Modern society says that both Mom and Dad need to go to work every day, hold a regular job and still balance ideal family values and home care. For many, this may not be what one parent or both of them imagined when having children, preferring to have someone with the kids at all times, but figuring out how to make this financial plan tenable is the challenge many face. Careful budgeting and investments can help bring this dream to fruition.
Plan for school
If income is an issue and the children are old enough, getting a part-time day job may be one way of handling stay-at-home parenting. The Southtown Star, a subsidiary of the Chicago Sun-Times, wrote that during the school year kids are out of the house for the better part of they day anyway, giving Mom or Dad the perfect opportunity to make a little extra money. This could even entail working from home, either as a remote employee or as a self-employed individual.
Create a budget
A financial calculator is a good tool to sit down with regularly ensure that accounts are on track to remain in good standing. Determining how much mandatory expenses take out of regular income will help provide a litmus for stability, because if expenses continually exceed that preassigned figure, chances are something in the budget isn't working. This doesn't always mean cutting back on recreation or only buying store brand products, but these steps can help reduce the amount spent every month. By making little sacrifices a stay-at-home situation can be much more achievable for families trying to budget.
Stay in touch
Just because a parent is working from home now doesn't mean that person will want to remain so for the rest of his or her days. Keeping in contact with professional and casual friends related to previous field of work can help parents get back into the office later in life if they so choose. Your Houston News wrote that it also helps them stay on top of their skill sets, so that if they do choose to transition back into the workforce, their abilities aren't outdated, making them unemployable.