Any low-to-moderate income families having mom/dad staying at home with baby?

[Anonymous]

I'm having a hard time finding people in our situation in the DC area. Is there anyone who's post-baby household income will be under $100K (just a rough number of moderate income in DC)? When people hear that I'd like to stay home, they assume that we must be rich because we are well-educated professionals living in a nice area. The truth is that we are willing to live on basically nothing because I so badly want to raise my baby (btw, I completely support mothers who want to work, this is 100% my personal decision). Is there anyone else in this area in a similar boat or am I alone in DC?

I just don't fit in any of the stay-at-home mothers groups because I can't afford a bugaboo stroller and all the gadgets.

[Anonymous]

Not quite sure what you are asking.

SAHM here and DH only makes $XX,000. We have a 2 year old and a newborn.

We saved like crazy pre-kid, live within our means (no bugaboo stroller though), and live just fine. We still have frills like cable/DVR, flat screen tv, 2 cars, a dog, we own our home, and have no debt (except mortgage).

I think you are assuming incorrectly that SAHMs are rich. Maybe $$ savvy since you have to make the paycheck last longer.

[Anonymous]

DH is in law school so I guess we 'technically' have one parent staying at home even though he won't be caring for the baby. I make less than 100k and we'll be paying daycare once I'm back at work. We've cut back a ton and we're making it work. Nice baby things have all been gifts - we could never, ever afford to buy all of the baby gear on our own.

[Anonymous]

Yes, there are plenty.

[Anonymous]

This will be me come December! DH and I have talked a lot about ways to spend less and have been making the effort to live off of his salary for awhile (mine goes into savings). We certainly won't have all the fancy gadgets, new cars, or eat out as much as we used to, but that is the choice we are making! Honestly, I think there are more people in this category than you think.

[Anonymous]

I am about to be in the same situation. My husband is in the military and makes under $100k. We are having our second baby in March. I currently work full-time, but will stay home once the baby is born. We will be transferring less than a year after the baby is born anyway. It will be tight, but it can be done!

[Anonymous]

My husband makes about 80k and I have stayed home with our kids. Kids are now in school, but I still stay home. It can be done OP Good luck

[Anonymous]

PP here we have 3 kids

[Anonymous]

Us too! DH makes less than $100k, our child is in preschool, I would love a PT job but hasn't happened yet. We manage fine and are looking for a house in a good school district (that will be expensive...).

[Anonymous]

My brother. He makes in the 80s, lives just outside the beltway, has a home, no extra debt and 3 kids under 6. Things are tight, but they seem pretty happy and have fun with life. It is possible. You just have to be very responsible with money and look for the deals. They aren't wanting for anything as far as I can tell.

[Anonymous]

You can do it & you are not alone! I was totally inspired when a couple that we know (in their early 30's) shared that they were expecting a baby and that they were going to stay in their studio apartment in the city for now so that she could stay with the baby and they would live on his federal job which is well under 100k. My husband and I are now looking at a similar situation ourselves in the late spring

[Anonymous]

DH was earning about $80K and I was earning about $50K when we had our first child. I have been home with the kids and not working ever since.

We moved to a wonderful close in community in Prince George's County where we were able to buy a house on his income. He now earns about $100K, and we're doing fine. It really helps to live in a place where others have a similar income. It is only human nature to compare yourself with those around you.

[Anonymous]

Anonymous wrote:DH was earning about $80K and I was earning about $50K when we had our first child. I have been home with the kids and not working ever since.

We moved to a wonderful close in community in Prince George's County where we were able to buy a house on his income. He now earns about $100K, and we're doing fine. It really helps to live in a place where others have a similar income. It is only human nature to compare yourself with those around you.

Um....did I write this post? LOL! I am a new poster but exactly the same situation as PP. Well, actually slightly less income. I was making about $45K and DH was making $75K when I quit to stay home with our two babies. Luckily DH has gotten some raises in the 5 years since, but still is only making just over $100K. We live in an awesome close-in PG county neighborhood (decent houses right now can be found for $200K) which has many families who actually make less than us (or around the same), yet still have one parent at home. I have lots of friends in my neighborhood who have 2, 3, 4 and 5 children. All with only one working parent. All pretty happy, too, despite their lack of Bugaboos, iPhones, nannys, housekeepers and pedicures.

OP, it sounds like you know what you want and what is important to you. Good for you! One of the great things about living in DC is that there are a ton of free activities for moms/babies. Take advantage of it, and I'm sure you will find plenty of people who are in similar situations.

[Anonymous]

regardless of the working spouse's income, I don't see how a mom (or dad) making under 50k/yr, living close in could justify working with the expense of childcare, ESPECIALLY if one has 2 children. Of course one would want to stay in the workforce for retirement, advancement, and career potential down the line. However, if I had had an income of under 50k, regardless of my DHs income, I think I would have had a hard time forking over just about my entire income to daycare. As it is, with 2 kids, I'm paying 30k in childcare a year and this is payments from my NET income. That is the equvalent of 40-45k of gross income.

[Anonymous]

There are plenty of normal people out there who can, and do, stay home. My husband makes less than 100k and I am currently not working. We own our home in Arlington, have no debt, and have 2 kids. We bought a small house we could afford on one income about 9 years ago, we don't have car payments. We are not deprived or "tight" on budget but we also don't have luxury taste. When we want something, we go buy it!

I would like to go back to work but we are totally comfortable with one salary, and there is no rush for me to work again from that standpoint.

I hate reading on here all the fussing and discussion about being able to afford to SAH - life is about choices and priorities and sacrifices and I think that if people are willing to give a little they can almost always get what they want.