Just wondering...

[MauiStylinMommy]

For you mommies out there that stay at home with your SN kiddo how do you survive financially? Thinking about staying home with mine but just stressing about finances if I do.

[mandee1503]

Dh makes enough to support us. Plus we qualify for the services he requires now. If we couldn't I'd get a full time job, and my mom would keep the kids.

[jjamom]

I was a SAHM before my DS with SN was born. I quit working when my oldest was almost 2. My DH makes enough money to support our family and luckily has good insurance that covers almost everything my DS needs.

[Mipsy]

Well our sons services, meds, and supplies are covered by dh's insurance and a secondary state insurance. Then we also get SSI. And the rest is all dh.

[darbyakeep45]

My husband is active duty military so the insurance (Tricare Prime & ECHO) cover 100% of Brady's medical needs including therapies), so we're very blessed in that sense!  My husband makes enough money so that we don't depend on a second income to survive so to speak...we honestly waited a while to have a child for that reason...we wanted me to be able to stay at home and not need to work.  We've been married for over 10 years and we had Brady at 6 years of marriage....I always worked before Brady was born, and we just made sure to plan for doing without that extra income once he was born.  It works well for us as I love being home with him...plus if I did work now, we'd have to have full time nursing care for Brady...typical daycares wouldn't work...not to mention he's in 10+ hours of therapy each week plus special ed preschool.  Lots of shuttling him around!

[sayres]

I am a SHM right now. Before our ds was born we lived for a year on my dh's salary and "banked" mine. It gave us a good idea how it would be like to be on one salary.

[Pukalani79]

 One of us has been at home since I was pregnant with our second, so...a little over 9 years we've been single income.  It hasn't always been easy, that's for sure!  Our state has an insurance program that covers any uninsured resident children, so the kids medical needs are taken care of that way.  We made cuts - we don't have cable, we have one vehicle, we use pre-paid cell phones, etc.That's helped us a lot.  It's been interesting at times, and there have been times when I've thought maybe I should go try to find work to supplement, but it's worked out.  You really have to look at need vs want and decide if you're willing to sacrifice some things.  It's not always easy.  I made $18/hr when I quit to stay home, but I can honestly say I have never regretted the decision to be a SAHM.

[lifeisajoy]

I stayed home for a year and now I only work per diem (did not work for pay last month-and month before made not a lot)  Now I always worked and had a career-so I was the bread winner--well due to my health but also I enjoy staying home--Yes we are still struggling (I have medical debt) but we make it--we pray!! and also rearranged and cut and got lower rates on all we could!!  I have always been a coupon saver but now I am a coupon saver and try to find ways for free things--being home allows you to do that (at least some weeks)  

Wish you well on your decision

[Elyssa414]

We worked hard and tag-team parented for 3 years to get my husband through college and into a high paying job, and even with that we make sacrifices, like no cable TV or home phone and very few vacations or new clothes... But it's worth it to us to have me home for our children- especially Elijah

[sammygrl77]

I coupon, make my own laundry soap, meal plan based on sales, cook from scratch as much as possible, cut out eating out, slashed our entertainment budget down to $20 a month. Our tax returns are used for paying bills through the year. When I had to quit working, I used my 401k to pay off our vehicles so that we wouldn't have car payments. We don't go on vacations. I shoo at thrift and discount stores. I try to make due with what we have.

My fil is currently helping us a lot. We have cable and cell phones because of him. He spoils our kids.

[CameronsMommy23]

I'm a SAHM also. My husband's income takes care of everything we need and we have built up some $ in savings over the yrs too. We both agreed with Cam needing therapy and such before he was a school age child that I'd stay home and do therapy, appts, and take care of him. We've never been ok with daycare anyway and I want to be with my kids unless for some reason we needed two incomes. I also had twins 2 yrs ago so now I'm a SAHM for them. Even without the twins having SN's I will be a SAHM till all 3 kids are in school then I'll work full time again. We do have a budget and use coupons and such too.