Anyone's DH a teacher?

[CuriousLion]

Any SAHMs who's DH is a teacher?

Right now DH is working on his degree in elementary education (He plans to be a 4th grade teacher) and I'm a SAHM to one. Right now DH works part time and we receive financial help from my mom. The plan is that once DH gets a teaching job we'll stop receiving help from my mom. Well, from what I figure...I don't know how we're going to make it financially! I think at best we'll be just skating by and it scares me.

DH and I really want me to be able to be a SAHM and we'd like to eventually have another child and a larger house. I don't see how it's possible on a teacher's salary. I really don't want to work outside the home and be away from my son. I've thought a lot about being a WAHM, but I just don't see how it's possible to make much money at home. DH says I shouldn't be worrying about that and he'll make enough money. But all I hear is how teacher's don't make enough and it really worries me.

So, I thought I'd ask if any of you are living on just an elementary school teacher's salary. If you are, could you please tell me any details you feel comfortable sharing (where you live, salary, etc) Also, does anyone know of different jobs DH could go into with a degree in elementary education? He'd like to get a master's degree and I'm thinking maybe there's a way for him to go in a slightly different direction where he could make more money. So, if you have any advice about that it would be appreciated. TIA!

[boongirl]

I am a teacher and I can tell you that I could never afford to be a stay at home mom if my dh was making the salary I made as a teacher with 10 years experience, a masters degree and so many extra classes that I was actually at the phd level for the salary scale. (my district's salary scale varies by years of experience and level of education.) It also depends on cost of living. I live in Seattle WA which has a high cost of living. I have a friend who lives south of us in a cheaper town. They have a cheaper mortgage than us, only one car, and they can afford for the mom to be a half time teacher, half time SAHM. The dad teaches full time. I know that other states pay their teachers more than we get paid.

You should look into the salary scale for the districts near your home. You should also look into the benefits. In WA, teachers get a flat amount each paycheck for benefits and they can choose from several benefit plans. If they go over the allotted benefit amount, they pay the difference. For just me alone, I paid an extra $50 a month for my insurance. In other words, if I wanted my dh and child to be on my insurance, I would be paying an extra $500 (at least) a month for them out of my salary.

I would also look into the hiring situation. Male teachers are very much in demand, so that should help, but are teachers in demand in your area? Sometimes, teachers have to substitute for a while or teach at a school that his not their favorite just to get a foot in the door. But, males usually get hired easily.

Another option is what to do for summer. In WA, most teachers get their school year salary spread out over 12 mos even though the school year is 9 mos. Then you can work during summer, effectively doubling your summer salary. That helps a lot. I also know a lot of teachers who work more than one job. Tutoring after school or teaching an after school program helps supplement the salary.

I would so the salary and benefits research and from their you will get some answers to your questions.

Good luck!


PS If you really want to still sah, is there something you could do to supplement the income? Maybe babysitting, nannying, start a daycare?

[ameliabedelia]

My dh is a teacher, and I am a SAHM. He has been teaching for 6 years and has a Master's degree. He teaches high school, but I think for most districts..it doesn't matter what you teach..it is years of experience and degree which determines your salary.

We are lucky enough to live in a state with higher teacher salary...we live in new england and dh makes about 53k/year. We also get full benefits paid (health/dental insurance) for the entire family and a decent retirement plan.

When we first got married, dh was a Catholic school teacher in Kentucky. I was a SAHM for one year off his salary of 27K (they paid 25% of benefits) with another 5k or so a year in chess lessons/tourament. Then we moved to Tennessee and he worked in the public schools making 37k/year and 75%. benefits paid. Then we moved to New Hampshire and he made 43K and 90% benefits paid. Now we live in RI, and he gets 53k and 100% of benefits. It just keeps getting better. :lol But, we aren't moving anymore. Dh LOVES his job here. We are near my family. We do live in a high cost of living area, housing is very expensive but my parents are renovating/adding onto their house, so we will have our own house (4 bedrooms, about 1800 sq. feet) on top of their 800 sq. ft accessory family dwelling. We will be paying them for the renovations..but that will be like 120,000 (spread out over 10 years and they arent' charging us interest, :) , so our housing will be much cheaper than if we didn't have that. Anyway, we are living comfortably now. Enough to pay our bills and have a couple of hundred extra/month to put into savings or for emergencies.

Anyway, teacher salary's and benefits vary greatly from state to state, region to region and even district to district. It is defintiely do-able depending on where you live. Also, you salary keeps increasing as you get more experience. A master's degree helps a lot too.

[CuriousLion]

Thanks for the response. We live in Florida where the demand for teachers is high, but the pay is very low. People here get hired before they even graduate. Apparently the starting salary here is negotiated based on acheivements. I looked at a site online which said the starting salary for here is around $30,000. DH seems to think he'll earn more than that because he's doing well in school. But I don't think so. :angry

I don't think doing babysitting or some such would be good for me. I :heartbeat DS, but I know wouldn't like looking after other people's children.

Grr...I'm just so angry about this. I keep trying to tell DH that this isn't going to work and we need another plan. But it's like he's in denial and has too much pride to admit that it won't work out. He thinks either he has to start over and get a different degree or that getting his master's will enable him to earn a lot more. He keeps saying, "Well, what do you want me to do?" But I don't know what we can do. I feel like we've gone down a bad path and really screwed ourselves. :(

[ameliabedelia]

Most districts have a pay scale where you are paid on what degree you have and years of experience. How well you do in school doesn't matter (although it would make him more likely to be hired at probably a better district)

[CuriousLion]

Anyone know about salaries for teachers in North Carolina? We've thought about moving somewhere around Charlotte to be near my dad.

[ameliabedelia]

Try looking on the website for NC Dept. of Education. or the Charlotte school district. Sometmes they are posted.

[CuriousLion]

ameliabedelia: Sorry, didn't see your response when I posted before. It's good to know someone is doing good on a teacher's salary. Though, now DH is going to read this and want to move to New England. :lol I know he'd like to move somewhere up there, but I don't think I'd like to be completely away from family. We definiately want to get out of Florida, though. Florida is a horrible dirty place! I'll have to check into North Carolina where my dad lives...see how much better it would be there.

53k sounds very do-able to me. I'm a very frugal person. I keep telling DH...I don't want to be rich...I just want to be able to have a little bigger house, another child, and not be in debt! I do know that housing is more affordable in NC. We have a tiny 3 bedroom in a not-so-great neighborhood that cost 150k here in Tampa. My dad has a huge 2 story 4 bedroom with full basement in a great neighborhood that cost 200k in NC. And I do feel very lucky because my family has helped us. A relative put the down payment on our house and my mom is paying 2 years of the mortgage. So, no matter what we have a head start and I feel very lucky for that.

I guess I need to also ask around more about what I could make as a WAHM. I seem to have a talent for sewing...I just started and am really good at it I think. So, maybe I could make money from sewing somehow...I just don't see how I could make much.

And I just have to add...I don't mean to put DH down. He is a great guy! :heartbeat

[Eman'smom]

I taught middle and high school while dh was in grad school, you got paid on experience and education, not how well you did or where you went.


There is no way, zero that we could have lived on my salary with kids period.

I took home 57% (yes 57%)of my salary, sure my benefits were good but I paid through the nose I also live in one of I believe two state that deduct mandatory teacher retirement and SS. So we really go screwed.

At the time we lived in a small apartment, with a small car, yes I had student loans but there was no way we could have feed/housed and clothed people on what I made. Heck I don't think we could have done it without dh's RAship.

I really don't see how you could make it work without help from *somewhere*, housing help or a gifted car, there would just be no money left over.

It's sad really.

[sophmama]

My dh is a teacher and I am a SAHM and we're not making it. We live in a 1 br. apt. and are strapped beyond reason each month. I have picked up odd work here and there to help us make it but I am currently looking for a real job.

Here is the local teacher pay scale (http://www.fcps.edu/DHR/salary/scalepdfs/06tchr194.pdf) , but housing is through the roof. 1 br. condos go for $250-300,000. Living out even a few miles can mean an hour or more commute.

[Tine]

I don't usually check this forum (I'm a WOHM), but the topic popped up on the main page.

My DH is a teacher, and there's no way we could make it on his salary alone. (We live in Minneapolis, MN.) In fact, I make more as an editor (a notoriously low-paying career) than he does as a teacher. He's been chipping away at his master's in counseling for almost 4 yrs. now, while working FT (and becoming a dad).

The master's degree doesn't get him a LOT more pay, but it does help. His plan is to phase out of teaching and into family counseling (school counseling is another option), where he'll make considerably more w/ a lot less stress while still helping the same population.

FWIW, we're good friends with another Minneapolis family of 6 (mom, dad, 4 kids) in which the mom is a SAHM and they live on the dad's teacher's salary. As far as I know, they have no additional income--but they seem to live comfortably. I really don't know how they do it. They must just be a lot better at it than we are!

[CuriousLion]

Well, after reading these responses and doing some research on my own I realized that there is just no way DH being a teacher will work for us. We'll actually be worse off when he finishes his degree because the extra amount he'll be making won't even cover our mortgage payments (which my mom is paying now). I had a looooong talk with DH about it. He said he's been in denial that teacher's make so little. And he thought getting his certification, master's, and doing a good job would enable him to earn a lot more, but that's just not the case.

So, we're going to look into other options; some way he can take a different direction by getting his master's. My mom said that maybe she'll let me take over her small rental property for awhile. It doesn't make much at all, but it might enable us to survive until DH can get his master's. And I'll try the WAHM thing too...see where that takes me.

So...I'm off to ask around about what options DH has. Thanks for your responses. :)

[MommyDOK]

Come to the midwest!!!
I think it depends on what part of the country you live. My dh makes just under what teachers make here (I have a few friends that are teachers)-- and he gets no pension, only 3 weeks vacation, and has a 50 hour work week. He actually is thinking of going back to school to become a teacher bc
he doesn't like his job. He's thought the rewards of being a teacher can far outweigh some of the advantages of his current job. He's thought of working in the summer for a moving company or waiting tables--- there are always extra ways to pick up jobs.
We've been able to do fine on his pay alone. Just recently we had some extra
expenses so I'm hoping to find some little job to make a little cash.

Sure there are expensive areas of St. Louis (condos for $400,000), but there are many, many affordable houses in the mid 100,000 that are very nice.

[njsummer01]

I hope you all don't mind me adding in my two cents even though I'm not yet a mom. My DH is a teacher and we plan for me to SAH when we have kids (hopefully soon :1praying: ) In preparation for that I've been doing a lot of work on budgeting and planning our expenses.

DH makes $46K and should be done his master's next winter which will bring his rate up. What makes a big difference for us is the many extra ways he can make $ while still having weekends, etc. off. He is a basketball coach (middle school) runs the yearbook, grade level leader, etc. which brings in about $5K a year extra. He also works in the summers doing tutoring, running basketball camps and lifeguarding. So overall, we'll be fine even though we live in an expensive area (NJ shore)

We would love to actually move south so we could afford a better (and cheaper) house in the country - although because teacher salaries are less where we want to go the mortgage savings won't really affect our bottom line much.

Sorry to :blah , but don't give up - it can be done. And your DH's education is certainly not wasted - there are lots of related careers if he completes his masters - for example, curriculum supervisors and administrators here get paid big $ compared to teachers.

I guess as the PP said, it depends on where you live and what district you are in.

GL

[DoubleOven]

:tiphat:

[DoubleOven]

:tiphat:

[CuriousLion]

Well, DH and I have been discussing all this and have pretty much decided that he's going to go into school administration. We've figured up that if he does that then in about 7 years (depending on how fast he finishes his master's) he'll be bringing in a decent amount. Not too bad considering we're 24. He has about a year left on his bachelor's, then he'll have to work for 2 years as a teacher before he can get into the master's program.

I guess where we end up living will depend on where he get's a job. The pay scale in the county in NC where my dad lives (Mecklenberg sp?) is higher than here, but still just at the national average. I still need to do more research about other districts in NC and the surrounding area.

I'm glad we figured out a way for DH to earn more in the future. On top of that I'm really going to try to do some WAHMing. I'm really hoping I can earn something. If I don't then I don't see how we'll be able to afford to have another child until DH is finished with his master's. And I know from experience that a 7 year age difference isn't the greatest. And I really wanted to be done having kids before age 30. That's why we started young. Guess it wasn't the best idea financially, but I think it is health-wise. I guess a lot will depend on how much I can earn WAHMing.

ok...enough :blah

[MamaRabbit]

Before moving to Asia, DH started out teaching in FL making $27,500 a year. Just the two of us did well on it living in an apartment, but with kids? Not sure that would've worked.

CuriousLion, you say your DH will get his Master's and go into administration right away. From my experience, I do not see how he could even get a job as an administrator with no classroom teaching experience first. You would do better to find out where else in the US (or overseas) you can get better pay.

[shayinme]

CuriousLion, you say your DH will get his Master's and go into administration right away. From my experience, I do not see how he could even get a job as an administrator with no classroom teaching experience first. You would do better to find out where else in the US (or overseas) you can get better pay.

:yeah: You may want to make sure that your dh will be able to get into administration w/o classroom experience. I just finished a Masters program (M.ED in Admin & Supervision to exact) which technically is the degree you would use to get into the administration side but in our program there were 2 tracks, one for prinicipal certification and one without. For the one with prinicipal certification you needed several years of teaching experience just to get into the program. So you need to make sure your dh will even be able to get into a masters program without some teaching experience.

Shay

[anonymous4_20]

My husband doesn't teach, but I used to before I became a SAHM in December. I hope you don't give up on the idea completely. I agree with previous posters that you need to check the local salary scales to see if it's doable. Is there some way that DH could teach and you could get an evening job a few nights a week to make up the difference? A summer job for DH is a good idea, too. Teaching has a lot of benefits: lots of time in the summer (even with a summer job, I would think) to bond with the kids, great medical benefits in a lot of districts, etc.

As far as the Master's degree goes, I would strongly suggest waiting until he has a job to start work on it. Here in Ohio, districts will not hire teachers with a Master's degree if a teacher with only a Bachelor's is available. I have a Master's and it took me 4 years to get a regular, continuing job, and even then it was part-time. The districts just don't want to pay the extra money. So he should get hired first and then work on the degree. He could do the administration degree that way and have lots of classroom experience by the time he's done. The first few years might be rough, but if you can hang in there it might be doable. Supplementals like coaching can also help get extra money coming in.

The nice thing about teaching is that once you get a few years experience, your job-security is better than many other fields right now. That's also something to consider.

For what it's worth, my mom was a SAHM during the 70's and 80's and my dad taught. The salary was a lot less back then, and they made it work just fine. I loved having dad around in the summers, and wouldn't have wanted it any other way.

BTW, I haven't posted here yet. Hello to everyone! :D

[indie]

My DH is a teacher at an alternative school and actually makes less than the school district because the school is an outside contractor and he isn't certified yet. We are getting by on just one income, but we are renting and can't afford a house. I wish my husband would do something else but this is what he is good at and what he loves. It frustrates me that our country values teachers so little.

[GabeMom]

We're doing it! I haven't been able to read all the other posts, but thought I'd share my experience. It IS do-able, but it takes some major planning. Since you already have a child, it will probably be harder for you, but this is what we did. First, the problem most people seem to end up with is MORTGAGE (as you mentioned). We chose to live in an area with a relatively low cost of living and then moved just outside town (on the side that is not growing so quickly) and found a house (3 BR, 2 BA) for 75K. We also paid off all other debts (school, cars, credit cards) before ds was born, while I was still working. Like I said, you are in a different boat, but maybe you can find a way to do some of these things while you still have the help of your family... Anyway, dh does not make a lot, but we make it and having him home with us for two weeks at Christmas, a week of spring break, and two months in the summer is priceless. Of course, if we need additional income, he may someday have to teach summer school, but we're doing ok without it so far. We've also considered having me work in the summer and having him be a SAHD for a couple of months, but we'll wait until we have no more nurslings before we do that. :)

So, it CAN be done, but it takes a lot of effort and a lot of penny-pinching. I do wish you luck. I don't know about FL, but in my state (TX) you have to teach for 3 years before going into administration. So after a few years of teaching, you may be able to go that route, but probably not immediately.

Good luck!

[greenwoman2006]

Any SAHMs who's DH is a teacher?

Right now DH is working on his degree in elementary education (He plans to be a 4th grade teacher) and I'm a SAHM to one. Right now DH works part time and we receive financial help from my mom. The plan is that once DH gets a teaching job we'll stop receiving help from my mom. Well, from what I figure...I don't know how we're going to make it financially! I think at best we'll be just skating by and it scares me.

DH and I really want me to be able to be a SAHM and we'd like to eventually have another child and a larger house. I don't see how it's possible on a teacher's salary. I really don't want to work outside the home and be away from my son. I've thought a lot about being a WAHM, but I just don't see how it's possible to make much money at home. DH says I shouldn't be worrying about that and he'll make enough money. But all I hear is how teacher's don't make enough and it really worries me.

So, I thought I'd ask if any of you are living on just an elementary school teacher's salary. If you are, could you please tell me any details you feel comfortable sharing (where you live, salary, etc) Also, does anyone know of different jobs DH could go into with a degree in elementary education? He'd like to get a master's degree and I'm thinking maybe there's a way for him to go in a slightly different direction where he could make more money. So, if you have any advice about that it would be appreciated. TIA!


I recommend him getting a Masters. My dh did, and he is bringing enough home for me to be a SAHM. I also do what I can to bring in a few bucks here and there, and have a small, home based business. If you have any interests, a small business might be a way to supplement. But, seriously, if dh didn't have a Masters, we could not have purchased a house, and we would not be able to make our bills.

[Zen Mama]

I was a teacher BC (before children) and we certianly could not have made it on my salary alone, but the fact that I live in California plays a large role in that. I just wanted to say that I was reading this thread and it came to mind this job a ton of my SAHM's have. I have no idea if it is every place or not, but here it is called NARMS. You find it online. Anyhow it is merchandising, no experience necc. and you do it on your own time. Stores contact you and you go in and look at their displays or make sure things don't need to be ordered. Many you can take a baby along, or do it while they are in preschool..(what my gal pals do). At any rate, they are making about $1000 a month extra just doing that. Perhaps you can look into seeing if something like that is available. Good luck to you! :thumb

[Flor]

I am a teacher. I have 4 years experience. I haven't finished my master degree yet but I'm not really in a hurry since it'll only get me 800 dollars more a year. You really have to compare the cost of living and the salary scale. I make 48,500, but the cost of living here is crazy. Dh is a contractor and we still live in a mobile home. My mother in law is moving to Northern California where I was interested because the cost of living is lower, but I'd be making 35,000 dollars a year there, so it wouldn't change much for us. Check benefits carefully, too. My district has terrible benefits. They give me 300 dollars a month for health insurance, but the cheapest insurance they offer is 350 a month for one person. The family plan (cheapest one) was 1,100 dollars a month. My first year, I did actually pay them over 700 dollars a month for my insurance because I signed up without really understanding. (BTW, dental and vision are extra.) I ended up just calling Blue Cross and gettting MUCH cheaper coverage that way. Not all districts are that bad. A previous district I worked for paid less but had great benefits. Shop around as much as you can, but in Southern California, teachers take ANY job they can get. I love teaching and hope your dh will be happy. I really don't think the pay is that bad. I work 180 days a year! I get paid to go to conferences, I get vacations home with my kids, I'm home at 4 pm each day, and I'm happy.

[Ragana]

I hope you don't mind me posting, too. I am a WAHM (full-time) and my DH is a SAHD studying to be a teacher. I think the key here is the mortgage. We live in an expensive area, and even considering the day in 2 yrs. when we will have 2 incomes, we will not be able to afford to buy a home here. So we have opted to rent and stay in the area we love, because at this point home ownership is not our primary goal.

We do know a family here that survives on one teacher's salary, but they bought their home several years ago when both were working, and even now the SAHM does take care of a couple of kids for some extra $.

It seems to really depend on your goal of home ownership and the prices in the area you choose to live.

[onlyboys]

My husband is a teacher and I've been staying home for the past 4 years.

Frankly, we're very poor.

But, it's a CHOICE for us, you know? I could work and I choose not to. We get by. I have a very strict budget and we have to stick to it. Every dollar is budgeted.

We also live in FL, and I can tell you, no matter how great your DH does in school, he'll make 30K. My husband makes 36K and has been a teacher for 8 years. The pay in FL simply sucks.

But, we get by. And, get to take the boys bowling once in a while! ;)

[Missy]

My dh has been teaching middle school for about 12 years. Until five years ago, we were both teaching--and I had a few years more experience. He has an MEd, though, so our salaries were about equal. Which means that when I started staying at home, our income was cut in half.

It hasn't been easy. Sophmama, dh teaches in the same district as your husband. In addition to teaching, he works with a specialty program and gets a little extra for all the time he puts in. That's been a huge help.

You really have to weigh the cost of living against the salary scale. It's very unlikely that anyone could move into administration without having the teaching experience. You really have to understand education from the perspective of the classroom in order to be an effective administrator. One of the biggest problems with the educational system is that too many people making the decisions are too disconnected from the reality and have forgotten what it's like to be in the classroom.

We have three children, the youngest with ongoing medical needs and a very limited--but expensive--diet. We're homeschooling, but I don't go nuts buying materials. We take advantage of local parks and museums.

It's definitely doable, but it's not easy. We don't have a lot of extras--but dh loves teaching and it's been worth the effort.

Missy

[OnTheBrink]

My husband is a teacher at a private school. He makes $35,000. That would certainly not be enough to live on for us - at least not the way we *like* to live. Luckily we have other sources of money since my first husband died. (OK, not luckily that he died. I mean luckily he had good life insurance!) That means that we can live a comfortable life and have the luxury of having my husband work as a teacher.

I say that it's a luxury because that's how we view it. We give up a lot of extras to make it possible. But the trade off is unreal. Having him home whenever my daughter is out of school is so wonderful! We have such fun! Having two months off in the summer to hang out, do projects around the house, visit family, go on vacation - it's practically unheard of in other professions. To us, it's worth the trade off to have him around so much!

Your husband may be able to work in the summers and bring in a little extra. Or, if you wanted him to, perhaps even in the evenings? He might be home by 3 or 4pm. Maybe tutoring?

I hope you find a good answer for your family!

[EFmom]

My dh is a teacher and there is no way we could live on his salary. He is certified and has his masters, and we live in an area where teachers are relatively well paid.

In addition to the concerns others have posted about getting an administrative job without classroom experience, I would have dh think long and hard about whether or not he is interested in doing that kind of work. Wanting to teach is not at all the same as wanting to be an administrator. I was kind of hoping my dh would want to go that route to earn more money. But I got to know a bunch of people who are or were school administrators, and I realize that dh would be totally miserable doing that.

[whateverdidiwants]

My dh is a teacher at a private high school in Florida and he makes just over 50k a year. His base salary is in the 40s and he does extras (coaching) that add on to his salary. WRT to education, he has a Masters and had 8 years of teaching experience (college and high school) when he got this job.

[OnTheBrink]

I agree that administrative work might not be right for him. It would be TOTALLY different from teaching. I can't imagine my husband as an administrator. I don't think he'd like it at all. He loves the classroom. I, on the other hand, never want to teach. But I have my master's in higher education administration (stuff like student services at a college). It's so very different. If your husband ends up working at a job that is not a great fit for him and does not bring him joy, there are other jobs (other than administration) that could make more money - if money is the goal!

[onlyboys]

Administrators do make more money. Also, if your husband can do his masters, that's an extra $1,000/year in our county. Plus, if he becomes Nationally Board Certified, then he will make up to $3,000 extra as well. These little perks my husband is working toward. It will really make a big difference. You know? Even $90 extra a month is big when you have to be so careful with your money.

I also so totally agree with Nancy (OTB), as I often do. ;) It *is* a luxury having a husband home every day at 3pm. It's glorious also that he's able to leave it all at work, and just come home and be Dad and Curtis. Summers are fun, and I get some room to just be me, which is definitely worth the trade off of needing to be careful how we spend.

[beebalmmama]

Oh boy do I get this thread. Dh is in his second year of teaching and the first year in this district. We moved last year out of a hire priced area to here, so I could stay home with ds, now 7 months. By the time we moved the current areas real estate shot up so high, we ended up purchasing a home about 20 miles away. Dh was pretty adamant about not wanting to rent. Because we have owned a home before and then rented for a couple of years after and he felt the money was lost....which really it was. Anyway we are not in an extremely high priced area, but we are finding it very tough. We figured we'd end up on such a tight budget renting that we might as well pay a bit more and build some equity and have a home of our own. We are barely making it....well if we didn't have a bit of a savings we wouldn't be making it. Dh just got a second job bartending and I'm cleaning a couple of homes, but only pulling in $100 a month. He's planning on working this summer, but we're thinking I will need to work outside the home by next school year. I'm trying to think about going back to school to find a career I enjoy, but which will allow for a flexible schedule. I don't think we can make it on one teaching salary and I don't want my kids raised by someone else. We're willing to move elsewhere to find a better pay to cost of living balance, but I still don't think with the current housing market in this country(and I've been looking) we'd be able to make it off of dh's teaching salary. (Please correct me if I'm wrong)I've been super stressed this year trying to think this through. Dh loves teaching and has taken a long path to get here. I won't ask him to quit but it sure is frustrating and scary to think of how we'll get by. Unfortunately our society doesn't value those who spend so much of their day with our children.:irked: