Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here: It kills me that our student loans take so much of our monthly budget. That's where we get into income, etc..... The minimum is LOW, which only makes the balance grow, and the Trump/Biden student loan forbearance makes the minimum and interest 0 for the past two years. Because the balance would actually grow if paying minimums, during normal times, we regularly put in 1800-2000 monthly to bring the balance down. We have continued this during forbearance. The loan is related very very very specifically and directly to DH's career, and the job pays well.

I feel like anyone with the wherewithal to keep this level of bookkeeping should be able to earn more and have a higher net worth. OP, you are underemployed.

I agree. I am trying to go back to work with my youngest being in preschool.
And! I’m not actually interested in picking up where I left off. As if they would accept my gap in work anyway.

Its tough. This goes back to a thread about sahms returning to work. We need people to not categorize us as a whole. There are many different sahms. I worked in unrelated areas, part-time, while having little babies and kids. But, I did have gaps. I’m still intelligent and would be an asset in some way.

At age 51 (as a working mom with 3 teenage children), I have some perspective on this one. In the old days, I think that returning to the workplace was harder for women after a long gap. Now, I think that's no longer the case. The economy and jobs have changed so much. You can do just fine when you return. For now, enjoy your time as a SAHM with your young children . . . you will not regret it. You are young and have time to earn/invest.

I'm a doctor doing back after a 5 year gap with intermittent work. It's fine, my new FT salary which is my highest ever will be $218K. And no call!

Thank you, to the 51yr old app. I’m not the person you are responding to but I think about this a lot.

To the doctor returning to work, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working out well for you! I get the impression some industries are easier to return to than others. I worked in policy as a fed. Zero flexibility when I wanted to downshift so I left. Very likely I’ll never be able to return and if I do it’ll take years to work my way back up.

This conversation is so encouraging. I will accept reasonable levels of rejection. A lot of jobs applied, and moments in the interview where they ask about gaps (this is the tough interview Q for me, bc I answer about my family, and I’ve been told I shouldn’t??). A few years ago, pre-pandemic, I found a perfect fit job for me to return. It wasn’t exactly the right time in my life, but I was willing to flip for this job which was like “entry-level, but not menial version of exactly what I was doing and enjoyed doing before.” And was working with someone I know. And I could see how the job worked daily for him. So, I was ready. Dusted off the resume, which was 3 years less of a gap than NOW. Interviewed, thought it went pretty well. Told job was put on hold for 6 months (which I know is a polite rejection).

I can accept doing that 10x over. I just feel awkward navigating the gap question. Advice.???
Similarly, I feel awkward that people on this board (and maybe society at large) make huge assumptions about SAHMs. Like, that i am workshy, overly maternal, unorganized, that it will take me a month for things to go smoothly, don’t have my childcare ready, will ask for privileges, that I’ll complain about work-life balance. None of those are true. When I say I am ready to get back in, I reflect on the hurdles, but I won’t bring that to the job.
-OP

Op here again. I guess this is a new thread, or a continuation of the 1-2 SAHM-returning-to-work-threads that have existed this spring.

How it relates to my net worth is that I have the period of DH’s education (when I was working), DH’s low salary period (when I was working part time), and the cost of his education, which pays us back, and dumb-ish choices…. We should be solid and building going forward. I’m already looking for work for this fall or next fall (timeline based on my kids’ school and childcare setup). And this is kicking me in the butt not to delay.

You’ve made some admittedly dumbish choices, have high debt, are supposedly ready to work but you’re looking to work this or next fall? Doesn’t make sense. Work.
We retired young but we had the means to do it. Go to work THIS fall.

I would guess OP means that if she doesn’t have a job by this fall she won’t pay for full time care for her kids. That means she’s have to wait until next fall for spots to open up.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:Late 50s:

Primary home (plus 3 rentals on site) $425K -- no mortgage
Second home (plus 2 rentals on site) $385K -- no mortgage
$24K checking
$57K savings
$52K HSA
$1.6M retirement and brokerage
No debt -- all ccs paid monthly

Net worth: $2.5M roughly

Obviously not in the DMV

Thats excellent. Do you have to use the hsa funds every year? Ive never had one that wasnt use it or lose it by the end of the year. I always found them a bit more trouble than they’re worth?

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:36 yo SAHM:

Cash: 65k
Brokerage: 28k
HSA: 8.5k
Retirement: 315k
IBonds: 67k
Other investments: 70k

Total: 553.5k

40 yo spouse:

Cash: ? estimate 100k?
Brokerage

Retirement estimate 500k?
Ibonds: 10k
Paid off rental: 250k
Future housing fund (currently in employer paid temp housing): 375k

Total: 635k plus another estimated 600+k

Net worth: Over 1.1 mil for sure, probably closer to 1.7mil

You're a SAHM and have no idea what your family NW is? Girl this is a receipt for disaster.

Why would I? I'm not listed on my husband's brokerage accounts or TSP. I know the accounts exist, where they are and generally what he's invested in, but it's not like he shares the online statement with me on the 1st of every month.

I think PPs point was you are putting yourself at a disadvantage by not knowing your family's net worth. Frankly, you should have as much access to the brokerage account as your husband, unless it was an inherited or premarital asset he's intentionally not comingling.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:46 year old divorced woman 2 teens

Savings - $60k
Investments- $842K
Retirement - $1.04 million
529s - $390k (my portion)
Home - $900k
Rental - $150K

Net Worth - $3.382 million

Lol 529s are not a part of your net worth. They are money you gave to your kids. Try again.

Anonymous wrote:46 year old divorced woman 2 teens

Savings - $60k
Investments- $842K
Retirement - $1.04 million
529s - $390k (my portion)
Home - $900k
Rental - $150K

Net Worth - $3.382 million

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here: It kills me that our student loans take so much of our monthly budget. That's where we get into income, etc..... The minimum is LOW, which only makes the balance grow, and the Trump/Biden student loan forbearance makes the minimum and interest 0 for the past two years. Because the balance would actually grow if paying minimums, during normal times, we regularly put in 1800-2000 monthly to bring the balance down. We have continued this during forbearance. The loan is related very very very specifically and directly to DH's career, and the job pays well.

I feel like anyone with the wherewithal to keep this level of bookkeeping should be able to earn more and have a higher net worth. OP, you are underemployed.

I agree. I am trying to go back to work with my youngest being in preschool.
And! I’m not actually interested in picking up where I left off. As if they would accept my gap in work anyway.

Its tough. This goes back to a thread about sahms returning to work. We need people to not categorize us as a whole. There are many different sahms. I worked in unrelated areas, part-time, while having little babies and kids. But, I did have gaps. I’m still intelligent and would be an asset in some way.

At age 51 (as a working mom with 3 teenage children), I have some perspective on this one. In the old days, I think that returning to the workplace was harder for women after a long gap. Now, I think that's no longer the case. The economy and jobs have changed so much. You can do just fine when you return. For now, enjoy your time as a SAHM with your young children . . . you will not regret it. You are young and have time to earn/invest.

I'm a doctor doing back after a 5 year gap with intermittent work. It's fine, my new FT salary which is my highest ever will be $218K. And no call!

Thank you, to the 51yr old app. I’m not the person you are responding to but I think about this a lot.

To the doctor returning to work, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working out well for you! I get the impression some industries are easier to return to than others. I worked in policy as a fed. Zero flexibility when I wanted to downshift so I left. Very likely I’ll never be able to return and if I do it’ll take years to work my way back up.

This conversation is so encouraging. I will accept reasonable levels of rejection. A lot of jobs applied, and moments in the interview where they ask about gaps (this is the tough interview Q for me, bc I answer about my family, and I’ve been told I shouldn’t??). A few years ago, pre-pandemic, I found a perfect fit job for me to return. It wasn’t exactly the right time in my life, but I was willing to flip for this job which was like “entry-level, but not menial version of exactly what I was doing and enjoyed doing before.” And was working with someone I know. And I could see how the job worked daily for him. So, I was ready. Dusted off the resume, which was 3 years less of a gap than NOW. Interviewed, thought it went pretty well. Told job was put on hold for 6 months (which I know is a polite rejection).

I can accept doing that 10x over. I just feel awkward navigating the gap question. Advice.???
Similarly, I feel awkward that people on this board (and maybe society at large) make huge assumptions about SAHMs. Like, that i am workshy, overly maternal, unorganized, that it will take me a month for things to go smoothly, don’t have my childcare ready, will ask for privileges, that I’ll complain about work-life balance. None of those are true. When I say I am ready to get back in, I reflect on the hurdles, but I won’t bring that to the job.
-OP

Op here again. I guess this is a new thread, or a continuation of the 1-2 SAHM-returning-to-work-threads that have existed this spring.

How it relates to my net worth is that I have the period of DH’s education (when I was working), DH’s low salary period (when I was working part time), and the cost of his education, which pays us back, and dumb-ish choices…. We should be solid and building going forward. I’m already looking for work for this fall or next fall (timeline based on my kids’ school and childcare setup). And this is kicking me in the butt not to delay.

You’ve made some admittedly dumbish choices, have high debt, are supposedly ready to work but you’re looking to work this or next fall? Doesn’t make sense. Work.
We retired young but we had the means to do it. Go to work THIS fall.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here: It kills me that our student loans take so much of our monthly budget. That's where we get into income, etc..... The minimum is LOW, which only makes the balance grow, and the Trump/Biden student loan forbearance makes the minimum and interest 0 for the past two years. Because the balance would actually grow if paying minimums, during normal times, we regularly put in 1800-2000 monthly to bring the balance down. We have continued this during forbearance. The loan is related very very very specifically and directly to DH's career, and the job pays well.

I feel like anyone with the wherewithal to keep this level of bookkeeping should be able to earn more and have a higher net worth. OP, you are underemployed.

I agree. I am trying to go back to work with my youngest being in preschool.
And! I’m not actually interested in picking up where I left off. As if they would accept my gap in work anyway.

Its tough. This goes back to a thread about sahms returning to work. We need people to not categorize us as a whole. There are many different sahms. I worked in unrelated areas, part-time, while having little babies and kids. But, I did have gaps. I’m still intelligent and would be an asset in some way.

At age 51 (as a working mom with 3 teenage children), I have some perspective on this one. In the old days, I think that returning to the workplace was harder for women after a long gap. Now, I think that's no longer the case. The economy and jobs have changed so much. You can do just fine when you return. For now, enjoy your time as a SAHM with your young children . . . you will not regret it. You are young and have time to earn/invest.

I'm a doctor doing back after a 5 year gap with intermittent work. It's fine, my new FT salary which is my highest ever will be $218K. And no call!

Thank you, to the 51yr old app. I’m not the person you are responding to but I think about this a lot.

To the doctor returning to work, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working out well for you! I get the impression some industries are easier to return to than others. I worked in policy as a fed. Zero flexibility when I wanted to downshift so I left. Very likely I’ll never be able to return and if I do it’ll take years to work my way back up.

This conversation is so encouraging. I will accept reasonable levels of rejection. A lot of jobs applied, and moments in the interview where they ask about gaps (this is the tough interview Q for me, bc I answer about my family, and I’ve been told I shouldn’t??). A few years ago, pre-pandemic, I found a perfect fit job for me to return. It wasn’t exactly the right time in my life, but I was willing to flip for this job which was like “entry-level, but not menial version of exactly what I was doing and enjoyed doing before.” And was working with someone I know. And I could see how the job worked daily for him. So, I was ready. Dusted off the resume, which was 3 years less of a gap than NOW. Interviewed, thought it went pretty well. Told job was put on hold for 6 months (which I know is a polite rejection).

I can accept doing that 10x over. I just feel awkward navigating the gap question. Advice.???
Similarly, I feel awkward that people on this board (and maybe society at large) make huge assumptions about SAHMs. Like, that i am workshy, overly maternal, unorganized, that it will take me a month for things to go smoothly, don’t have my childcare ready, will ask for privileges, that I’ll complain about work-life balance. None of those are true. When I say I am ready to get back in, I reflect on the hurdles, but I won’t bring that to the job.
-OP

Op here again. I guess this is a new thread, or a continuation of the 1-2 SAHM-returning-to-work-threads that have existed this spring.

How it relates to my net worth is that I have the period of DH’s education (when I was working), DH’s low salary period (when I was working part time), and the cost of his education, which pays us back, and dumb-ish choices…. We should be solid and building going forward. I’m already looking for work for this fall or next fall (timeline based on my kids’ school and childcare setup). And this is kicking me in the butt not to delay.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here: It kills me that our student loans take so much of our monthly budget. That's where we get into income, etc..... The minimum is LOW, which only makes the balance grow, and the Trump/Biden student loan forbearance makes the minimum and interest 0 for the past two years. Because the balance would actually grow if paying minimums, during normal times, we regularly put in 1800-2000 monthly to bring the balance down. We have continued this during forbearance. The loan is related very very very specifically and directly to DH's career, and the job pays well.

I feel like anyone with the wherewithal to keep this level of bookkeeping should be able to earn more and have a higher net worth. OP, you are underemployed.

I agree. I am trying to go back to work with my youngest being in preschool.
And! I’m not actually interested in picking up where I left off. As if they would accept my gap in work anyway.

Its tough. This goes back to a thread about sahms returning to work. We need people to not categorize us as a whole. There are many different sahms. I worked in unrelated areas, part-time, while having little babies and kids. But, I did have gaps. I’m still intelligent and would be an asset in some way.

At age 51 (as a working mom with 3 teenage children), I have some perspective on this one. In the old days, I think that returning to the workplace was harder for women after a long gap. Now, I think that's no longer the case. The economy and jobs have changed so much. You can do just fine when you return. For now, enjoy your time as a SAHM with your young children . . . you will not regret it. You are young and have time to earn/invest.

I'm a doctor doing back after a 5 year gap with intermittent work. It's fine, my new FT salary which is my highest ever will be $218K. And no call!

Thank you, to the 51yr old app. I’m not the person you are responding to but I think about this a lot.

To the doctor returning to work, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working out well for you! I get the impression some industries are easier to return to than others. I worked in policy as a fed. Zero flexibility when I wanted to downshift so I left. Very likely I’ll never be able to return and if I do it’ll take years to work my way back up.

This conversation is so encouraging. I will accept reasonable levels of rejection. A lot of jobs applied, and moments in the interview where they ask about gaps (this is the tough interview Q for me, bc I answer about my family, and I’ve been told I shouldn’t??). A few years ago, pre-pandemic, I found a perfect fit job for me to return. It wasn’t exactly the right time in my life, but I was willing to flip for this job which was like “entry-level, but not menial version of exactly what I was doing and enjoyed doing before.” And was working with someone I know. And I could see how the job worked daily for him. So, I was ready. Dusted off the resume, which was 3 years less of a gap than NOW. Interviewed, thought it went pretty well. Told job was put on hold for 6 months (which I know is a polite rejection).

I can accept doing that 10x over. I just feel awkward navigating the gap question. Advice.???
Similarly, I feel awkward that people on this board (and maybe society at large) make huge assumptions about SAHMs. Like, that i am workshy, overly maternal, unorganized, that it will take me a month for things to go smoothly, don’t have my childcare ready, will ask for privileges, that I’ll complain about work-life balance. None of those are true. When I say I am ready to get back in, I reflect on the hurdles, but I won’t bring that to the job.
-OP

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP Here: It kills me that our student loans take so much of our monthly budget. That's where we get into income, etc..... The minimum is LOW, which only makes the balance grow, and the Trump/Biden student loan forbearance makes the minimum and interest 0 for the past two years. Because the balance would actually grow if paying minimums, during normal times, we regularly put in 1800-2000 monthly to bring the balance down. We have continued this during forbearance. The loan is related very very very specifically and directly to DH's career, and the job pays well.

I feel like anyone with the wherewithal to keep this level of bookkeeping should be able to earn more and have a higher net worth. OP, you are underemployed.

I agree. I am trying to go back to work with my youngest being in preschool.
And! I’m not actually interested in picking up where I left off. As if they would accept my gap in work anyway.

Its tough. This goes back to a thread about sahms returning to work. We need people to not categorize us as a whole. There are many different sahms. I worked in unrelated areas, part-time, while having little babies and kids. But, I did have gaps. I’m still intelligent and would be an asset in some way.

At age 51 (as a working mom with 3 teenage children), I have some perspective on this one. In the old days, I think that returning to the workplace was harder for women after a long gap. Now, I think that's no longer the case. The economy and jobs have changed so much. You can do just fine when you return. For now, enjoy your time as a SAHM with your young children . . . you will not regret it. You are young and have time to earn/invest.

I'm a doctor doing back after a 5 year gap with intermittent work. It's fine, my new FT salary which is my highest ever will be $218K. And no call!

Thank you, to the 51yr old app. I’m not the person you are responding to but I think about this a lot.

To the doctor returning to work, that’s awesome! Glad it’s working out well for you! I get the impression some industries are easier to return to than others. I worked in policy as a fed. Zero flexibility when I wanted to downshift so I left. Very likely I’ll never be able to return and if I do it’ll take years to work my way back up.