In today's economy, there are more and more families with both
parents working. This article offers a few things to think about
and how to determine what may be best. There is no right or wrong
decision; each family has to evaluate their situation and then
decide what is best for them as individuals and as a family.

There are many things to consider: 
* Do both parents really want to work? 
* If one stays home, which one should it be? 
* What is future earning potential in current position? 
* Which job offers the best benefits and medical insurance? 
* Is there opportunity for advancement? 
* What are the job-related expenses? (clothing, transportation) 
* How much of the income goes for child daycare? 
* What are the ages of the children in the family? 
* How long is the daily commute to work? 
* If only one works, what happens if they're suddenly laid-off? 
* Should one or both parents have some type of home business?

Start with a list of all things that need to be considered for
your specific situation, coming up with different scenarios, and
then list the pros and cons of each scenario.

By the way, the number of stay-at-home dads is on the increase, 
so don't hesitate to consider that as one of your options. 

For many families, having both parents working is almost an
economic necessity. But, you may want to review the income vs.
the expenses to really see how much you come out ahead.

For example, I know of two families that did just that; they took
a close look at the expenses tied directly to the second income.

Both families had similar situations; each family had two
children under the age of ten, and the mother returned to the
workforce after their youngest child was out of diapers.

Both women earned the same annual income and had very similar
expenses. Mindy was a customer service supervisor for a marketing
firm, and Cedara was a caseworker for a social services agency.

They looked at all expenses directly related to their job: 
* Transportation - gasoline and car upkeep or bus/subway 
* Child care - daycare or after-school care 
* Clothing - several outfits worn only for work 
* Dry cleaning - some work clothes required special care 
* Food - morning coffee, lunch, tips, afternoon snack, etc. 
* Beauty salon - hair/nails were done more often because of job 
* Miscellaneous - gift for boss, flowers for sick co-worker, etc. 

Both women knew about the major expenses, but they were shocked
at how the little things added up week after week; the morning
coffee, the afternoon snack, a dollar here, a dollar there.

They could see their take-home pay... the amount of their check 
after taxes and any other deductions. However, they really needed 
to find out what was left from the take-home pay after all of the 
job-related expenses were added up. 

After careful review, Mindy and Cedara both discovered that after
taxes and all job-related expenses, what they had left as a net
result was less than one-third of their salary!

That means somebody with a salary of $15 per hour would realize a
net result of less than $5 per hour. That shocker really got
their attention. Mindy and Cedara had some decisions to make.

Mindy knew there was little opportunity for advancement in her
position as customer service supervisor. She was often required
to work evenings, which she wasn't comfortable with. She felt the
net result pay was not enough for the long hours she put in.
Mindy decided to stay at home. She would now have the time to
shop the sales and make home-cooked meals instead of buying the
more expensive heat-and-eat meals. With some careful planning she
could make the household budget stretch enough to do just fine.

Cedara liked working in social services and felt she was making a
difference in the lives of many clients. She wanted to continue
working. She took a close look at her expenses and saw ways to
cut back and get a better net result. It was just a matter of
being aware of where the dollars go and spending more wisely. 

Each woman made their decision based on what seemed to be best
for them and their family in the long term.

The portrayal of the family as seen on some old TV shows like
'Leave It To Beaver' and 'Father Knows Best' where the
husband/father puts on a suit and goes off to work while the
wife/mother stays at home is only one of many scenarios.

Side note: I would like to see double standards eliminated, but
unfortunately, I don't think it will happen anytime soon. One
example that comes to mind is that it was okay for women to do
heavy labor during World War II (think of 'Rosie the riveter'), 
but when men returned from the war, women were expected to go 
back to being housewives and file clerks. 

Who says women can't do labor or drive a truck or that a man
shouldn't be at home raising children? Sorry, but prejudice and
narrow-mindedness are a couple of my hot buttons.

Again, it should be emphasized that there is no right or wrong
decision. It comes down to doing what is best for you as an
individual and for the family as a whole. Taking the right action
is not always easy, but usually well worth it in the long term.