subject: Why Should Moms Consider Work At Home Jobs? [print this page] The job of a stay at home mom is more challenging than many people realize. Every mother may have to deal with cleaning the house and all the chores that help keep her family running, but when you're at home there is more to it just because family members are home more. That means more mess, more meals to make, and usually a much tighter budget to do it all on.
The idea of adding on a work at home job or home business isn't welcome to all stay at home moms. It's one more thing on top of already busy days. It means having to figure out how to keep the kids busy enough that work can get done. It means deals with all the scams that prey on people wanting to earn money from home.
I believe it is vital for stay at home moms to have at least a small income of their own. Not just for the little extras it means for the family, but because she should be considering her own future.
Retirement
Being able to save for retirement is one of the big reasons for moms to earn money from home. Those years you spend as a stay at home mom take a big chunk out of your likely retirement funds. Most of us really can't afford that loss. Most families can't or don't find a way to add to retirement savings for the stay at home mom.
You don't want to hit the age at which you'd like to retire and have no or little money for it, meaning you'll have to work the rest of your life. You can't assume your husband's retirement plans will work out perfectly or that you'll have many retirement years to enjoy together. Life is not always that simple.
Life Changes
What your lifestyle is now is not what your lifestyle will be always. Stuff happens and not all of it is good. Death, divorce, disability and layoffs can ruin your family's financial plans for years to come.
If you're working from home, even if it's not enough for your family to live on, you have a base from which to build upon. You have current experience to show potential employers. You have something you may be able to grow into something more.
Emergency Funds
Many single income families scrape by from month to month. It's hard to get by on a single average income, and despite myths to the contrary, most stay at home moms do not have a rich husband.
A little extra money coming in means a lot when you're scraping by. It can be savings for that big car repair that comes out of the blue. It can help with unexpected medical bills.
How Much Should Stay at Home Moms Earn?
The minimum amount you should earn as a working stay at home mom depends on the needs of your family. There's no maximum, and some lucky moms earn significant amounts with a home business.
For the minimum, you should consider what your family's needs are. What would keep you from just scraping by? What will ensure your retirement fund has something in it?
That's going to vary from person to person. It may not be that easily defined, but you should be able to come up with a reasonable number.
Then you have to find a way to earn it. Start looking at your skills and interests. Start thinking about whether a job or business would be best for you. Start learning how to spot scams and where to ask for advice.
Don't get too stressed out when it starts taking some time to find a job or get that home business bringing in an income. That's normal. The point is that you're doing your best to ensure that your family's future and your own will have the best chance at security.
