Anonymous wrote:All I can say is that a lot of times when SAHMs return (or go back) to work they wind up putting their paychecks into savings while continuing to live on just their husband's salary. If you can make that work for you, too, go for it.

This is our plan! My husband will be starting a new job as well, also at $60k/year, so it feels doable. We don't live in DC, we're in a much lower cost of living area, so I'm hoping we'll be able to save aggressively even at these modest incomes.

I don't think my employer does a 401k match. It's a very small law firm, and I think the benefits are pretty minimal. So it's all me...

All I can say is that a lot of times when SAHMs return (or go back) to work they wind up putting their paychecks into savings while continuing to live on just their husband's salary. If you can make that work for you, too, go for it.

^^ oh, I forgot to mention, to keep it simple, I would probably just invest in target funds (so something that is set for when you will retire in 30-35 years). It will adjust risk as you get older.

Contribute to your 401(k) up to the point of your employer match

Then contribute to a Roth IRA (you can do $5k)

If you can afford to contribute more, go back and contribute more to the 401(k)

I'm 32 with no retirement savings yet. I've been a SAHM, and will start a full time job this fall, starting at $60k/year. My husband has been contributing to his 401k for years, but with a $40k salary, those savings have not added up to much. I'd like to be as aggressive as possible with my own retirement savings to "catch up" as much as possible. I know nothing about saving for retirement - any advice?