Comments on: The SAHM Salary

By: Melinda

Melinda — Mon, 08 Dec 2008 02:42:40 +0000

I’m a SAHM of 11 years with both kids in school and now both Parents in Care.
I’m having my first LONG Service Leave and lovin’ it – thanks to my Counsellor!
When people ask me what I do I gladly tell them and they just as gladly take their full-time paid work and run……………

NB: The basic unit of Society is The Family.
When that erodes – what have we left?

By: Dana

Dana — Thu, 27 Nov 2008 05:58:44 +0000

I consider myself a feminist and probably will til my dying day but there are some people out there with serious issues who apply that label to themselves and yet have not a nice word one to say about women who stay home with their kids. You’d think we opted for frontal lobotomies or something. It’s always the same old lines: raising children isn’t work, raising children isn’t “real” work, raising children isn’t “meaningful” work, doing household drudgery is demeaning, etc., etc., ad nauseam. I notice it comes most often from the hallowed halls of academia. Well, I never thought I’d want to be an academic when I grew up; I didn’t know there was any such line of work. I didn’t exactly aspire to be a mom, either, but now that I’m in the thick of it I know it’s just something you do, just like making and keeping friends or preserving extended family ties or being involved in the civic life of your community. It’s all part of being human. The universities could all disappear tomorrow and we’d still have the rest of it. So you learn to let it roll off your back for the meaningless noise it is.

By: Friday Link Love - Still Recovering Edition | One Caveman's Financial Journey

Fri, 07 Nov 2008 16:03:17 +0000

[...] The SAHM Salary [...]

By: Frugal Dad

Frugal Dad — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 23:11:17 +0000

My wife works much harder than I do! In fact, the few times she’s been sick to the point where I’ve had to take off work to look after the kids I tell her, “Hurry up and get better so I can go back to work and rest.”

By: plonkee

plonkee — Thu, 06 Nov 2008 09:15:12 +0000

Of course SAHDs can do all these things too .

I think that you should be a SAHP for reasons other than financial, but all these advantages certainly help to make life easier. And easier is better.

By: MrsMoney

MrsMoney — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:41:45 +0000

I read something from a SAHM once that said that she felt it was her husband’s job to bring home the paycheck, but it was her job to make it stretch and cover their needs. I thought that was interesting. Maybe I am old fashioned, but I like the thought of a parent staying at home with the children to raise them if the parents are able to do it mentally and financially.

By: daddy t

daddy t — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 19:36:30 +0000

I enjoyed your article! Maybe one day, I can even make some money staying at home, as I am a SAHD (stay-at-home-dad).

By: Dad

Dad — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:42:38 +0000

Very interesting. I’ve heard before of the uncounted cost of a mother working outside the home, but you listed a number of positives with a SAHM. Another problem I’ve seen working moms facing is when their income is used on a mortgage application because housing prices were so inflated, if something happens to one of the incomes, they are worse off than if they had only reported one of them. I know of a case where cancer has disabled one of them to the point where going to work is too exhausting but the mortgage payment needs to be met.

By: Michael

Michael — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:37:01 +0000

My wife does more valuable work than I do, since I only make money.

By: Jannie

Jannie — Wed, 05 Nov 2008 18:08:17 +0000

I think Stay At Home Moms rock in so, so many ways.

Parenting is the most demanding job there could ever be. 24 /7. Not 9 to 5, then come home and the rest of the day is yours to put your feet up or go to a movie or out with friends for a drink or whatever. You are on duty always and you have to be as patient and loving as you can be at all times too, with small children that’s a Major Feat in itself.

I really like your point about saving money cooking meals instead of eating out, that makes a tremendous difference in finances.

Thank you for this SAHM-affirming post.