Today is a great time to be a woman and a mother. A mother has the choice of whether or not she decides to work outside of the home. Stereotypes and judgments towards stay-at-home parents seem to be waning. Society has since shifted from the strict idea that no woman should work outside the home and past the snobbish judgments towards stay-at-home mothers. Now, it seems that more and more people are just willing to let women decide what is best for them.
Parents have more opportunity to decide what is best for their family, without having to worry as much about societal pressures. Being a stay-at-home mom is not the ideal for every woman. But for those mothers who would rather quit their jobs and spend their days with their children, I offer hope and encouragement–You can do it! It just takes some frugal living!
The most important thing that a woman needs in order to make the shift out of the workforce is a supportive husband. The decision to live on one income is one that a couple has to make together. If your husband does not think it will be possible to live on one income, there might be some things you can do to convince him. If, however, he doesn’t like the idea of you quitting your job “just to stay home with the kids,” you probably don’t want to force your opinion on him. You would never want your husband bitter or resentful towards you as a housewife.
The next thing you’ll need to do is crunch some numbers. Find out how much your current job is actually bringing in, minus childcare and other costs that it takes for you to work. Determine the additional amount you could save by having more time to budget, cook at home, or bargain shop. Decide whether you can make it on just your husband’s income. If your finances fall short, maybe there are still some ways that you can cut back in order to make it work. Think of some smaller ways to save money, like packing lunches for your husband and kids, canceling your cable TV, or learning to cut hair yourself. Small amounts really add up. If you keep a family budget, you can easily see the areas where you can cut back.
If staying home still is beyond your grasp, you may want to consider a more drastic approach. The first option is to cut back on one or more of your larger expenses. Perhaps your family could function with just one vehicle. Or maybe you’d even think of selling your home and buying a less-expensive one. Your second option is to find ways to supplement your husband’s income. Maybe that means that one of you gets a part-time job.
Whatever you choose to do, the great thing is that the choice is yours. Don’t let pressures from others determine what is best for your family. If you want to stay home with your children, go for it! And come back to the Frugal Living blog for more ways to stretch your dollars.