Dual income households, what's the cost/benefit of the lower earner's wage?

Benefits (1) a paycheck, (2) keeping her from dreaming up home improvement shite to spend money on, (3) keeping her from spending all day online shopping, (4) her covering her own student loans.

Costs (1) none.

Easy choice I say

Post reeks of "my wife has no skills that allow her to earn a decent living so I'll just put down those that do."

My wife's checks basically go straight into retirement/savings accounts.

So yeah.

I have a 2 year old and another on the way. I was a school teacher; now I'm a stay-at-home mom. With the cost of daycare, it doesn't make sense for me to go back to work. Now, when our kids are older, sure; but not now.

Mine doesn't make enough to really justify working but she recently decided she wanted to try it again.


I hate it and wish she'd stay home

Everyone I knew that was home schooled went wild after finally leaving home.

Let's see. My wife just went back to work after a year and a half home with the kids.


1) She covers her car note, student loans, cell and the daycare / day to day expenses of working with her small salary, while being happier and feeling more self worth.

2) There is no "2"

If I lost my job her 50k wouldn't do much for us

Home schooled kids turn out weird, I've never met a normal one. Kids need the social interaction to be able to function in society.

quote:

---

What's the break even point as far as the amount someone needs to bring in to offset the added direct costs?

---

Use Moneychimp.com and their income tax calculator. I can't tell you what your direct costs are - that is up to you - but you know what your current take home pay is and their calculators can help you determine your new take home.

You can use the tax forms from the LA Department of Revenue to figure your state tax. Assuming traditional employment, figure FICA taxes at 7.65%.

That just gets you to the numbers which obviously should be higher than your new costs, but then you have to determine what the personal pros and cons of that job will be - finding the time to cook, clean, parent, etc. That was most difficult for my wife and I with our children, but in the end it has been a good decision for her to go back to work.

Good luck.