Can we afford to SAH?

[Anonymous]

If it's important to you, you'll find a way to make it work. We did it on much less. $160,000 with five children. I was very careful with our money. We rented a house in Burke. Our kids went to public schools. We didn't drive expensive cars or take expensive vacations. We sacrificed a lot so that I could SAH because it was really important to us.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Of course you can stay home. For kids, plan on about $20 a day for activities and you will be fine.

This is very helpful, thank you. If I SAH, will I still need to hire a nanny/baby sitter?

Most people don't. You probably will need one.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:LOL. What government job has a 250k salary? Did I miss something? Who can't live on 250k in this area? You didn't even say what your mortgage is, or what your budget is. You just want a reaction. You can live on a 60k salary on this area if you want to, you just have to budget.

This seems like a trolly post.

Not a troll, just wondering how expensive kids are. I'm not a mom yet so I put it out there. DH's salary can obviously support the two of us, but what if we become a family of 4?

We are a family of four living quite well on less than $200k.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:If it's important to you, you'll find a way to make it work. We did it on much less. $160,000 with five children. I was very careful with our money. We rented a house in Burke. Our kids went to public schools. We didn't drive expensive cars or take expensive vacations. We sacrificed a lot so that I could SAH because it was really important to us.

Where do we send your Noble Prize?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it's important to you, you'll find a way to make it work. We did it on much less. $160,000 with five children. I was very careful with our money. We rented a house in Burke. Our kids went to public schools. We didn't drive expensive cars or take expensive vacations. We sacrificed a lot so that I could SAH because it was really important to us.

Where do we send your Noble Prize?

Oh dear.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If it's important to you, you'll find a way to make it work. We did it on much less. $160,000 with five children. I was very careful with our money. We rented a house in Burke. Our kids went to public schools. We didn't drive expensive cars or take expensive vacations. We sacrificed a lot so that I could SAH because it was really important to us.

Where do we send your Noble Prize?

why does the above post offend you? I actually agree with the above poster. If OP wants to SAH - she will make it work.

[Anonymous]

I have been a non-practicing attorney for going on twelve years now. This allows me to devote my time to raising our children in a way I did not when I had the obligations of a full-time professional commitment. My spouse of twenty-plus years is blessed with a career they absolutely love, and that pays well.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been a non-practicing attorney for going on twelve years now. This allows me to devote my time to raising our children in a way I did not when I had the obligations of a full-time professional commitment. My spouse of twenty-plus years is blessed with a career they absolutely love, and that pays well.

This is the OP, and I'm an attorney too. Are you still a member of the bar? Do you expect to go back into the workforce when the kids grow up?

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I have been a non-practicing attorney for going on twelve years now. This allows me to devote my time to raising our children in a way I did not when I had the obligations of a full-time professional commitment. My spouse of twenty-plus years is blessed with a career they absolutely love, and that pays well.

I meant to add this: When I first left my career OP, our finances were no stronger than yours and we had more children. Trust that God will find a way to provide when you make the choices that are right for you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I have been a non-practicing attorney for going on twelve years now. This allows me to devote my time to raising our children in a way I did not when I had the obligations of a full-time professional commitment. My spouse of twenty-plus years is blessed with a career they absolutely love, and that pays well.

This is the OP, and I'm an attorney too. Are you still a member of the bar? Do you expect to go back into the workforce when the kids grow up?

I am still an inactive member of three State Bars, do not ever let those hard-earned memberships lapse. I never see myself returning to a law firm, but I can see using my law degree to do volunteer nonprofit work in immigration. I volunteer with an organization that provides non-legal assistance to immigrants.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:The top of a GS 15 is around $155K. SES positions can be more than that, especially with the bonus.

I really do wonder what OP is thinking? How do you think the rest of the people in this area are getting by? You have little debt. You have income-producing rental properties and you have a working spouse with $250K -- if you can't make it on that, then your problem is on the spending side of the equation.

If you plan to spend a lot of money on private schools -- well, then you may have a problem with "just" $250K -- but even then, you should be able to make it. A person can only consume so much.

I doubt it'll reach 250k unless they are considering benefits.

http://www.opm.gov/policy-data-oversight/pay-leave/salaries-wages/2014/executive-senior-level/

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Trust that God will find a way to provide when you make the choices that are right for you.

This is just the worst advice! What about all those folks living in poverty?

[Anonymous]

You're both staying home then? You did say we..

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:You're both staying home then? You did say we..

OP needs to get out more. She will be shocked, SHOCKED to see families with SAHMs who have much, much less $$ to work with and the world isn't falling apart.
If OP isn't a troll, she's just really, really annoying.

Of course she can afford it. Maybe they'll have to tweak things, maybe not, but that's really the only question.
I know two SAHMs with full time nannies. One of them is actually a nice person who really needed the help b/c she was dealing with a serious medical condition.
The other one is insufferable.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH makes $250k, stable govt job. I'm a pregnant with first child, thinking I want to leave my job and SAH. I'm AMA so we want to have this baby and a sibling soon thereafter if we can. I'm currently making $150k. We own 5 properties (one we live in, and 4 rentals that pay for themselves and generate about $1000 in monthly income total). Or I should say the bank owns our properties, each one is mortgaged but we expect to pay off within 10-15 years. Living on a single income, is this something that can support a family of 4 in Clarendon?

Yes of course you can OP. You'll feel it at first but then you quickly adjust to your new reality. Sounds like you have a lot on your plate already with 4 rental properties. Don't make your life even more hectic by adding a baby and still working. Start getting some consulting gigs lined up so that you can stay in the game but work under your own terms and schedule. And so that by the time your butterfly is ready to go to school, you can start looking at permanent gigs again.

do it OP, quit and spend time with your baby for the next 4 years. You won't regret it and it will fly by.