Comment Response

To my previous post:

"Although I do think that motherhood could be one of the best things a woman could do, and not want to work, however, the decision of not wanting to work is a bit difficult.

What i meant was that with the rising costs of living and expenses, unless the man did earn enough, and the family could survive on the man's single paycheck, that would be fantastic.

But I guess its hard to say till one is actually married with kids to actually put that notion to the test."


Actually, I don't agree. For a few reasons:

1. Most of the 'second income' goes on taxes (about a 1/3, more in some cases), a lot more goes on childcare, and then you have extra work expenses - clothes, buying food out, transport, ordering food in because you're too tired to cook... etc. Some poeple actually LOSE MONEY by having both adults working - and in some cases that's without child care expenses.

2. We're rich. Really we are. Very few of us have ever really worried about where we will get our next meal. We just don't. I lived on $100 a week for over 6 months, probably closer to a year. It wasn't exactly easy, but it was do-able. And I could have supported someone else with that kind of money, or a little more, because most expenses don't go up per person. In many cases, they go down. (It's a lot easier to cook for two or three as to one.)

3. If you really want something, you'll make sacrifices for it. In the Western world those 'sacrifices' are things like not having a flash car, or in my case, not being able to buy all the books I want. Boo hoo. Most people don't REALLY want to have someone stay home.

The truth is, money isn't the issue. It's the fact that we don't want it enough. We'd rather have our stuff. And if you want the stuff, or you'd rather work because you like the work, that's your business. But don't pretend that that isn't your reason.


(Obviously there are exceptions, but believe me, these are exceptions. You probably aren't it).