https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Fri, 01 May 2026 23:36:48 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1288580 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 09:46:18 +0000 Mrs. Pink 1288580@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I mostly wish my husband's job had as great of Medical Benefits as mine-- if I cut back on my spending habits, we'd be perfectly fine without my income or going part time, we'd have a little extra but not a ton-- however hubbys insurance with his work is expensive and sucks. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1288176 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 02:11:18 +0000 however briefly 1288176@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would second @Mrs. Champagne and say use the remaining months as a trial run but would instead recommend to put your entire salary into your car payment every month to get that down as soon as possible. I'm sure once you eventually have that paid off, living off your husband's salary wouldn't be as difficult. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1288169 Wed, 18 Dec 2013 01:46:05 +0000 looch 1288169@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would never wish I made less money! I worked hard and invested a lot of time and money in my education.</p> <p>I was at home for 2 years after the birth of my son. I made 6 figures and it was a difficult transition, but made possible because we had prepared and banked my salary for 3 years prior. I don't look at it as binding at all, but I like my job and working. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285487 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 23:04:10 +0000 Sapphiresun 1285487@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: I feel the same way sometimes. I don't make quite lawyer money, but I have a pretty good paying job that's not in the field I intended to be in as I was repeatedly promoted farther and farther from what I wanted to do. But it's kind of the golden handcuffs, since if I know I'd probably have to take a big step back to redirect.</p> <p>We're in a fortunate position that my salary has always been kind of extra since DH makes enough to cover our day to day expenses, and we've lived on his salary for the last three years to see if it would be possible for me to stay home/build savings but I feel selfish staying home when he's kind of in the same boat as I am that he doesn't really enjoy his job, but it's too much money to walk away from. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285405 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:42:30 +0000 indi 1285405@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We'd do like @Mrs. Champagne: if we were planning to have one of us stay home. Gives you a realistic test run of where you're having trouble controlling spending and a few months to fix it (and a buffer saved up during that time) rather than screwing up when it counts. </p> <p>Unfortunately, I'm like @Mae:, so if anyone ever stays home, it'll be DH. @Weagle: Wise, wise move. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285404 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:42:29 +0000 Mae 1285404@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Weagle: Good job being smarter than I was ;) Golden handcuffs, indeed. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285392 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:34:25 +0000 Weagle 1285392@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mae: Off topic, but this is why I decided against law school, despite my parents begging. I knew I would like the money but hate the work! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285368 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 21:13:43 +0000 californiadreams 1285368@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>i don't think i could ever wish to make less money for any reason. but i feel you on all the reasons you want to go part time. i plan to do the same after my second LO. it will be an adjustment when the time comes, but worth it and one that we are used since we met and married as struggling grad students. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285321 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 20:32:09 +0000 NurseMommy 1285321@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Cherrybee: this, exactly. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1285148 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 18:29:22 +0000 Glitter 1285148@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@cascademom: my workplace is very family unfriendly. We have everything in place to work from home but one is only allowed to if they are too sick to come in. Work/life balance is not a valid reason. </p> <p>@Mae: I'm in a similar boat. I work as an actuary so my pay scale is higher than average but it is an absolute bore and so demanding. I wish I could do something different but I'm qualified to do little else and would have to start from ground zero. </p> <p>@Mrs. Lemon-Lime: I just love the way you stated that and honestly that is a big part of the solution - learning to live more simply.</p> <p>@Mrs. Champagne: baby is due in May. We actually have been discussing living on DHs salary as a trial run, but I must confess part of me really wants to "live it up" now while we still have my income available. Perhaps we'll try it from January.</p> <p>@Cherrybee: girl! I know. I spent the last decade being all career oriented and it has paid off... But now there is this other "cost" to a successful career. It is so binding. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284939 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 16:38:24 +0000 Cherrybee 1284939@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>YES! </p> <p>I have to go back full time because I'm the main breadwinner in the house. There is no other option - we need my full time income. I really, really wish I hadn't worked so hard in my career, I wish I had decided to work on the lipstick counter at the local supermarket or something, then we wouldn't rely on my income and I could stay with my baby..... :sad: </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284763 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:23:57 +0000 Mrs. Champagne 1284763@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>How long before your baby is born? I'm going to be a SAHM when ours arrives in March, so we've been living without my income to prepare. It's given us a ton of extra savings and won't be a shock when March comes around. Good luck! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284703 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 15:04:31 +0000 bhbee 1284703@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know what you mean. @mrs. lemon-lime said something that struck me - living below your means. we were basically forced into that. when we got married we were both making decent money and didn't think too much about spending. right before our wedding hubs got laid off and for 2 years I was the primary breadwinner (he did on and off contract work before getting a full-time position). we lived completely on my income, learned to cut back, and saved anything he made contracting.<br /> he only got the full-time gig when I was 6 months pregnant. so by then we knew to just keep living on one income and save the rest. I took a 4-month maternity leave and then went back part-time and again, we save most of what I bring in so the transition wasn't too bad.<br /> staying home entirely would still be rough though as we're at the point where the next cuts, even though not huge, would be a painful change. we are hoping hubs will get a new job with a pay increase by the time we have #2 so that I can stay home at our current lifestyle.<br /> it's funny, I would never have wished for hubs to be out of work for so long, but it really helped us get it together financially and learn to work together on it, and made the kids transition easier. silver linings! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284583 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:27:25 +0000 Mrs. Lemon-Lime 1284583@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I look at this a bit differently. I wish we were more content living more simply. Either one of our incomes seprately is higher than the average American household income, yet we need both of our incomes to cover all of our monthly expenses.</p> <p>When my dad lost his job our family lifestyle didn't change. My mom out earned him anyway, but more importantly my parents always lived below their means. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284576 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:25:23 +0000 avivoca 1284576@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We don't depend on my income, but without it things would be extremely tight. I would love to SAH, but we wouldn't be able to get out and do the things we love. I'm going back in two weeks (sob!) but we've agreed to reevaluate things in a couple of months if it isn't working for us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284552 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:16:02 +0000 Alivoo01 1284552@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yes and no, but mainly no. We have what we have now based on our dual income and are where we are because of it. I like where we're at. I only hope to improve. Don't get me wrong, I'd love nothing more than to be a SAHM. I'm missing out on my LO's milestones and I miss him tons during the day, but I have to think of DS's future and what my income can do for him now and later. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284549 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:15:49 +0000 Vegmama 1284549@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I feel for you!! I wish my husband made less &amp; didn't need his job. He's finishing up his last year before he can be a licensed architect. After he's completed his hours, he can quit &amp; work from home. </p> <p>I've been trying to hire him for years (I run a design studio at home, and would LOVE to work with him), but he's SOOO close to his certification that it feels wrong for him to quit working now. </p> <p>I just wish we weren't so dependent on our jobs!! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284525 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:08:33 +0000 artsyfartsy 1284525@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I get what you're saying but if I made less money it would be illegal. I'm barely above minimum wage. I think we could manage it without my pay but it would be a struggle! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284517 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:05:48 +0000 Modern Daisy 1284517@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yup! My base salary is actually higher than DH's so it's REALLY hard for us to imagine me staying home. He actually makes more since he gets a sizeable bonus as part of his comp, but the monthly income is what we depend on and make our budget on so it would mean cutting it by more than half :( </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284516 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:05:47 +0000 LuLu Mom 1284516@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I agree, I think that if I made less money the idea of cutting out my income would be less scary (or possible, but it is not at this point.) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284510 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:03:52 +0000 cascademom 1284510@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Could you work from home to cut down on the commute? Working from home has been hugely helpful with work/life balance as well as events or plans. This Friday, both DH and I are working from home, picking up LO, and then going to the airport for our trip. I'm fortunate enough to work from home 1-2 days a week, 3 if something comes up. Flexibility has been key to working and parenting. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284508 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 14:03:25 +0000 Mae 1284508@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I often wish I made less money. Sort of. The issues is I'm a lawyer. So I make lawyer money. But I don't like being a lawyer and I want to do something else but I'm not qualified to do anything else that makes lawyer money, so switching careers and making less money feels selfish. I often feel like I'd have so many more options if I only made like, 30k, because there are tons of jobs I could do and make that. </p> <p>(But then at the same time I'm grateful for our income and what it affords us. And I'm grateful that I went to law school and made amazing friends. So I'm not really sure I'd change anything even if I could. But I get the feeling…) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284481 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:59:18 +0000 Beyond2 1284481@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I know exactly how you are feeling! I was the breadwinner while I was working, but we were set on one parent being home with our kids. DH didn't think he'd be good at it and it has always been my dream to be a SAHM so we cut our income by 65% in order for me to be the SAHP. Had my income been lower, it would have made the decision SO much less stressful. We've had to make HUGE cut backs but 1.5 years in we're both really happy with the decision and now that we're used to it, we don't feel like we're sacrificing all the time. It was so hard to send in my resignation letter and I made spreadsheet after spreadsheet to try to convince myself that we'd be ok. Although things always seemed a bit scary on paper, they work in real life. We still manage to save a bit and cover all of our bills. Thankfully going into it we didn't have any debt, but if we did that's where our savings money would go first- to pay it down. We just prefer to save first and buy after, but to each their own! I think if you are both on board with having a stay at home parent you can definitely make it work. It's a tough choice to make though! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284478 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:58:44 +0000 septca 1284478@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I make roughly the same salary and there is zero chance we could get by on one income with our current lifestyle. When I was pregnant, I was quite saddened by this - I didn't *think* I wanted to be a SAHM, but I hated the fact that it wouldn't even be an option. Living on one salary would require huge lifestyle and geographic changes that I don't want to make.</p> <p>But then DD was born and as much as I love her, I now *know* I am not cut out to be a SAHM. So I try to think about the salary issue as a positive because it allows me to feel like a fully equal partner in our home. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284467 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:57:13 +0000 blackbird 1284467@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Part time will be a smoother transition than you think, more than likely. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284453 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:54:18 +0000 MamaMoose 1284453@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I sometimes wish my husband made less money so I didn't have to feel guilt about not being a stay at home mom. We could easily survive on just his salary, but things like savings and discretionary income would go down. We like having two incomes, but sometimes I feel like people judge me for not staying at home when I easily could. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/i-wish-i-made-less-money#post-1284441 Mon, 16 Dec 2013 13:51:31 +0000 Glitter 1284441@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Nope, I am by no means wealthy. What I really mean is, I wish we did not depend on my income so much, or at all. DH and I have decided that I will either work part-time at my current company (if I'm allowed to) or no-time after baby is born. I work for 9 hours daily with a 1.5 hr commute each way per day (minimum). So that's at least 12 hours out of the house each day. It has not been working with just us two and definitely won't work when baby arrives! </p> <p>I would love to be a SAHM at least for the early years and it may be possible, but it would require some MAJOR cutbacks. I feel like if we had become used to managing without the dependency on my income, then that transition would be smooth. We have a mortgage and a car loan and it will be very, very tight to manage everything on DH's salary alone.</p> <p>Anyone else ever wished they made less money so that the transition to SAHM (or other arrangement) would feel smoother? </p>