The decision to become at stay-at-home parent must give weight to affordability.
&?$%#$$?!
There’s no mystery as to why there’s a dollar sign - $ - in written curse words.
Money can be a great blessing and at the same time a curse.
It’s what we most worry about, what causes us stress and insomnia, and in a marriage it’s one of the top causes of arguments, fights and break-ups.
When you’re toying with the idea of becoming a stay-at-home parent, you can ponder all the benefits . . . picture yourself in jeans and sneakers every day, baking cookies, finally finding time to assemble the Lil’ Christmas Village complete with glow-in-the-dark lighthouse.
But soon your mind will wander back to money – the grease that keeps that Norman Rockwellian wheel turning.
Can you afford to be a stay-at-home parent? Can the family live on one income? Will your lives be better or worse?
Money, while it often takes front and center stage in the debate, is only one factor in your decision. Yes, the loss of your income will affect your life and the lives of your spouse and children.
But once you make the adjustment, losing an income isn’t as hard as you might think.
Don’t leave it a question mark. To calculate the financial impact of becoming a stay-at-home parent, see my article Stay-at-Home Parenting Finances: Can You Afford to Quit Working?
