Salaries & How Much Is Enough

With daycare being SO expensive, travel costs being HIGH, and just the economy being so terrible, you'd have to earn a six figure income to be earning a decent income!! I'm serious, I have friends that weigh these options all the time,it's crazy. My one friend said her daycare costs her about $2500 per month, then she also pays $300 to commute to work, pays about $160/month on LUNCH ($5/day), so her actual INCOME - what she is earning, after all of this is very little!!!!!!!!

I work from home and just part time, it has allowed me to stay home with my kids- there is no selling or inventory, we work with a wellness company. It's great.

Let me know if you're open to working from home...

L. A.
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I think it really depends on what you pay for daycare. for me, I wasn't going to work just to pay daycare. I supply our health insurance as well, so that's a factor. When I was working part time, my take home, after health insurance was just slightly more than what we paid daycare. Now that i'm back full time, it's that much different. I personally feel like, in my opinion, if you can afford to stay home for a while, do it. I couldn't. Of course this is totally a personal decision. But again, if your just working to pay daycare, it's not worth it!

We are in this situation now trying to figure out what to do going forward. As the cost of everything increases, I will have to go back to work full time but we don't know what to do about daycare. We would prefer an at home nanny, but not sure we can afford it. I have been working part time and watching my son since day one, and I wouldn't trade it for anything, but the fights about finances have gotten worse and even though my husband wants me to watch him, I can still tell that he is resentful that I'm not bringing in as much money. This is where my husband is a butthole. He doesn't help me at home or with our son because he feels that he is bringing in most of the money so his "work" is more important. Anyhow, this doesn't answer your question...what I am trying to say is that you have to weigh your options with your desires and your ability to find good care for your child. But based on our mortgages, expenses, etc I would say we have to make a combined total of over $150K in the NYC/Northern NJ area to make what would be considered "enough" to cover it all.

I have come to learn, that no salary is enough to cover what is lost when a mother works and her children are left in the care of others. Be it grandparents, childcare, nannies. I worked all throughout my sons life trying to establish myself in the business world and I came to learn that all the money I made can never make up for all I lost in not rearing my son.

I went back to work last month, and my husband is staying home to take care of our 4-month old daughter. While I would have loved to do it instead, the decision was based pretty much on the fact that my job provides the health insurance and is more stable (he does construction).
While we would be a lot more financially comfortable if we were both working (I also have about 100K in student loan debt), to me it's most important for one of us to be home with her. Neither of us have parents who are able to help out by watching the baby (2 are deceased, 2 are ill and require others to lend them a hand)....
My husband and I definitely don't live outside our means. Every penny that comes in to the house is used for the house. We have a strict budget that doesnt allow for eating out, movies, etc. So with regard to your question, everyone has their own tolerance of what lifestyle they can lead. For us, I would rather have nothing of value for a few years but know that my daughter is being cared for by one of us.

if all salary going to day care not with it. i work full time and also have the health insurance part which is important. however, my baby is daycare where i work so i see him every day for lunch etc. he loves it so much and i can be with him. would be hard for me if was away from him all day.