It is no secret I am a huge fan of stay-at-home moms. I know the choice is not the right one for everybody. For one thing, staying at home is often a thankless job and it’s also much more stressful than many jobs out there. However, there are plenty of benefits as well, chief of which is how much money you can save. Let me share with you some of the money-saving benefits that I have experienced from staying at home.
More Home Cooked Meals
Working 40 hours on top of taking care of my kids all day was stressful. Dinner was not getting cooked because who has time when you have to go to an office plus spend more time commuting? As a result, we were constantly running out to get fast food. I was constantly trying to stay awake and alert with Starbucks runs too. When I did go grocery shopping, I was so stressed and sleep deprived I wasted money on food that eventually was thrown away. Why should I bother working so many hours if I was just going to waste all of that money (and my precious time) on food costs? I ended up drastically cutting my work hours and all of these expensive food costs automatically disappeared.
Less Money Spent on Appearances
Of course I care about how I look and don’t want to be in pajamas all day, but I need a very limited wardrobe as a freelancing stay-at-home mom. My current closet consists of mostly jeans, tunic tops, and a few dresses. My bosses and co-workers don’t mind that my roots need touching up and that my fingernails haven’t seen a drop of polish in over a year, but employees who go to an office every day are usually expected to look a certain way all of the time, not to mention that there is sometimes an unspoken competition between co-workers.
Fewer Stressful Purchases
Does anyone else shop or eat when they are stressed? When I was doing the 40 hour work week, I was also shopping online a lot more. I was constantly buying to take my mind off my stress. I also kept shoving cookies in my mouth too.
My Husband Is More Motivated to Make More
I am truly grateful my husband is a wonderful provider for our family. He has the type of job that allows employees to grow with the company or stay in their position for the rest of their life. Since my husband knows we rely on his income, he is always motivated to pursue higher positions and do what needs to be done for raises. I know this is not the case with everyone, but I am thankful my husband fights hard for me to stay at home with the kids.
No Childcare Costs
I have looked into the costs of childcare and preschool, and it is just amazing how expensive it is. It would be depressing to see more than $2,000 per month gone to childcare costs even if I did have a full-time, well-paying job. Some moms realize that childcare costs with one kid are still beneficial for them to work. Other moms discover that having more than one kid in childcare can eat away their whole paycheck and that staying at home is a financially smarter move temporarily.
Honestly, being a stay-at-home mom is what I want to do. I encourage all other parents who want the same thing to take a hard look at their budget and see if it’s possible. Sometimes it is a question of what you have to sacrifice to have the ability to stay home with your kids. I know for me, I would move to a one-bedroom home, cut cable, and go down to one car if I had to. If staying at home with your kids is that important to you, you will find a way to make it work. Adapting to a new lifestyle won’t be easy, but the benefits will be worth the sacrifice.
Stay at home parent or working parent – the best choice is the one that works for your unique family. Whichever one you are, share your favorite ways to save money each month.
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Great article. Although I’m sure liberal heads will explode over this. At least one person in the comments called it “sexist”, which it isn’t. I think the stay at home mom should be celebrated and encouraged. Children raised in this type of household have so many benefits. If the family can include homeschooling then even better.
The Mother should be the one who save and budget for the family. Very awesome post. Thanks for sharing!
I’ve been a stay at home mom for 23 years. When we first decided to go that route, my baby was two weeks old. Our mortgage was half of my husband’s take home pay. So, we had to make some budget cuts. We learned to have a great deal of fun making ends meet. Making this decision and trusting God with the details has paid off big time. My children got scholarships and we are all debt free. Having a household with a stay at home parent has given all of us a peaceful unharried home.
I have just one remark in plus: a child with more time from their parents is a child happier and healthier. these costs are difficult to estimate.
In plus, more time to find free solutions to entertainment: public library, free movies, free concerts etc.
About lunch meal and cooking, as a mother full time job (and I spend time on the road too) I say the solution for me is: plan and keep simple and stupid. So I have lists, I am cooking 2 times per week, every time I cook lunch and dinner for 2-3-4 days, in plus I complete with salads or pasta (the sauce I cooked once for 2-3 weeks). I always plan the weekly menu and weekly lists with ingredients and quantities so I am going 1 time per week at the local market and 1 time per month at supermarket – more time for me, no food throw away. I cook from scratch to not produce garbage (here this is veeeery expensive) and simple. I almost arrive with an empty fridge in the evening before go to shopping and we are healthy (one visit at the pharmacy in the last 4 years)
Good post even if it is quite sexist. Ever hear of stay at home DADS????
I knew there would be one in the crowd. Emphasizing the benefits of a stay at home mom doesn’t mean the writer is saying there should be no stay at home dads. In general, whether you like it or now, mothers usually take on the nurturing care giving role in the raising of children (again, not suggesting dads don’t, relax the ruffled feathers). Therefore there is nothing sexist at all about this article. It’s actually refreshing to see.