There have been a lot of posts around the blogosphere about living on one income, and they make for very interesting reading. They are usually written in terms of the wife (rather than the husband) coming home, leaving the workplace to be a full time Domestic Arts Practitioner, and often make mention that actually, most of the wife's salary would be spent on enabling her to go to work in the first place and thus this salary won't really be missed. However, in our case that would not be true.
First 'saving': Transport to work, reduction of cars and related expenses by at least one car.
We have had one car for nearly two years now, with both of us working. Yes, I drive the car to work at the moment, but I only drive to work 3 days a week. The other two days, Hubby takes the car to work (he otherwise cycles).
Second 'saving': Childcare
We don't children, thus do not have this expense in the first place.
Third 'saving': Lunch at work
Okay, so here we might be able to make a bit of a saving, but not much of one. My work offers a much subsidised canteen, as well as free fruit being on offer all day every day, so I spend probably £3 a week for lunch at work. But if I work at home full time, I still need to eat lunch, so the weekly food budget would increase. So not really any saving there.
Fourth 'saving': A work wardrobe
I am fortuntate in that my work has a very relaxed attitude to attire in the office. That is not to say that I am not smart, but I don't have to spend vast amounts of money on suits etc. So most of my clothes I can wear at home as well as in the office, so no saving there. Also, whilst money could theoretically be saved here, what about wives who work at home? Do they not require clothes as well?! One of my husbands main worries about me working at home is that I would become frumpy and sloppy in the way that I dressed. I need to take even more care with my appearance when I am at home than when I am at work!
So, my staying home will actually cost us money, and quite a lot of money at that, in terms of lost income. But I still believe that it is where I should be, it is where my heart is, and where my God-given duty is. Money, at the end of the day is not everything. You can't put a price on the hug I get from Hubby when he hugs me on non-office days and says 'this is how I like my wife, all relaxed and not wound up and tense as she is while she is at work'.
First 'saving': Transport to work, reduction of cars and related expenses by at least one car.
We have had one car for nearly two years now, with both of us working. Yes, I drive the car to work at the moment, but I only drive to work 3 days a week. The other two days, Hubby takes the car to work (he otherwise cycles).
Second 'saving': Childcare
We don't children, thus do not have this expense in the first place.
Third 'saving': Lunch at work
Okay, so here we might be able to make a bit of a saving, but not much of one. My work offers a much subsidised canteen, as well as free fruit being on offer all day every day, so I spend probably £3 a week for lunch at work. But if I work at home full time, I still need to eat lunch, so the weekly food budget would increase. So not really any saving there.
Fourth 'saving': A work wardrobe
I am fortuntate in that my work has a very relaxed attitude to attire in the office. That is not to say that I am not smart, but I don't have to spend vast amounts of money on suits etc. So most of my clothes I can wear at home as well as in the office, so no saving there. Also, whilst money could theoretically be saved here, what about wives who work at home? Do they not require clothes as well?! One of my husbands main worries about me working at home is that I would become frumpy and sloppy in the way that I dressed. I need to take even more care with my appearance when I am at home than when I am at work!
So, my staying home will actually cost us money, and quite a lot of money at that, in terms of lost income. But I still believe that it is where I should be, it is where my heart is, and where my God-given duty is. Money, at the end of the day is not everything. You can't put a price on the hug I get from Hubby when he hugs me on non-office days and says 'this is how I like my wife, all relaxed and not wound up and tense as she is while she is at work'.
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