This is a question for you stay-at-home mum's, do you & your husband/partner manage to live on just one wage? Do you both find it hard or does it work out well for you?

Im just curious as i have a daughter who is 18mths old and me & my husband both work full time. Im finding it very hard to work full time and then come home to be a wife/mummy, as im constantly tired. Everyday is the same for me and i dont seem to have 5mins do to anything. In a ideal world i would still like to have my wage but be a stay-at-home mum (wishful thinking i know)
I would really like to be a stay-at-home mum or part-time mum but i dont know how me & my husband would manage on just one wage?

I would like to hear your story/advice, thanks in advance!

Hi m a stay at home mom of a 16 month old. My husband doesnt make that much but we are not struggling either. This is how I feel but remember everyone is different.
I dont thik money is everything as long as we have enough to support ourselves and to put a little in he savings everymonth and as long as we are not living from paycheck to paycheck. Sure we may not have a whole lot extra and we may not be the richest but I feel like my family comes first before all the money in the world. I feel like it is imortant for me to raise my son istead of somone else. Especially during that first year when you ont want to miss all the firsts milestones. I want to teach my son and be there with him not someone else. I dont even want my mom to do it.
W may not have a whole lot of extra money but at least someone else isnt caring for my son! Thats my job.

My husband works and I stay home. I am 32 weeks pregnant. He is in the military and makes a decent living, though we still qualify and recieve WIC. (No judgements please.) We manage quite well, but we really do have to budget and watch what we buy, but we always have money to play around with. Recently our dog broke his leg and we are going to have to pay about $200 every two weeks for the next 8 weeks to have it re-splinted and x-rayed. Also we payed about $400 initially for emergency after hours vet services ect. So this has really put a strain on our budget and we have had to dip into our savings. So if you do decide to stay home then be prepared for life crisis's. But think about the money you could potentially save in child care costs.

What's WIC?

StephanieAnne wrote:

QUOTE:
What's WIC?

It stands for Women Infants and Children -- WIC
It's a program designed for people who make under a certain amount of income, which at the moment I can't remember what it is, like 30k or so. Anyways, it allows you while you are pregnant to have milk, cheese, beans, juice, stuff that is healthy for you and the baby. Once the baby is born it allows you to buy formula, cereal, juice, stuff that is healthy for the baby. I was on it with my first child since my husband didn't make over the limit and I was in school and working a dead end part-time job

Now to answer the original question. I have technically been a stay at home mom since I had my first daughter. I was going to school at different times on different days so it made it interesting to find baby sitters, but I was still with her daily, I did not want her in daycare (I had just quit when she was 2 months old) because I don't trust them. Personal preference on my part, I'd rather be with her myself or have my mother watch her some. Anyways Once I graduated in May I was prepared to look for a job, but then we found out I was pregnant again, so I chose to put off getting a job. So, we are a one income family. My husband makes enough that we don't live paycheck to paycheck, we can still treat ourselves to dinners out or other fun stuff for Amelia and we still put a little into savings with each paycheck also. Its hard, but we think its worth it for me to be home with our daughter and not have to have her in daycare. Which if I was to work would be my whole paycheck probably, esp. with a second child on the way.

I know I've rambled alot lol, but I hope I've answered your question. It can be hard, but I prefer it this way. I always hated leaving her when I had classes to go to.

I am a stay at home mom. My husband makes a good wage and we have no problems getting by. We don't live from paycheck to paycheck and have enough extra money to put money away for us and also money away for our kids education.
I would prefer to be a stay at home mom. I would rather raise my kids by myself and not have them raised in daycare.