To stay home or not to stay home***I DID IT**

TheMartianChick

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I now work one day per week, though it has nothing to do with being able to stay home and take care of the kids. Our children are grown with the youngest being 21. The opportunity to stay home came rather suddenly last summer, but we had been paying down debt and positioning ourselves to make some (different) moves. Since the original plan was to move someplace far away, I've been working towards job freedom for years. I figured out a bunch of things that I could do from home to bring in the money. I've worked as a business consultant for small business owners for 10 years and find that it is easy to locate clients that need business plans, marketing assistance and help navigating the how-to's of starting a business. I also write agricultural articles and novels.

As I went along, I found other things that replaced my "lost" income. Photographing natural subjects was an easy fit for me and it doesn't require any more of my time. Hubby and I enjoy visiting farms and national parks so while we're there, I photograph them. For the most part, I'm home. My experience has been that there are a million ways to make money but it does hinge on the skillset that you have and your willingness to learn new things. It also depends on how quickly you are able to ramp up to earn that money from home.

One final thought: I thought that I was a pretty good master of managing the household resources. Once I began to mostly stay home, I found a lot of areas that could be tightened up. I didn't cut cable and internet costs. In fact, I increased a few services that allow me to work virtually (Constant Contact, Efax, VoiceNation, etc) I was able to pay for those services by cutting the cost of the food we were wasting, cooking more each week and increasing the garden. With less money initially, we've managed to continue to pay down debt. Most of those things could be done while I was doing other work. In general, moms are pretty good at multi-tasking!

If you want to find a way to be able to stay at home, then make a plan and work the plan.
 

Denim Deb

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Hey Martianchick, maybe a thread devoted to how you've developed that kind of "business" would be helpful to those who want to stay at home, but yet make money would be helpful.
 

hwillm1977

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Denim Deb said:
Hey Martianchick, maybe a thread devoted to how you've developed that kind of "business" would be helpful to those who want to stay at home, but yet make money would be helpful.
That would be great... I would much rather run a business from home than have to go out and find a 'real' job, putting my kids in daycare...
 

peteyfoozer

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I realize some folks have no choice, but if there IS a choice, kids grow up so fast, and there is no way to redeem the time that is lost.
Thats my 2 cents worth!
 

SSDreamin

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hwillm1977 said:
Denim Deb said:
Hey Martianchick, maybe a thread devoted to how you've developed that kind of "business" would be helpful to those who want to stay at home, but yet make money would be helpful.
That would be great... I would much rather run a business from home than have to go out and find a 'real' job, putting my kids in daycare...
That does sound like a great idea! Martianchick, you gave some very interesting ideas for at home work and I would be interested in hearing how you turned the ideas into an income stream. ( ie: The photography. I take lots of interesting/unusual nature photos, but the farthest they get is matted/framed and stuck up on my wall :p )
 

smackiesmommy

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Last year my husband and I found ourselves in a very tough position, we both lost our jobs at the same company and he was able to find another one right away. After searching and searching we sat down and figured out that it was costing us MORE for both of us to work than it was for just one. By staying home we cut out child care and a butt load of gas in the cars. As many have said before, we stopped eating out as much and I was able to take whole days and do all of my errands instead of going here and there which again saved on gas. I'm not going to tell you that it was easy at first....it scared the hell out of me and there were some very tough times but in the end it worked out for the best for us.
If you can figure out your finances and see just what it take you may find that with a little pinching and the right attitude that you may be able to do it.

just a side not....if you do decide to stay home be sure you have something to do. Even with a child in the house it is easy to lose your mind pretty fast if you don't have something to do.
 

Seven Hens Farm

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Smackiesmammie,

Well, I am still struggling with this. Im still working, and I want to be done at the end of June. I just keep pushing it farther and farther back. Soon, the summer will be over and my son will have spent the whole summer alone. Why am I such a chicken!?
 

smackiesmommy

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it doesn't make you a chicken to be concerned about your family. It can be very scary to think about what if we lose our home or starve. It is a hard thing to do but only you can decide for you.
 

Seven Hens Farm

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The thing that always comes to my mind is "the love of money is evil"

And, why is it that being a stay at home Mom is something that is frowned upon nowadays? Really? Do people think that by a wife and/or Mother not working means that she is lazy and depends on her husband? Well, yes, my husband promised to take care of me many many years ago. I think that it is his duty to take care of his family. He feels GREAT when he does, he feels like a man should feel; proud, trustworthy, like the man of the house that he is.
I think that the world started going to $hit when women started to work. Think about it...
~Rant over~
 

donrae

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I'm sorry you're getting those feelings, that staying home is a bad thing. I think those folks don't know what's really involved in staying home and doing it right! It's a job just like any other, if you treat it as one. Yes, there are those who sit on their butts and just don't motivate themselves to do anything all day, but I see such a growing movement toward active sahms, those who as stated treat is as a job, with goals each day and accountability.

I hope you get to stay home this summer. I'm happy for you your husband is taking this responsiblilty seriously.
 

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