Work at Home, Don't Earn an Income but Save Money!
A Home Business Article Contributed by Philippe Nicolitch
Compare the Cost of Having a Full Time Job Versus Working at Home and Taking Care of Your Family
I was recently part of a discussion where young married couples with children had not calculated the cost of each of them having a job versus one of them staying and working at home. A new trend emerges these days where some fathers volunteer to take care of the household while their wife works as a highly paid executive. What is wrong with that? Dads can do laundry too, right?
Work at Home and Save Money
The most obvious cost of having both parents at work is child care. But think deeper and try to analyze all the benefits of having Dad stay at home and take care of the household. It is about time that home-based parents are recognized as a full time job, especially when you put the numbers together and realize in some instances how little extra income a second salary brings into the household.
Children: This is often the most obvious source of expense when both parents work. Include in your calculation the cost of child care, the cost of driving the kid to the day care center and back, the cost - sometimes priceless - of giving them your own education rather than having them molded by an exhausted teacher. The cost of buying them ready-made food rather than cooking their lunch. The cost of not being around when they need someone to talk. Saving quality time with your family because you don't have to go grocery shopping with everyone else on a Saturday.
Food: Ready-cooked frozen food in a plastic tray is becoming the obvious choice for many families where both parents work. Compare how much those cost versus a home cooked meal with groceries that you would have selected yourself. Buy a bread machine and bake your own bread. Prepare large amounts of food and freeze them.
Home decoration: This is where a work at home dad becomes handy! Rather than hiring contractors to do the work in your house, how about doing it yourself. You may not know how to install a new sink, paint a wall, or replace tile in the kitchen... Not a problem! Many home decoration stores have workshops to train you so you can do it yourself. Compare the cost of the material needed with the estimate from a contractor and you'll understand what I mean.
Work at Home and Earn Money
Although parents who stay at home are not generating an income, they are often saving a lot of money by accomplishing many tasks themselves as explained in the previous section.
Now, let's see how this can be complemented by additional income, sometimes part-time or on a free-lance basis. Dads who decide to stay home and take care of the house and children, can save some time during the day when the kids are at school to work on projects linked to their previous work experience as a consultant. Alternatively when neighbors will see what a great job you did renovating your bathroom, they may ask for your advice and assistance to renovate theirs. That a good part-time job, which leaves you will all the necessary time to take care of your own house.
