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
Less Money Spent on AppearancesOf 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.