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[quote=Anonymous][quote=Anonymous]Have you ever calculated how much it costs to work?

I was chatting with a friend who lives in the NYC area about how much it costs her to work (suburban train, after school care etc etc). While SAHM is not an option for them, she has a hard time accepting how much it costs her to work.

It got me thinking....how much do a spend to WOHM?  (Not an argument on the long-term financial security, retirement benefits or earning potential....just a budgeting/expenses question).

Me? I estimated some average monthly costs I can attribute to WOHM.

Daycare - $3300 (though part of that is preschool I would have likely had to pay for, at least a few days a week)
Commute - Gas, wear and tear (?) - $100
Parking - $120
Cleaning Services - $400
Clothing - $200 (suits, dress shoes etc)
Dry Cleaning - $100
Lunches - $80
Coffees/Breakfast on the Run - $30
Takeout - $200

Yikes!

Mine was similar (although from lunch and takeout you need to remove cost of eating home which is not zero, and you would probably end up treating yourself to coffee anyway).

It is an interesting exercise but you can’t do it in a vacuum and need to compare to cost of SAHM:
- you would still drive to activities so car cost not zero 
- you would buy clothes, although much cheaper athlesure type 
- you would probably end up signing up your kids to stuff (mom and baby yoga), and later on do more activities / more expensive activities. I see that with telecommuting already, because I have a more flexible schedule and kids have been at home a long time, I switched the cheaper basic aftercare for more after school interesting activities (gymnastics, breakdance class, art and theater whatever.. and it adds up fast)
- you may end up buying more stuff (more time at home and with your kids = more impulse buy for the next thing that will improve family life at home)

And obviously the biggest cost that you already mentioned, beyond present lost of income : retirement and future loss of incomes when it takes time to get fully back into job market

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