Trying to Decide on Whether I Could Be a SAHM

Well all I have to say about it is that we're poor (in debt almost as much as my hubby makes per year), but I stay home with our son. I wouldn't trade it for anything. No we don't have extra money for eating out or playing, but we're here to raise him, love him and make sure he has the best care and gets our values. I don't think there's anything more important than mom staying home to raise the kids. Just my opinion. I commend you for making the choice now. It's amazing to me how many moms realize (almost too late) that it's important for them to stay home, but the kids are already in school or teenagers or something. Most important time is the "formative years"- before school starts. Congratulations!

As for cutting costs- well, we got rid of our phone land line- had the phone number transferred to a cell phone, which we just keep at home (saved us like $80/month). We keep the A/C at 80 in summer and heat no more than 70 in winter. You get used to wearing tank tops or bundling up.

I believe parenting.com has a wonderful tool to see if you can be a sah. I took the plunge this last August when I had my second child. My Mom also kept my 9 year old, but I just felt like I missed out on so much of the early months with her. God has provided for us. I won't say things haven't been really tight sometimes, but it has been the most wonderful thing I could have done. I love being there all the time for my children. I will be praying for you.

M.,

You sound so much like me several years ago. I prayed, cried, struggled for 6 years because I wanted to be home so badly with my children. I finally did quit my job when my kids were 3 and 6. You don't realize how much spending you can cut. I sold my Volvo and bought a little $2000 Honda. We just made it work. The only thing I wish I had done differently is stayed home until they finish high school. Your children need you year after year. The Grocery game is a fantastic start!!! Another fabulous resource is Dave Ramsey. He is very practical in his approach and really helps in setting up a budget. Look at daveramsey.com and see what you think. Good luck!!

100% YES! I was in a career that I enjoyed and made good money for the last 15 yrs. I just recently took early retirement (I'm not drawing $)to be with my children, ages 9 and 4. Yes, we have to cut back but consider that you will eat out less, spend less on fuel and child care (maybe). I missed the day my oldest learned to ride a bike and my youngest's first steps. I don't want to miss anything else. It is scarey but absolutely the best decision we have ever made. It is transforming the relationship with my children and my husband. Now my job is to take care of them. It is very rewarding. At the end of our lives the achievements we make in a career will pale in comparison to the difference we made for our children.

Good luck and blessings,
J.

M. -- It has been truly amazing how much money I have "saved" by being a SAHM. I quit my job in October after weeks/months of agnozing over what to do.

By being home for/with my son, I have saved on Daycare, Eating Out as I am home to cook meals, Clothes & their care (drycleaning, etc) as I don't "dress up" except for church services, transportation costs to and from work.

I also have had more time to research and find a cheaper electric company -- which is saving us BIG time.

I have time to go grocery shopping during the week and cross shop different stores which saves money instead of rushing and picking everything up at one place.

I have time to hit garage sales and find some fantastic buys on new/nearly new clothing.

Has it made up for my income? NO. Have I made enough of a difference that we aren't totally struggling? YES.

Plus, you cannot measure the benefit to your kids from being at home.

Good Luck.

I had the exact same concern. I have a 5 year old I have stayed home with from the beginning and now have a 2 month old son. I don't miss my career as a medical biller at all. Here is a list of things we did to cut back. I withdraw $150 in cash every week. I keep it in a seperate wallet and that is grocery money. I never spend more than that. If I have bought all the grocerys needed and there is money left over, we can eat out. If not, we don't. All lights are turned of in rooms we are not in. TV's too. I wash all clothes in cold and air dry as much as possible. Your dryer and oven are the 2 highest electricity users. We have gone down a notch in our satellite tv service. All the kids clothes they have outgrown or old toys I take to "Once Upon a Child" for cash or store credit for bigger clothes. At 5 years and 2 months the kids don't care what brand clothes they wear. Take advantage of it while you can. Hope the tips are of some help to you. Your kids are worth whatever sacrifice you have to make. You will thank yourself for staying home.

This is just my opinion but you never will know how its going to be until you do it! I am now a SAHM but I was working for a "phone" company for 7 years and made 40-50k a year and it was a big change when I started staying at home. But I will tell you it has been the best decision I have ever made. I made sure I had all my credit card debt paid off. Only thing I have is my car payment and my cell phone and my hubby pays for that. I get an allowance too!! ha ha Nothing compares to being able to watch everything your child does, learns etc! I couldnt be happier and we manage just fine. I am sure you could probably make some extra $$$ by tutoring if you need to! I hope you get to do it! Good luck :)

Do it...be a stay at home mom. Financially it will work out you will be amazed. I believe you can actually be more thrifty and crafty if you are able to stay home with your children and they need you. I have 7 year old and wow they grow up way to fast. People say the then cannot afford vacations and extras, yes you can. Small children dont even really enjoy big commerical places, they like parks, camping just get back to the basics and when you stay at home you will be able to take the time to plan those kinds of things. SO GO FOR IT!!!! You will not regret it and with 3 kids no way is there time to work anyway. I didnt do it when my son was smaller and I regret it greatly!!!

Just listen to your heart, M., and you can't go wrong. When I decided to SAH, we agreed we would do what it took to make it work - that has included some financial decisions that I wouldn't usually consider (i.e. cashed in some retirement accounts, borrowed against life insurance) but we both know this is for a short time in the greater scheme of things --- we will have time to "catch up" later, when the kids are bigger. I've also worked part-time to supplement our income, which is nice for me, too (some "grown up" time!) We drive older cars, live in a smaller house, don't eat out often - but we spend a ton of time together as a family and we love it! And we do splurge occasionally - Disneyland plans this summer and a pop up camper last summer. Again, listen to your heart - there is a greater wisdom within you that you can trust.

In addition to what has been said, my adivce to add would be to stay away from revolving debt credit cards. You can get buried very quickly if you come to depend on it.

Second, you will have bad days. But even my worst days as a SAHM are better than my best days when I worked outside the home.

I have done the direct sales (for example Homemade Gourmet) stuff to make extra money and it didn't work for me or anyone else I know (who did others). It works if you REALLY work it, but that's not why you're staying home. Cut out the distractions and really enjoy these years home. They FLY by.

Finally, track your spending w/ a debit card and either Quicken or Money. Everything. It will help you budget in the years to come.

You won't regret it.

My suggestion would be to start a new bank account that your entire paycheck goes in to. That will serve two purposes. (1) You can figure out if you are able to live without your income, and (2) you will have a little nest egg for emergencies once you stop working. My husband and I have done this, and plan to use the money we've saved as a down payment for a new car. We are expecting our first in October! Good luck!!

Try putting your entire income for three months into a savings account. If you can live without it, no problem, but if it is only a few bucks off, try to cut some corners, a whole lot off, can you take in a friends child as well as your own to make ends meet with a little daycare money? If mom were not able to take your babes, how much would daycare cost, for all three? is it more than what you make?
I am just giving you things to think about, because I LOVE the ability to be a stay at home mom, and trust me, I made more than my hubby pre-baby! It will take a lot of imagination in the budget department until you get the hang of it, but there is no way I would go back until my babes were in school!
Hope this helped a little bit, good luck and congrats on the new one coming up!

Do it! You will not regret it, but you will regret not trying, because as you already know, they grow so fast and this time will never be here again. I wouldn't trade this opportunity to know my children inside out.

Yes, it will be difficult financially. If your mom is available as needed, you could always sub when money gets tight. I sell our outgrown kids clothes and other stuff on ebay to make some extra fun money. There are ways to make some money without committing to a full time job with all of its stress.

Definately stay at home. I have been home since 2001 and my children are now 6, 4, and 3. I work part time a couple of nights a week right now just for a little extra. I don't worry about a sitter because my husband has flexible hours. Grocery game is awesome-just stick with it for the first 12 weeks and you will be amazed. I have saved over $800 in 6 weeks-I just started it too.

You have 3 things going for you-1 a spouse that will support your choice, an education to fall back on after all your children are in school, and the support of mamasource. I wish I would have known about mamasource when I began staying home. It was a big adjustment for me with the 1st baby. Since you are in education take the advice of tutoring, home school associations. Also once your 3rd baby gets to be preschool age, check into being a preschool teacher for a little extra. Our school offers 1/2 off tuition for teachers kids and we only go 3 days a week from 9-2. When all of your children are of school age you can return to teaching or if you don't want to be tied down with full time perm work sub. Staying home is always the right choice-you don't want a stranger raising your children. Follow your heart and God will hold you tight! Good luck

check out www.daveramsey.com for getting your finances in order. I too was teaching 3 years ago and never thought we would be able to afford me staying home. Well it has been the best 3 years of my entire family's life . Good luck!

We never had enough money looking at our budget. But God has always provided for us. I have been a SAHM for over 4 yrs now!

On paper it NEVER looks like it's possible! :) My suggestion would be to try it and see. If you need to supplement, maybe you can substitute (my niece who was a teacher until she had children) has substituted in the Abilene area for $70 per day.

There is always tutoring. I know I paid $20 p/half hour (cash) during the summer 10+ years ago to keep my step daughter's skills up. Also, the homeschool community is HUGE in the metroplex. It might be that you could advertise with a couple of the large groups (if you want that info, email me) for tutoring or teaching a co-op class. You could then make your schedule what you want it to be.

Remember...pray diligently and God will give you the desires of your heart.

Blessings!
L.

I use Quicken to help me budget and plan my money one month to the next. it really helps forecast if we have enough.

I'm not a SAHM but would like to be. I make more than hubby and I keep trying to convince him to be a SAHD again and just work part time, but he feels that he wouldn't be able to find work part time without working nights. And doing that, would defeat the purpose.

It's wonderful that you are considering this, it is a lot to take in, though.

Some of the costs of working which are not generally considered when you look at your budget...work clothes, cleaning work clothes, gas to/from work, the occassional lunch out or ordered out, the things for your class you buy w/o turning in the receipt...all can add up to hundreds of dollars.

Good luck with your decision...and you are right, God will provide for you in ways that will astound you!

M.,

Well done! You are taking all the right steps to see if this would work for you. By living on one income, start saving yours for a rainy day. I have been a SAHM for over 10 years now. I have found ways to squeeze money out of everything, and yes have given up a few things along the way. I could not imagine doing it any other way. So tricks, be open to picking up at home work from time to time, being a teacher you could tutor. Even work with a home school groups during the day to help with lesson plans and tutoring. Whats great about this is you decide when and how much you want to do it! Maybe it could help around times when expenses run a little higher(aka holidays). For my family especially when they were little consignment sales saved a ton of money. There are so many entertainment ideas that are free and for various ages. Being home you will find more ways to cut cost in every area of your life. Remember this is not a forever thing (unless you want it to be). They do grow up way to fast. Enjoy them!

M.,
I'm a SAHM and have been for years. I used to work full time and decided that my place was with the kids until they went to school full time and could tell me things that happened. I use to work in the school too, this year, but due to my youngest getting sick a lot I had to quit my job that I really loved. I have been doing the grocery game for about a year and save LOTS ever time i shop. I budget my money every week and always pay myself first. I give my hubby money for the week and use cash to pay for grocery's. I lowered my hubbys cell phone min. and use my phone as primary phone.(no landline at our house)I also took away the pay channels on our cable. If you want to talk about how to get the most for your money please e-mail me and we can talk. I save no less them 50.00 everytime i grocery shop and have tought many of my friends how to do it. Make sure if you decided to be a SAHM you dont cut your family short by losing one income.

The age your kids are now is a special time for you and them to bond. I feel like you can teach again after they are in school. When you work out, you spend more money on clothes, gas etc. And cooking from scratch doesn't cost as much as things we buy when we work. And when you stay home you don't need as much clothes, gas . I find that when you put a pencil to it, sometimes the money is such a little difference that it is worth it to stay home. I don't know about you personally, but most people buy more things they want instead of need than they realize, and I bet you can make it fine. I hope so, as these first years are so special.

With the cost of childcare, gas and eating out to lunch it was not a lot bring home. It was worth it for me to stay home with my only child and watch her grow up.

I was able to bring in extra income by babysitting during the week. Also, i was able to deduct any toys bought for the daycare use and parts of my home and elect, ect. off our taxes.

Here is a site for you to figure out if you can afford it or not:

http://www.parents.com/app/stayathomecalculator/

http://www.todaysparent.com/lifeasparent/workfinance/arti...

I hope this helps you figure it out.

Hi M.,
I'm a SAHM and I know it's tough. I won't got into a long story about my situation other than that I have been doing alot of research on work at home jobs to bring in some extra income. One thing I wanted to let you know about is that I found quite a few work at home positions for teachers/tutors. One was with Sylvan. I didn't really check it out because I'm not a teacher so I have no idea of the pay, etc. But it might help bring in extra income for you and be able to stay home.
Good luck with your decision. You can make it work.
S.

I just recently became a SAHM mom and it is wonderful! I have worked for the first 2 years of my daughters life and I feel like I missed so much, it is wonderful being home.

There are a lot of sacrifices but they are all worth it. One thing that we had to do is go from 2 cars to one car, it is a challenge sometimes but saved us a TON of money in the long run. One car payment, one insurance, gas, plus I stay at home a little more in turn spending a lot less money.

Good luck, and I hope it works out for you.

I have been a sahm for a little over a year now and it was the best decision my husband and I ever made. It has been incredibly tight at times, but God has provided for us in every aspect. One thing that was suggested to me when I first thought about being a sahm, was to take my income and put away and only live on my husband's income to see if it was a realistic thing. There are also programs that can help with groceries. Like the Grocery Game or there is also a program called Angel Food Ministries that a lot of local churches participate in. You can find out more about it at AngelFoodMinistries.com and what churches near you participate in it.I hope this helps and I will be praying for you and your family as you make this decision!

God Bless,
J. J.

M. this is a very hard decision to make and one that can't be made too quickly. You need to look at being a sahm as a job. I know you may have taken all of this into consideration but here is my advice...Take your income now for a whole year,figure out which bills you pay with this, you basically need to do a budget for the year. There will be alot of things that you have to be willing to give up to stay at home, most of the stuff we give up were not necessity items anyway but we feel they are, haha just take your time and make the right choice because you do not want to add extra pressure because it becomes hard to pay the bills. I have thee children which are all grown and on their own now and I was able to stay home with them until the youngest was 18 months old, but worked from then on and still do. This is a tough decesion, even if it can't be done right now, work towards making it happen in the future. Start a savings if you do not have one and make sure there is enough to get ya'll by in there for emergecy situations. DO NOT depend on credit cards...I know this was long I hope it helped in someway. Good luck!!

I was a teacher until I had my first child and decided to stay at home. She is now 2 1/2 and we have a son who is 14 months old. I love being at home and since the cost of daycare is so crazy it was better for me to stay at home. Remember that you will get a check until August and put as much of it away as possible. Next year when you get your income tax again put it away for a safety net. If worse comes to worse you can always dip into you teacher retirement fund (only as a last resort). Good luck making your decision I know it is hard one, but if you can truly budget it is so worth it!!!

Hi! I'm a military spouse and stay at home mom to 3 kids. It is hard to make it finacially sometimes, but well worth it. One thing you could consider would be teaching as a substitute once or twice a week. Especially with your mom providing childcare, she'd probably be more flexible than a daycare center. I know that in my area it pays $100 a day, and that way you'd be at home alot more, not have all the "Homework" of being a teacher, still have some income, and when you did want to return to work full time there wouldn't be a big gap in your resume. I haven't worked for 16 years (my eldest is 16, then I have a 9 year old and a 4 year old), and we do "go without" some of the things our friends have, but we're happy and connected, and that is very important. Good luck with whatever you decide. S.

Hi M.,

Congrats on your decision. It is a hard one, I made the choice after missing the first four years of my sons life. We bit the bullet and I quit my job. It has been tight and we have had to make changes, but it is worth it. I LOVE the Grocery Game! I have been doing it since January and have saved thousands! Also check out Mary Hunt's site, and Dave Ramsey has a hardcore approach to a budget and debt reduction.
Somewhere on the web there are calculators about the cost of working, they are very interesting. The most important thing to remember is to pray about it and let the peace of God guide you, and that you and your husband are in agreement. Remember nothing is impossible with God!!!! Good luck, and God bless!

Dear M.,
It is hard to let some else raise your kids. Even though it is your mother, look at the things you are missing while they are little. If you trust in the LORD and give him his 10%, all things will not seem so bad. Have patients and he will provide you with all things HE thinks you will ever need in life. Good luck in the way you choose to follow.

I too was a teacher before I was forced to quit my job. My first son become very ill and I had to quit. Somehow it all worked out. With that said, We had to make many adjustments. It wasn't easy but so worth it. Good luck with your decision!

Hi M.,

I have been home with my girls for 9 years and I love it. Yes, we may have racked up the debt, but I wouldn't change it for the world. I got to hold them when they were sick or hurt and feed them and watch them take their every firsts. In my opionion you do what you can to make it work. I gave up getting my nails done and shopping whenever I wanted. You save by eating at home, no cleaning bill, less gas for your car and they get their sweet momma. What could be better than that?!! It sounds like it is in your heart to be home, so just keep on praying and He will lead you down the right path!! If you decide to continue to work, you have the best care giver anyone could ask for. :~)
T.

Hi. Join the SAHM club! As soon as I had my first daughter, I knew there was NO WAY that I could part from her for hours a day. I was in grad school at the time, but I would bring her to school with me and have some friends watch her in the lounge while I was in class. When I graduated, I stayed home for a bit, but money was soooooooo tight b/c at the time, my husband was a floor nurse and not making much money at all (esp. in LA). When we moved here, I decided to pick up 1 or 2 night classes a semester-- teaching at the community college. The pay is TERRIBLE, but every little bit helps! I didn't have a car until my oldest daughter started Kindergarten-- at that point, I had to get one b/c I had to get her from school! But, by that time, my husband had become a nurse manager and was making a bit more. Now that they are both in school, I thought i'd pick up more hours, but I enjoy volunteering at school, being there to pick them up each day, never missing a party, etc... so, I still teach only a couple classes a semester. I know that we could have a much larger home, vacations, and more material things if i'd go to work, but the time you have with your kids is priceless. I always found that you live off of what you have! It isn't good to be in debt... but frugality is certainly an option!

I too was a teacher and decided to stay at home with my little ones. I would suggest that you start living off just your husband's income now. Put your income into savings and practice now. If you stay at home, it will require giving some things up. Start giving them up now. If you do that, not only will you know if you can live off of one income, but you will have a nice little cushion to help on the tough months. You might also look at something you can do on the side. I sell Pampered Chef. I don't make nearly as much as some people do, but I don't want to be doing shows every night of the week either. I do enough for us to have a little extra now and then. God bless!

When I was pregnant with our second child, we made the difficult decision to bring me home and out of the workforce. We made a lot of sacrifices - mostly not eating out, cutting out unnecessary spending, getting rid of credit cards and serious budgeting. It's been a struggle, but I've not regretted a moment of it. Our kids are worth it. Prayer is the best thing to do before embarking on such a serious decision.

It is totally up to you.Some people will tell you they couldnt do it that they go crazy at home all the time.Not me.I stay at home with my 8 month old.he is the most important thing in the worls to me.I treasure our time together and we have an incredible bond.The money does get tight sometimes but I wouldnt give it up for the world.i do babysit a 3 year old also during the week to make a little extra income 125 a week.it pays the grocery bill at least.It just depends on who you are.Some people love it some people do.I happen to be one of the people that do.just think about what is best for you and your kids.You would be able to help your kids learn so much.It is amazing the things that the 3 year old knows already.It is nice to be able to sit down with her and teach her things.And think of the new baby the first crawl the first step there is no way you will miss it if your always there.If you start going crazy take them some where let burn off some energy and give yourself a little room to breath.if you are from Lubbock the Science Spectrum is hours of fun.Anyway good luck with your decision.Honestly SAHM are underappreciated be prepared for people to not think you do anything all day they think we have it easy but it is no easy task.

I heard of a woman who ran a pre-K program out of her home twice a week. She was a teacher and this helped her keep up with what she loved, but also stay home with her children. Also, there are mommy day out programs that need teachers. Another friend watches two school aged boys before and after school. She takes her children with her. This has provided her a little extra income without taking too much away from family time.

I stayed home and went in debt. For me this was not what was best for our family. I went nowhere other than walking to the park, no new clothes, ate soup and cheap meals at home. I felt like I was back in grad school.

Ok, with that said...be creative. You may be able to find something you can do and stay home. It will give you a small income while allowing you the pleasure of staying home during this wonderful time.

M.,
I'm sure you have gotten tons of advice on this issue. I have been at home with my kids since day 1 and it has been great...I wouldn't trade it for anything in the world. When we recently ran into major financial isses, we had to look at the possiblity of me going back to work. That made me sick! We prayed HARD about the whole issue. We have always been very frugile with our money and live very modestly so there really wasn't any more "corners to cut". I just knew there had to be a way for me to stay home and yet make it financially. My answer came in the form of a home-based business. This is something I NEVER thought I would or could do, but I am. And it not only has been an answer to our prayers financially, but it is making me a better person; I've met some amazing women; I get to use my business as a tool to speak The Truth into others. The list goes on and on. I have a business with Arbonne International. It is a very reputable company and I love it more and more each day. I'm not saying that it is the company for you but maybe it is. I'd be happy to share more with you if you would be open to just hearing about it....no pressure or strings attached. You can email me from my website www.foravibrantlife.myarbonne.com. Regardless, I will be praying for you and your family as you make a very important decision and would love to hear what you decide to do.
Best wishes and God bless y'all!
M.

I would recommend that you check out www.discoverlimu.com/jcarden and see how you can increase your income without selling or inventory. Original Limu is a great super food and not only will it help your income, but will help your health. You just share the health benefits with friends and family and the company sends you checks.
Hope you will check it out.
J.

I beleive you can. I am not sure if you would like to do something part time from home but I am a distributor for Usborne Books. We offer books for babies up to teens. We can do book sales ins chools and daycares. My up-line has teachers purchase our math books for there classrooms. To get started with Usborne Books this month is less than $75.00. As a teacher i am sure you know how important reading is. I got into this busienss to be able to provide books to my son. I Love thecomapny and the things they offer us. Most schools do Book sales and we are alloweed to go to schools and do this. I am going to do this and take my child with me. We also do fund raisers. Check out the company and let me know what you think. Thanks, Please email me with any ?'s you might have at ____@____.com or give me a call at ###-###-####

God only provides for those who work for themselves. which means if you really want this, live only on hubby's check for a few months and see if it works. see what reasonably you can do without. me personally, i could not give up going out to eat, but i don't have cable or expensive phone bills/internet. i work part time now, but have worked full time and have also been a SAHM. i can honestly say that i am happier working atleast some of the time. we don't live paycheck to paycheck and can afford to travel/splurge when we want to. it's what is important to your family.

Hi M., My name is L., I realize your delima. I might have a solution that you would be interested in. I am an Avon Ind. Sales Rep. It only takes $10.00 to start. You put as much time as you want in it. The money opportunities are very good. I joined Avon last June and I love it and the products, I get to spend time with my family. And I have been pretty succesful at it. I am not a good sales person either. With the people you are associated with and all the contacts you have, I feel this would be a good opportunity for you.
If you would like to discuss this further. You may contact me and I will be glad to talk to you about this opportunity.
You may e-mail me at ____@____.com you may visit my web page at www.youravon.com/lteague.
Hope I can help you, L.

You may have already heard this but.....I am in the same boat as you. I worked all through my pregnancy and quit 2 weeks before my daughter was born. I didn't want to go back to work and have to put my daughter in daycare. I met a woman who was an Avon rep. She told me about the opportunity and explained how easy it would be. I have to be honest, I thought Avon huh? seriously??? I started back in August of 2007 and I have since made more than I did at my regular job. I have been able to stay at home with my girl and I only work about 15 hours a week from home. I love what it has done for me. If you want more info you can look at my website www.youravon.com/suzannewebb It isn't like Mary Kay or other cosmetic companies: you don't have any requirements. You don't have to buy inventory or invest a ton of money. No door to door selling either unless you want to.
Give it a thought and look at my website...you will be pleasantly surprised. Gook luck!! (I know you might be thinking...here we go...she's trying to sell me stuff....honestly, it's not like that. I feel for Mom's who want to stay at home. I know how it feels)

I recently became a stay at home mome. My husband and I made the same amount of money, so our income was cut in half. I decided to stay at home when my youngest, 6 months old, was born. The cost for myl two year old and a newborn to go into daycare was outrageous. I was basically working to pay for daycare. I love the decision that I made to stay at home with them. I did have the same fears as you about staying at home. My husbands money is just enough for us to pay our bills, but not a whole lot extra for the fun things. A friend of mine introduced me to working from home and I love it, now I get to bring in an income and stay at home with them. I dont have to do any parties or sell stuff. It is great! Working from home might be an option for you. If you are interested let me know!!!! I would love to be able to help you.

M.,
How wonderful that you are a teacher. BUT, ABSOLUTLEY! I have been a stay at home mom for sometime now. It is amazing what we mom's do with out. But it is so worth every minute you are going to spend with your children. I have a 12, 10 and 6 year old kiddos that are the joy of my life.

I have to say that I just found a wonderful company that can be a nice way to be creative and earn extra money staying home with your kiddos. Check out www.UppercaseLiving.com Click on Customer Corner Login and enter DEMO ID#: 453707 and TOKEN: S. See if it is for you and let me know if you have any questions. It could something you do once or twice a month or as often as you want.

You being at home taking care of your children is a wonderful way to spend the day.

I would love to know the grocery game. Would you send the details? How much to you usually save?

Good Luck!

Would you want to work from your home? I am a mother of 4 and am a school nurse for the past 6 years and have really felt the Lord telling me it is time to stay home again. I will be working from home and I can share with you a way you can earn income. If you are interested let me know and I will give you a website to look at to see if this is for you. I look forward to hear from you.
L. Flynn

"I just want to make sure we are making the right decision" leads me to ask you...how do you discern God's voice?
A decision made without His guidance will likely fail. I will keep you in my prayers to have heart/ears atune to His voice.
Michelle

I am a SAHM, but am able to supplement the missing income with my Homemade Gourmet business. I am at every sports event, band event, and all the other "extras" that come along, and I work my business on my time!! I would be happy to talk to you about becoming a distributor. We have plenty of distributors with your same story, and will be there to support you!!! Think about it...it's a great business, and an even better way to feed your family (with the products). LOL

I admire your honesty and am struggling with the same ideas. I think that we are indeed raising our children to glorify the Lord and we can do that by staying at home and by working. I pray that God will give you peace in whatever way you decide to go. He is good all the time and will make sure you will be cared for just as he cares for the lillies of the field. I am telling myself this too. I also just started the grocery game - I think it will be great for us.

I just became a sahm and so far its been great being able to watch my son grow. the bills are a little more than we can handle right now but we're catching up. we put our bills on a spreedsheet and we keep all our receipts so we know where all our money is going. to save money you can always apply for wic. it'll pay for your formula, dairy, etc. also, with the gas prices rising we're saving money on gas b/c i'm not driving out to work and the babysitter everyday. good luck.

Hi,

When we had our second child (11 yrs ago) I quit work because the cost of daycare (for 2 children) would have taken most of my pay. My mom also watched our first child for us but she was getting older and we didn't want to put 2 children on her. We had only been in our home 2 years when I quit working, believe me we were nervouse about it, but as you said God provided. We really were no worse off. We still had money to do some things with the kids and I got to stay home. With you being a Teacher check into Subing for your school, if your mom can still watch the children 2 -3 days a week. Believe me you can make it and I think me being a sahm (still am) has been great for all of us. Good Luck and God Bless