If you are a housewife, how much does your spouse make?

[Anonymous]

Don't assume that being a "housewife" is always a "choice." There are many of us who made an initial choice to take care of the kids full time, then when we wanted to go back to work, there was a recession and even past the recession, no one will hire us. Doesn't matter that you are a capable person. Doesn't matter that you have an advanced degree. In some ways, I understand that an employer will favor a person with recent experience over someone with past experience.

But, after a certain number of years (and I don't mean 20), the work world just doesn't want women who have been out of the workforce. We smile and pretend it is our "choice," but that's a cover for the fact that we have been rejected literally hundreds of times.

[Anonymous]

750k +

We have three school aged kids. When the kids were little, I had a part time nanny. I gave that up once the little one started school.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:Don't assume that being a "housewife" is always a "choice." There are many of us who made an initial choice to take care of the kids full time, then when we wanted to go back to work, there was a recession and even past the recession, no one will hire us. Doesn't matter that you are a capable person. Doesn't matter that you have an advanced degree. In some ways, I understand that an employer will favor a person with recent experience over someone with past experience.

But, after a certain number of years (and I don't mean 20), the work world just doesn't want women who have been out of the workforce. We smile and pretend it is our "choice," but that's a cover for the fact that we have been rejected literally hundreds of times.

speak for yourself. Where I live (Manhattan suburbs), few women work and that's because all their husbands earn millions of dollars in finance.

When people don't need the money and even an extra $60k wouldn't make a difference in their lifestyle, they usually choose not to work.

[Anonymous]

DH earns $235, I stay home. Public Schools, small house. We are happy.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH earns $235, I stay home. Public Schools, small house. We are happy.

I think I could do this in Arlington. I'm thinking about retiring early but do fear getting board and not being able to return to my career although not to paid employment. Pretty sure that i could do that.

[Anonymous]

I know exactly one housewife. She has oodles if family money. The husband is a professor with quite a bit of family money himself.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I know exactly one housewife. She has oodles if family money. The husband is a professor with quite a bit of family money himself.

You know more than 1. Sometimes they have code words like "I work part time as a consultant, from my home". Those are housewives.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Housewife? What is this, 1955?

OP here, I didn't say "SAHM" because I know a lot of women who SAH don't have kids yet (or don't plan to have them at all)

I’m not buying that you know lots of SAH wives, no kids. Unless you’re all crazy rich, like gazillions.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:My DH makes about $250,000. Our kids are grown. I have been at home for 26 years. No plans to work outside the home.

What about after you divorce?

A SAHM is better off as over 10 years marriages get the Social Security, half off all assets, plus maybe alimony and most likely house if he cheats.

[Anonymous]

My wife left the workforce in January 2001 when our first born was six months old and I made 61k a year.

By 2007 I was making 330k and we had three kids. My wife plans on going back to work when youngest starts HS which is 2021.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised at people who are not working when DH earns 250k or less.

DH earns 1-2m. I stopped working when he hit 800k. We had two kids then. Now we have 3 kids.

If DH earned less, I would have continued to work.

I quit working when DS was a year old and DH was making about $80,000. DS is now in college, have one in HS and one in middle school. I went back to work VERY part time (10 hours a week) 8 years ago. I'm definitely only working until youngest graduates from HS - I may even quit before then. DH now makes $125,000. We live in Alexandria. We are happy and comfortable.

[Anonymous]

I never really worked in the 5 years before kids came. My DH made 55k back then when I still finished my BA. Raising healthy, productive kids is harder than whatever people on this board want to believe. DH makes 180k now in a low COLA.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised at people who are not working when DH earns 250k or less.

DH earns 1-2m. I stopped working when he hit 800k. We had two kids then. Now we have 3 kids.

If DH earned less, I would have continued to work.

Because some of us don't need a fancy house or cars and manage our money well so we can comfortably live off $200K.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised at people who are not working when DH earns 250k or less.

DH earns 1-2m. I stopped working when he hit 800k. We had two kids then. Now we have 3 kids.

If DH earned less, I would have continued to work.

Because some of us don't need a fancy house or cars and manage our money well so we can comfortably live off $200K.

How about college and retirement?

I feel like 200k is the worst because you are disqualified from any financial aid. College will probably be 400k+ per child.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:I’m surprised at people who are not working when DH earns 250k or less.

DH earns 1-2m. I stopped working when he hit 800k. We had two kids then. Now we have 3 kids.

If DH earned less, I would have continued to work.

Because some of us don't need a fancy house or cars and manage our money well so we can comfortably live off $200K.

I used to earn 200k by myself as a single. Can’t fathom supporting an entire family on that.