.3K Debate Club
- 96.4K Chit-Chat
- 2.5K Fun and Games
- 4.2K MyFitnessPal Information
- 16 News and Announcements
- 1.3K Feature Suggestions and Ideas
- 2.8K MyFitnessPal Tech Support Questions