Anonymous wrote:It sounds like if you returned to working you would break even on the cost of having your younger kids in day care unless you could find a higher paying job. It stinks, but it pretty common for most of us, as I am sure you know.
A family of four can learn to live well on a $100k+ salary, even if it is not what you are accustomed to. It sounds like your house has a big chunk paid for; maybe you can refinance to save a few hundred dollars a month. Your retirement is healthy also - your husband could reduce his contributions for a year or so to see another few hundred in each paycheck.
My only other suggestion, which I know is hard, is to put your older kids in public school. Yes, it's not ideal as the plan you had for them, but you also probably enrolled them in $40K annual schooling planning that your husband would make partner. He didn't so now look at your Plan B.
The bottom line here is with a significant pay cut, you either need to (1) rejoin the workforce at a higher paying gig to help make up for it and keep your lifestyle; (2) make some changes in how you spend (e.g., private school). It stinks, it really does, but your choices are quite clear and not confusing. Pick one.
Exactly.