What is your income to allow one parent to stay at home?

[Anonymous]

We're at $100K almost exactly with 2 kids. We live in a 1750 sq ft home in the Churchill district and feel fairly comfortable. No debts besides the house.

[Anonymous]

$70K

[Anonymous]

Living in the burbs. 145K 2 years ago. I now do some consulting from home and brought in about 46K this year. DH is at 175k now. I feel a lot more comfortable spending on myself now that I have an income. Any extra always went to the DD before.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:$120K. Live in Bethesda. 2 kids. Cars= 2005 Accord and 2012 CRV. Public schools. One domestic vacation a year, one long weekend at the beach. Otherwise very frugal.

Mortgage?

3300. We bought in 2009 for $750K. It's slightly more than I thought I'd ever pay, but it's fine bc we (obviously) don't need daycare, no car payments, loans, debt, etc,

You give me hope. I make the same only or mortgage is $3600. No other debt, ample savings. Hmm maybe we can make it work.

[Anonymous]

I'd say around 120K needed. More important though than the exact money figure is having made some good long-term choices. You have to plan, you have to make sacrifices along the way. You have to know your priorities. You don't just wake up one day and decide SAH is "the plan", not unless you have a generous budget.

[Anonymous]

It isn't your current income you need to worry about, it's what to do if he leaves you for a younger model in 10 years time...

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:It isn't your current income you need to worry about, it's what to do if he leaves you for a younger model in 10 years time...

Please, if you old man earning 120,000 is not gonna be the babe magnet

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't your current income you need to worry about, it's what to do if he leaves you for a younger model in 10 years time...

Please, if you old man earning 120,000 is not gonna be the babe magnet

Exactly...jesus.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't your current income you need to worry about, it's what to do if he leaves you for a younger model in 10 years time...

Please, if you old man earning 120,000 is not gonna be the babe magnet

Exactly...jesus.

You would be surprised how often the poors have sweaty affairs in hotels on New York Avenue. Their masculinity, suppressed for years beneath their cardigans in shabby non-profits or decaying local government offices, emerges like a tiger for one last hunt. They briefly feel alive again...

[Anonymous]

100k, 3 kids, 4 cars, 5 bedroom house. We live in pg county, and children go to public school.

[Anonymous]

200k to 350k over a five year period, Baltimore area. Now he makes twice that, and I work as well, barely six figures for me.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:It isn't your current income you need to worry about, it's what to do if he leaves you for a younger model in 10 years time...

Please, if you old man earning 120,000 is not gonna be the babe magnet

Exactly...jesus.

You would be surprised how often the poors have sweaty affairs in hotels on New York Avenue. Their masculinity, suppressed for years beneath their cardigans in shabby non-profits or decaying local government offices, emerges like a tiger for one last hunt. They briefly feel alive again...

Lol, this is hilarious. Sounds like a romance novel.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live very centrally in DC on about $95k. Two kids, one car, don't typically splurge except that we eat out way too much and go on at least two full week or longer vacations each year, plus multiple weekend trips. Vacation overseas at least every other year.

can you post your budget (at least for big ticket items)?

You are being trolled. They inherited a house or something.

No I am not and no I didn't. There is nothing in this question that insists that you have to have bought your home in the past year or two and paid over the top for it.

Mortgage is $1400
We spend about $1000 a month on groceries and eating out
About $40 a month on gas, car is owned outright has very little maintenance costs but other car costs insurance etc are probably a little over $1k a year
About $150 on water/gas/electric
About $95 on cell phones
About $50 on TV subscriptions (no cable)
About $0-$80 on child care (kids are 4 and 7 in school and don't do aftercare, but do get babysitter for occasional date night)
A couple of hundred a month on household costs including repairs etc
We save $18k-$22k a year for retirement (before tax) and a couple of thousand on college savings. Also donate about $1k per year.
Don't spend much on clothes -- use thrift stores and buy in sales, but probably $1k per year max for kids clothes and shoes, mainly.
We spend too much on vacations, I'm a little afraid to tally that up, but we stay use points and stay with family where possible.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live very centrally in DC on about $95k. Two kids, one car, don't typically splurge except that we eat out way too much and go on at least two full week or longer vacations each year, plus multiple weekend trips. Vacation overseas at least every other year.

can you post your budget (at least for big ticket items)?

You are being trolled. They inherited a house or something.

No I am not and no I didn't. There is nothing in this question that insists that you have to have bought your home in the past year or two and paid over the top for it.

Mortgage is $1400
We spend about $1000 a month on groceries and eating out
About $40 a month on gas, car is owned outright has very little maintenance costs but other car costs insurance etc are probably a little over $1k a year
About $150 on water/gas/electric
About $95 on cell phones
About $50 on TV subscriptions (no cable)
About $0-$80 on child care (kids are 4 and 7 in school and don't do aftercare, but do get babysitter for occasional date night)
A couple of hundred a month on household costs including repairs etc
We save $18k-$22k a year for retirement (before tax) and a couple of thousand on college savings. Also donate about $1k per year.
Don't spend much on clothes -- use thrift stores and buy in sales, but probably $1k per year max for kids clothes and shoes, mainly.
We spend too much on vacations, I'm a little afraid to tally that up, but we stay use points and stay with family where possible.

1400 mortgage!!!
Yes but your experience is not really representative since mortgage is from the 90s or some other exception

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:We live very centrally in DC on about $95k. Two kids, one car, don't typically splurge except that we eat out way too much and go on at least two full week or longer vacations each year, plus multiple weekend trips. Vacation overseas at least every other year.

can you post your budget (at least for big ticket items)?

You are being trolled. They inherited a house or something.

No I am not and no I didn't. There is nothing in this question that insists that you have to have bought your home in the past year or two and paid over the top for it.

Mortgage is $1400
We spend about $1000 a month on groceries and eating out
About $40 a month on gas, car is owned outright has very little maintenance costs but other car costs insurance etc are probably a little over $1k a year
About $150 on water/gas/electric
About $95 on cell phones
About $50 on TV subscriptions (no cable)
About $0-$80 on child care (kids are 4 and 7 in school and don't do aftercare, but do get babysitter for occasional date night)
A couple of hundred a month on household costs including repairs etc
We save $18k-$22k a year for retirement (before tax) and a couple of thousand on college savings. Also donate about $1k per year.
Don't spend much on clothes -- use thrift stores and buy in sales, but probably $1k per year max for kids clothes and shoes, mainly.
We spend too much on vacations, I'm a little afraid to tally that up, but we stay use points and stay with family where possible.

Well this is how you can manage. Purchase a home today and increase that amount to 3,500 plus and now you'll require two spouses working. Now of course you could purchase a less expensive home, but the point is a 1,400 mortgage is the main reason you can afford to stay home on such a low salary!