HS'ing mamas: do you contribute finanically to the household?

[meowee]

I've always been curious how many hs'ing mothers do or do not contribute financially to the household. So here's a poll!

[teachinmaof3]

I have a very small (and I do mean VERY small!! lol) WAHM business. Every now and then I have an order come thru.

I'd have to say I'm not contributing financially. Even w/ the sales I do have, it's not enough to make a difference in the budget. Hopefully someday that will change.

[Fieryfly]

I didn't contribute financially until I opened my home daycare last January. However, it hasn't been very lucrative since I prefer to keep it part time. Right now my income is used for our "extras" that we may not have been able to afford otherwise, such as going to the movies, going out to dinner, buying fun books and toys, etc.

[JodiM]

We just started hs'ing 1 of our children, but I put I contribute, but I don't actually work.
I contribute through child support from my children's (the oldest 3's) bio dad, and the money goes to their needs- clothes, shoes, sports, etc... and if there is any extra, it goes into a savings account which will be divided up for college expenses.

My husband pays all the bills, and our food / medical expenses with his pay.

[USAmma]

I don't bring money into the family at this point. Our special needs baby and my preschooler take up too much time and I wouldn't have the time or energy to work right now, even if it was from home. We did the math once and it's still cheaper for me to SAH than to work full time and pay for a sitter. Makes more sense to stay at home on many levels, esp. since the baby was born with her problems.

My dh just got a weekend job at Target to help ease the finanacial strain a little. I feel guilty about it, and I could have gotten that job instead, but he can't take care of the baby's needs as well as I can.

Darshani

[farmer mama]

I don't earn any of the household income but I do a lot of things around the house so we can save money. Like planning meals and cooking from scratch to fit in to our budget, making a lot of our clothes, and I grow/ raise the majority of our food so I think I do my fair share. So probably like most sah moms, my contribution helps us finacially without actually making money.

[mattemma04]

I have not worked outside of the home since a week before I had my dd.I did get some money for childcare for a few months.Otherwise it is all on dh. It would be great if he could watch the kids while I work,but he doesn't really seem to want to nor is he very good at it!

Earlier this year I considered daycare,but after all the expenses and not seeing my kids for 9-10 hours per day I decided that extra amount we took in wasn't worth it. It would be nice if I could do some work where the kids could come along. I just try to be as frugal as possible without the kids missing out on anything.

[SagMom]

No financial contribution here. Dh has a ft and a pt job. He's looking for another job (to replace the two with one.)

I've been out of work now for almost 10 years so at this point, if he were to quit the pt job (with benefits) and I picked up a pt job, we'd loose lots of $ plus benefits so it just isn't worth it.

I never, in a million years, would have thought I'd be in such a traditional set up, but here I am and it's working for us.

[CAmomto1]

Before DD was born I was a full-time math teacher. Now that I'm a SAHM, I tutor parttime out of my home.

[umbrella]

I haven't worked for pay in quite some time.

But I don't think that that means I don't contribute to the home, financially

[ekblad9]

I think it's interesting how many posters made excuses as to why they don't "earn" and income. How about we just say that we stay at home with our children and that's that. It doesn't have to be about a special needs baby, number of children, etc. IMO, that's what our society has done to us. It has made those of us that don't earn money feel less than somehow. Maybe it's just me. I do feel less than sometimes. Like I'm sponging off of society. Then I remember that I am raising society.

[Amiahuman]

Just wanted to say I love what ekblad7+ said! I don't earn any money. I stay at home with my children. No apologies, though I do feel like people are waiting/wanting one out of me sometimes.

[Jen123]

Amen to ekblad7 !

No I don't bring in any money to help support the family.

Yes I do watch what we buy , shop the sales , and try to be frugal. To me that means that YES I do contribute financially to our home.

[CortLong]

Originally Posted by ekblad7+

I think it's interesting how many posters made excuses as to why they don't "earn" and income. How about we just say that we stay at home with our children and that's that. It doesn't have to be about a special needs baby, number of children, etc. IMO, that's what our society has done to us. It has made those of us that don't earn money feel less than somehow. Maybe it's just me. I do feel less than sometimes. Like I'm sponging off of society. Then I remember that I am raising society.

Amen, sista!

[meowee]

The poll confirms what I've read in studies that HS'ing is a SAHM phenomena (by and large, but not exclusively). 90% of us earn little or no income. quit a majority!

[beaner&tiegs]

I don't make money per se, but I agree with the poster who pointed out the other "financial" contributions that I definitely bring to the household, which are just as valuable to keeping a healthy, happy family unit. I spend a lot of time and energy working on social networks, through coffee playdates and outings with friends. Through these friends, we swap skills, clothes, toys, childminding and meals/baked goods. I budget a lot throughout the month, saving all sorts of money, and I babysit other people's kids occasionally during the day, in exchange for evening date-nights so we save on babysitting money! NOt that I'm making excuses, I know fully well how much I contribute to the family and to society by being a sahm, and how important my role is, but if we're looking at finances I think it's important to look beyond bringing actual money in. Social networks are great for the barter system!!!!

[ekblad9]

I just want to say "phew". I was so afraid that I would offend someone with my statement and get flamed. I'm thin skinned these days :LOL Anyway, I wasn't trying to pick on anyone I was just pointing out that in our American society we are trained to feel less than if we make a small amount (or no amount) of an actual paycheck. That makes me sad.

[Linda KS]

Originally Posted by meowee

The poll confirms what I've read in studies that HS'ing is a SAHM phenomena (by and large, but not exclusively). 90% of us earn little or no income. quit a majority!

yes -- but isn't that would you would expect? Just the fact that we are physically responsible for our children all day rules out most jobs.

Saying that "homeschooling is a SAHM phenomena" makes it sounds like most homeschoolers are moms who would be home anyway and have decided to homeschool rather than sit on the couch watching Opah. I don't think that is the case. I don't think that only women who are SAHM become homeschoolers or even that most homeschooling moms would still be SAHMs if their kids entered school.

I've met a couple of homeschoolers who quit well paying jobs so that they could pull their kids out of school and homeschool. One was computer programer and had 3 kids in private school. Her kids were 7, 9, and 11 and she had never been a SAHM before. Another mom I know was an engineering contractor in aerospace (i.e. she was making a ton of money). They moved to smaller home and simplified their lives so that she could quit and homeschool their 2 kids.

Most homeschooling moms I know whose children are all school aged say that they would return to work at least part time if their children entered school. Many have thought of putting their kids in school just so they could get a job to ease financial strain and pressure on their DHs.

[SagMom]

Originally Posted by ekblad7+

I just want to say "phew". I was so afraid that I would offend someone with my statement and get flamed.

No flames here. I agree with you. After re-reading my first response, I see how it could sound defensive, but really, I was just reading the op question as meaning bringing home a *paycheck* so I answered accordingly. Of course, if I wasn't home, someone would need to be paid to do all the things I do here, so in that respect, I AM contributing financially.

And I agree with LindaKS--there are probably a lot of sahm's who would be employed if they weren't hsing. (I'm one of them.)

[ekblad9]

Originally Posted by Linda KS

I've met a couple of homeschoolers who quit well paying jobs so that they could pull their kids out of school and homeschool. One was computer programer and had 3 kids in private school. Her kids were 7, 9, and 11 and she had never been a SAHM before. Another mom I know was an engineering contractor in aerospace (i.e. she was making a ton of money). They moved to smaller home and simplified their lives so that she could quit and homeschool their 2 kids.

.

It is awesome that these people sacraficed to do what is best for their children. However, just because they quit high paying jobs doesn't mean they are sacraficing more than the rest of us. I have five, soon to be six, children. If I sent my kids to school, three would be in full time and one would be in preschool part time. That would give me SO much more time to cook, clean, do laundry, go to the gym, etc. As it is I work pretty much non stop from morning until late into the night to keep this household running. Yes, it is my choice and I'm happy with it, but it's a sacrafice on many levels for sure.