Do you swoon every time you see a mom bring home-made cookies to the soccer game? Do you daydream about having a clean home? You can become a SAHM. Of course, I do know it is much, much more difficult if you are a single mom, but if that is your case I do know a few single moms who have made it work. For single mom help, hop on over to Not Consumed or SarahTitus.com There are single mom posts just for you! But, if you are blessed to have a husband who is working full-time to support the family, here are some financial reasons that you can stay at home. You’ll be surprised at how much money you can save by just serving your family full-time inside your very own home!
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The media tells us we need to use our education and talents outside the home in order to contribute to society. However, inside most of us, there is a yearning to stay home and focus on our family. Clean sheets, ironed clothes, homemade bread and trips to the park are just the beginning of the loads of benefits to having a thriving woman managing her home full-time.
Many times couples feel pressured financially and believe the wife becoming a SAHM is just not possible. Here are some financial reasons becoming a SAHM is more financially complimentary than you think! I hope after you read this aritcle you will say, “Yes, I can stay at home. I CAN do this!”
11 Reasons Why You CAN Afford to be a SAHM
- Chid-care costs are nixed!.When you choose to stay-at-home full-time, no extended baby-sitting or daycare will be needed. No doubt this is one of your top ten monthly expenses. Take time to find out the annual cost for your child-care and subtract it from your income you are earning outside the home. YOu may be suprised at the difference. Some moms told me they actually paid more in childcare than they made outside the home — wow!
- Lower medical costs. Day-cares and schools are two of the top five places for a child to come in contact with germs. Less contact equals less doctor visits, medication and sleepless nights.
- Convenience foods will be cut. You know the microwavable mac and cheese? How about the frozen pizzas and dinners? Canned spaghettios? All those convenience foods you are regularly purchasing add up! Of course I can’t blame you for desiring to cut corners to enjoy some extra cuddle time with your munchkins, but regularly purchasing these heat ‘n eat goods will only dig deeper into your pocket as well as rob you of nutritional value you can find in home-made alternatives. SAHMs typically cook more home-made meals and delve into new, made-from-scratch recipes. Health and budgets are both winners with this switch!
- Extra time for clearance and second-hand shopping trips. One major money-saver for stay-at-home moms is having the opportunity to scout out thrift stores for amazing clothing, home decor, books and toy deals. Kids grow out of things so fast, purchasing quality clothes at full-price year will quickly to deplete your clothing fund. Most second-hand shops close around 5 p.m., which makes it difficult for moms who work outside the home to snag those great weekday deals!
- Fewer restaurant meals.We all enjoy eating out once in a while. But, homes where the moms stay at home spend far less on restaurant and take-out meals. Anyone that can add will come to the conclusion that it is significantly cheaper to eat at home than at a restaurant — sans special deals and coupons.
- WAHM options. It takes a little bit or brain-storming and creativity, but there are many ways moms can stay-at-home and earn an income. Consider your strengths and talents. Are you great at getting your thoughts out on paper and encouraging others? Consider blogging or writing! Are you skilled in an instrument? Consider teaching that instrument in private lessons. Are you super-crafty? Think about creating eye-catching, unique products and check into selling them online or nearby consignment stores. Do you love baby-sitiing other kids? Consider baby-sitting in your home. Your kids may enjoy having an extra play-mate around! Bringing in some extra income will give you a little spending money as well as help purchase any other needs your family may have — all the while keeping your family top priority!
- Less tempted to shop, shop shop. If the mom in the home stays-at-home full-time there is less of a temptation to take unnecessary shopping trips and spending sprees. They also tend to feel less pressured to have the fancier wardrobes that some women are required to have for their jobs.
- Lower fuel costs. There will be no need for you to travel out everyday to go to work and drop the kids off at daycare. Depending on how far away those two places are, you can really rack up in the weekly savings.
- More feasible to be a one car family. Maybe the financial flexibility of owning only one car has been tempting, but you could never see it as a realistic possibility with both of you working on opposite sides of town. Now, you can enjoy less car insurance and car payments. Need to go shopping? Get up early and drive your hubby to work. See if he can carpool once in awhile with another co-worker to free up the vehicle.
- Less stress. Stress can become en enemy of finances. Stress causes health issues that send us to the doctor or pharmacy. Stress also tempts us to make impulsive, convenient purchases. Stay-at-home moms enjoy the freedom of not being stressed out about home responsibilities left unattended. They also don’t have the stress of deadlines, unreasonable bosses and the plain man-eat-man philosophy that invades many workplaces.
- Lower educational costs. If you desire to place your child in a private school, you better start saving. A typical private school can cost anywhere between 5,000-14,000 dollars per year. Sahms have the option of educationg their kids at home. There are many at-home education options available at a fraction of the cost of a private school.
Can you think of any other financial benefits you have gained from staying at home? There are many more than this small list! Please share your financial blessings and savings experiences in the comments section and encourage moms that desire to stay home that they can do it!