figuring the cost of working vs. staying home

[Lisa_M]

Are there any calculators to help figure this stuff out? I'm trying to figure out if it is worth it for DH to work. I know he does not want to stay home with DD, but I think he is working 40 hrs per week for about $200-300 /month after being in a higher tax bracket, cost of gas (he works 25 miles away) and cost of daycare. Things aren't looking so good at his job, so the decision might be made for him, but I want to make sure we aren't paying for him to work, kwim?

 

[dislal]

I know he does not want to stay home with DD,

I don't think there are any kind of calculators out there to figure this stuff out. I would seriously consider if he would be a good caregiver to your DD, because I have been a stay at home mom (with a few part time jobs in between) for about 14 years and it has been the hardest thing I have done. With gas, wear and tear on the car, clothes, childcare, lunch, taxes, it just isn't really worth it for me to work right now.

Just make sure it is something your DH really wants to do because it can be very stressful most days.

Good luck in whatever you decide.

 

[AllesonWonderland]

Here are a few:

http://moneycentral.msn.com/personal-finance/calculators/Adding_a_second_income_calculator/home.aspx

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

http://www.babycenter.com/0_staying-at-home-can-you-afford-it_6026.bc


Good luck with your decision!

 

[wishing4PA]

I would seriously consider if he would be a good caregiver to your DD, because I have been a stay at home mom (with a few part time jobs in between) for about 14 years and it has been the hardest thing I have done. With gas, wear and tear on the car, clothes, childcare, lunch, taxes, it just isn't really worth it for me to work right now.

Just make sure it is something your DH really wants to do because it can be very stressful most days.

Aha! I knew I'd seen something along these lines. I'll PM the link, but I got to it from earthlink's finance section.
I do agree, though -- most important is will he be a good stay at home dad. I know when I'm working and DD is with DH, she tends to watch TV (as does he), he seems to think she can't hear his talk radio shows , and she became a junk food addict before I think she should ever have tasted a potato chip.
Otherwise, he's a good Dad. I don't mean to pick on him too much, just some Dads see things differently than Moms.

 

[MoniqueU]

My DH couldn't of hacked it while the kids were younger. He was great at taking them places on his days off like Disneyland and all the local theme parks but the day in day out stuff like bathtime, three different meals, homework, projects, playdates He has a high stress job and there is NO WAY I could do his job but there is no way he could do mine either.

 

[goodhartc]

The other couple things to consider are $ spent eating out while working, both during lunch and for convenience. I know dad's don't always do it the way that a mom would, we struggle with that too. But that doesn't mean that dad's way isn't good too. Good Luck! That's a hard decision.

 

[mom2princessj]

I've been a sahm for 5 years now and it's not an easy job. I KNOW my dh couldn't do it day in and day out. Just make sure he's really up for the task. For us it was an easy decision, daycare costs wouldn't have been worth what i'd end up bringing home from my salary plus for us we just felt overall that daycare wasn't ideal (if family was an option we probably would have taken it). Good luck whatever you decide!

 

[sanibelover]

Keep in mind also that many times a lot of a man's self worth comes from being able to provide for his family. I know that my husband would be a fabulous stay home dad, but he would not enjoy it, and I believe it would hurt our marriage. He appreciates my contribution (taking care of the homefront) which allows him the freedom to concentrate on his career- not having to worry about things at home. (Not that he isn't involved, but he doesn't have to worry......)

I know that situation doesn't always work, but you have to consider that a stay at home dad isn't the right option for everyone - just as a stay at home mom isn't.