Comments on: Expanding Your Family and Reducing Your Income http://www.cleverdude.com/content/expanding-your-family/ Family, Marriage, Finances & Life Sat, 11 Feb 2012 11:18:58 +0000 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: F2O http://www.cleverdude.com/content/expanding-your-family/comment-page-1/#comment-23340 F2O Wed, 14 May 2008 13:22:19 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=820#comment-23340 My wife and I recently had these discussions and decided that she would not become a SAHM. As the director of an early childhood learning center, she will be able to take our child to her work. Actually, the decision was less about money than it was about her desire to keep working. Plus we like the idea of getting the socialization benefits of our child being around lots of other people from such a young age while not loosing the bonding time between mom and baby. That being said, we probably would have gone the other way if she didn't already work in child care. To us, the socialization payoff wouldn't outweigh the decreased time my wife would get to spend with our baby. We also did talk about a plan if it doesn't work out. Since we already live off of my income and use hers for extras and savings, we could transition to plan "B" with some minor alterations to our lifestyle. My wife and I recently had these discussions and decided that she would not become a SAHM. As the director of an early childhood learning center, she will be able to take our child to her work. Actually, the decision was less about money than it was about her desire to keep working. Plus we like the idea of getting the socialization benefits of our child being around lots of other people from such a young age while not loosing the bonding time between mom and baby. That being said, we probably would have gone the other way if she didn’t already work in child care. To us, the socialization payoff wouldn’t outweigh the decreased time my wife would get to spend with our baby.
We also did talk about a plan if it doesn’t work out. Since we already live off of my income and use hers for extras and savings, we could transition to plan “B” with some minor alterations to our lifestyle.

]]> By: Erin http://www.cleverdude.com/content/expanding-your-family/comment-page-1/#comment-23334 Erin Wed, 14 May 2008 03:54:14 +0000 http://www.cleverdude.com/?p=820#comment-23334 This is a really interesting topic, and one that I believe a lot of young couples struggle with if they have not discussed these matters beforehand. Before my son was born - even before my husband and I were married - I made it clear that I would be at home with our children while they were young, and my husband agreed that this was a priority. When we decided to get pregnant, we put away my entire income for a full year prior to my son's birth, both to pad our savings and to get used to living on one income! "Were you willing to compromise on any of your financial goals in order to have one of you stay at home?" I keep going back to a quote I read recently from another SAHM asked about how she managed being at an economic disadvantage: she stated simply that she did not perceive any disadvantage. Her family was happy, and their needs fulfilled; everything else has to to do with values. This goes right to heart of the question. I absolutely would compromise on financial goals, because money is subject to our family's values and happiness, and for us that included me being the primary caregiver for our son. Congratulations to you both! This is a really interesting topic, and one that I believe a lot of young couples struggle with if they have not discussed these matters beforehand. Before my son was born – even before my husband and I were married – I made it clear that I would be at home with our children while they were young, and my husband agreed that this was a priority. When we decided to get pregnant, we put away my entire income for a full year prior to my son’s birth, both to pad our savings and to get used to living on one income!

“Were you willing to compromise on any of your financial goals in order to have one of you stay at home?” I keep going back to a quote I read recently from another SAHM asked about how she managed being at an economic disadvantage: she stated simply that she did not perceive any disadvantage. Her family was happy, and their needs fulfilled; everything else has to to do with values. This goes right to heart of the question. I absolutely would compromise on financial goals, because money is subject to our family’s values and happiness, and for us that included me being the primary caregiver for our son.

Congratulations to you both!

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