Discussions

What do you do? Are you able to work from home? At almost 800 bucks a month to have someone else watch the kids it hardly seems worth leaving the house!!

Certified nail tech. I work from home and make approx $1700 after product expenses. My kids are young but finally in school so no daycare costs, except summer I have that expense. I absolutely love my job. If my kids are sick at school I either go get them in between clients or my husband picks them up and brings them home and they sleep while I work.

Yes, outside care expenses can be a lot and often it does not pay to work outside the home once all expenses are considered...you may be working for very little or even paying to work. This was a large part of our decision for me to be home.  
 
I do not work outside the home. I also do not have a money earning job inside the home. I am always open to exploring ideas that I could do from home (not working for an mlm or anything where I am under an umbrella company) to see if they would fit our family and lifestyle. I do not often try them out as they usually do not fit my criteria. Some of my conditions are that it will not cost my family money that cannot be recovered, nor is it to take away time from them.  
 
What I currently do for a job/career at home is work on saving money/stretching income. It is a lot of work and can pay well (again, not in additional income, but by stretching it). It is my goal to help save our family as much as possible by budgeting, true from scratch (not canned, store frozen nor boxed) baking & cooking, being resourceful by growing or finding produce free or on sale and processing it myself, fixing what I can on my own, making laundry detergent and tooth powder, using basic yet effective things for cleaning (vinegar, borax, etc), considering my purchases well before buying (not buying the latest and not necessarily name brand clothing/foods), finding or creating inexpensive entertainment and skipping expensive and/frequent outings/vacations, finding inexpensive sports and activities for the kids, not needing everything new and sometimes doing without wants...keeping needs first. I am passing this important skillset of being wisely frugal (not cheap...) on to my children.  
 
I am sure there is more, but since it is my chosen goal and daily job to save money, I am at a loss to say what else I do. It has become a lifestyle and I am always learning.  
 
It is amazing what you can do and learn over time. I have been doing this for many years now and have learned a lot. The little things can add up.  
 
There are many things that people have forgotten that can be rediscovered in a quest like this. I may be a SAHM, but it is a job all of its own. No laziness or sitting around watching soaps here. lol  
 
You could use the figure of $800 as a goal to reach trying to save money. If you reach it, go for more.  
 
I am looking forward to seeing what others have to say on the subject. I know that I am not the only one doing this.

I chose to stay home,self employed as a seamstress.  
 
When the children were younger,I was 17 years at home as a stay at home mom and loved it. I worked for about 7 years as an Educational Assistant now I am home again.  
 
Choices need to be made on spending and lifestyle to do it but staying home with your children, working from home can be done.  
 
While a stay at home mom, I read books about stay at home moms working from home There are lots of career choices.I also read about Lone Ranger moms, it explained babysitting co-ops.  
 
I also appreciate McDiarmid Drive Alliance church offering a course FINANCIAL PEACE UNIVERSITY. It can be found online, Dave Ramsey teaches a balanced budget, investing, saving and enjoying life. I learnt a lot about household finances and I am living worry free attacking the little debt that is left from a really big bad place I was in.  
 
Good luck with you choices

I used to complain that my mom should work so I could have the neat things my friends were able to have. Now I realize that she gave me something priceless, a healthy home. She cooked from scratch and avoided processed foods and I am healthier today because of that decision. (She is 84 and has beaten cancer. Healthy food is important.)  
 
Review your budget and figure out what you are going to do with any money should you end up earning it. When looking at the budget, check how much an income will affect the CTB, GST Rebate, and other benefits. Now compare that bottom line difference to being home so that your children have someone to listen to when they have a story to tell or a question to ask. Having someone who cares about you is the greatest gift you can give your children and I am glad my mother chose that for us.  
 
Watch Sesame Street with your child and actively participate in it by singing along and asking questions about why Elmo is doing that or Prairie Dawn sure is nice to do that for her friend. Take extra long to do the grocery shopping because the items are discussed with the children. Let them press the peanut butter cookie dough with a fork even if you can do it faster.  
 
Keep your eyes open for FREE events and items that are more convenient for the stay at home parent to get to. The splash parks are free and just as good as a fancy YMCA membership. The library will lend you books at no cost and even have story times to help get your children interested in books. If you happen to meet another parent with two children of the similar ages, maybe you could work out a swap where one looks after four children in the morning while the other works and then reverse in the afternoon. Maybe an employer would be willing to work with the two parents to assist with this arrangement.  
 
Brand new clothes are not essential. Hand me downs and yard sale priced outfits work just as well for the six months that they fit. Shoes have to be new so that the foot problems of the previous wearer are not passed on ... except for that pair of black dress shoes that will be worn for only a few hours at a wedding.  
 
Another thing my mother did was volunteer. She was active in the Parent Council (and therefore had the Principal on speed dial) which meant that we had to behave. Other volunteer work may provide childcare so that you can keep your skills active or even upgraded. Campus Manitoba has many courses you can take while not leaving the house.  
 
The things my mother did to earn pin money was to sew clothes for other women who did not like the fit of what was on the rack. We learned that we had to act in a professional manner around the house if she had a client with her. She also did the occasional government work like the census and elections. Grandmother or a friend did not mind stepping in for these few times that childcare was needed.  
 
Think of it as earning $800 a month and, because you are also your boss, create standards for you to meet and tasks that you need to accomplish every week. Check out Montessori philosophy of child learning and give your children the environment they need to grow, both in healthy body and a healthy mind.  
 
 

smart and all true. I think many do not see it that way.  
 
Edited by 1 chance, 2015-07-06 11:09:00

I will second what Dragonfly Desires said about Dave Ramsey's advice. It is good. We found one of his books at a thrift store and I have read things on his website to help me fine tune. BTW Dragonfly...is this church going to offer the class again any time soon?  
 
Also the post following mine has some good insight from years past. It is good to learn from those who have lived before us. Nothing teaches more than life experience.  
 
Thanks, 1 Chance. I share what I know with others if they ask...now if only I could use that knowledge to make a little extra too! lol  
 

Childcare

As 1 Chance said, not many people think of staying at home or SAHM that way...it is often the sterotype of the lazy woman watching soaps all day or...something like someone said around me at one time. The statement was made that when there is only one person working outside the home and one at home, that they must be rich to do so! Haha...sometimes we feel the opposite...if some 2 income families could/would curb spending/expenses who knows where they could be!  
 
Aside from the sterotypes, we have observed that two parents working often actually costs a lot financially (it is not always recognized) and often otherwise in added job related stress, family stress and less time with family.  
 
Little did that person know us and the reasons for our decision and how our decisions made it possible for me to be a SAHM. But that is okay. We know.