SAHMs can save the economy

[dairyfreelife]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

But women who forego the workplace do help save money in the home. I think it is possible for more families than we think. The following list is how I, personally, feel I save my own family money:

•no gas and car expenses for commuting

•money for buying professional clothing

•less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

•daycare (this is huge)

•medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

•cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

•buying in bulk and freezing food in season

•buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

•packing my husband’s lunch daily

Because obviously you can't do any of those while working as well, like buying in bulk or making meals. :roll:

[docmom]

I guess she learned economics at the SOTDRT. The economy grows when we spend money. Staying at home and saving on gas, groceries, clothes and daycare is taking money out of the economy.

[OkToBeTakei]

But women who forego the workplace do help save money in the home. I think it is possible for more families than we think. The following list is how I, personally, feel I save my own family money:

•no gas and car expenses for commuting

Let's not mention the 15 people gas guzzling thing most god opens my womb people have.

•money for buying professional clothing

I wear a uniform. Why do they always assume people spend thousands on 'work' clothes? Some people do. Some people shop in Primark.

•less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

ALL working Mum's buy convenience food ALWAYS! :roll:

•daycare (this is huge)

At least she did not say evil as well.

•medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

What the ever living f*** is that supposed to mean? I have yet to find a natural method to remove a rancid appendix.

•cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

Oh yes. Sucking the fun out of life.

•buying in bulk and freezing food in season

Yup again. Only SAHM's ever thought to do this.

•buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

Using your car?

•packing my husband’s lunch daily

All I have is :lol:

[lilwriter85]

Not all working moms have their children in daycare. I have known several people whose family members help care for their kids. There are husbands that have work schedules that allow them to care for the kids during the day. There are some men who work from home while caring for kids. One of my friends returned to work recently. She has a 2 year old son and he is being cared for by a retired great aunt. My friend and her husband offered to pay the aunt, but the aunt refused. I have known of other situations in a which an older retired relative takes care of grandchildren or relatives for free.

Some of the other things on the list are dumb. Not all working women spend a lot of money on commuting to work. Some women do ride buses or carpool. Depending on jobs, not all women would have to spend money on professional clothing. You can buy professional clothing at thrift stores or at places like TJ Maxx or Ross for reduced prices. The part about having more time to explore natural health annoyed me because my mother despite working constantly read up on natural health since the 80s. Either way, many people do end up with medical expenses because some things do need to be treated in hospitals or clinics.

[lilwriter85]

But women who forego the workplace do help save money in the home. I think it is possible for more families than we think. The following list is how I, personally, feel I save my own family money:

•no gas and car expenses for commuting

Let's not mention the 15 people gas guzzling thing most god opens my womb people have.

•money for buying professional clothing

I wear a uniform. Why do they always assume people spend thousands on 'work' clothes? Some people do. Some people shop in Primark.

•less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

ALL working Mum's buy convenience food ALWAYS! :roll:

•daycare (this is huge)

At least she did not say evil as well.

•medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

What the ever living f*** is that supposed to mean? I have yet to find a natural method to remove a rancid appendix.

•cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

Oh yes. Sucking the fun out of life.

•buying in bulk and freezing food in season

Yup again. Only SAHM's ever thought to do this.

•buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

Using your car?

•packing my husband’s lunch daily

All I have is :lol:

I was also going to mention that in my post but I forgot. Some workplaces that require uniforms do pay for the uniforms or part of the cost.

[CatsRuleMyLife]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

Because obviously you can't do any of those while working as well, like buying in bulk or making meals. :roll:

I work part time, my son come with me (I run a toddler group and kids music classes - no personal need for daycare, but when I worked as a nurse my daughter went to one!)

I wear normal clothes, no extra expense there, thanks!

I do a lot of research into health, eating healthily, viable alternatives to some medications etc, although am totally for docs and medications if needed. Mind you we have evil socialised medical care here, it's free so I don't have to stress. I happil pay my small, monthly tax contribution to that, I don't have to worry about how we'd pay doctors bills!

I buy in bulk and freeze and shop at our local farm shop.

I don't drive, at all, saves us loads of money, we use public transport.

I love cooking, am good at it, but shock, horror, I actually can work, yet still make good meals for my family and because my husband and son have food allergies we rarely eat junk food/processed foods, it does save some money, I will admit.

I make my husbands lunches, and my own and the kids, it's not just something good SAHM's do, oddly enough....

We love our gadgets but the evil corporate machine my husband has sold his soul to gives us those as part of his job, so we actually spend very little on them!

[salex]

Then of course this.

If more mothers stayed home and left the workplace, it would open up more jobs for men trying to support their families. There are, of course, jobs that are suitable for women in the workplace…such as teaching, nursing, etc. But men can do these jobs as well.

I rarely hear "if women didn't work, there would be jobs for men" but it used to be a common refrain.

I wonder if she has ever read an economics book? :roll:

[lilwriter85]

Then of course this.

I rarely hear "if women didn't work, there would be jobs for men" but it used to be a common refrain.

I wonder if she has ever read an economics book? :roll:

I agree she needs to read an economics book. Even if women didn't work in healthcare as nurses or in schools as teachers, there would still be problems. There are many men who do no want to be nurses or teachers. There are some people have left nursing and healthcare for different reasons. I had a friend whose mother taught science courses at a community college. For a long time, I thought she had always been an instructor, then one day my friend mentioned how her mother had worked as a nurse for a few years but quit because of depression problems. I'm sure there have been men who left nursing. I also know men who have left teaching.

I have seen other fundies make the same argument how there would be more jobs for men if women didn't work and then some fundies have also used the "women should never work" argument. The women who say that stuff are idiots for different reasons. They really fail to see that working women actually keep our society running as best as it can. Women are always going to be need in many occupation fields and some occupation fields don't appeal to all men.

[Wolfie]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

Because obviously you can't do any of those while working as well, like buying in bulk or making meals. :roll:

um, yeah. Because other than the commuting, daycare (I have no children) and packing a husband's lunch (I only have my own to pack), I do all of the above. I work as a teacher, so I can wear my everyday clothes to work since the district I work in is not one where the teachers are required to dress in suits or anything. I buy in season, freeze, prepare meals and buy very little prepared, the medical expense thing makes no sense, as I have insurance, and "natural health" won't work for everything, especially what I've been dealing with this winter. And I do manage to pick up from farms- they want your business and will make time to meet you, and I'm the farm for some of my meat and all of my eggs. And I do it while working!

[Black Aliss]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

But women who forego the workplace do help save money in the home. I think it is possible for more families than we think. The following list is how I, personally, feel I save my own family money:

Hmmm. Trying to map this to my personal reality. . .

no gas and car expenses for commuting

My employer pays for a public transit pass, which I can use anytime, not just for commuting.

money for buying professional clothing

My employer cares more about the quality of my ideas than what I'm wearing. If I'm dressed up at work it's usually because I'm attending an event after work. Also, my casual clothing usually costs more than my grownup clothes. I don't lounge around the house in a schmatta.

less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

Yeah, so do I. In our family "convenience food" is when we heat up the a meal that I cooked in a large batch and froze in single-meal-size containers.

daycare (this is huge)

So? I was a SAHM for a few years. Relied on flex-time as soon as the kids were in school all day. I went to work after dropping the kids off at school and my husband was finished with his work in time to pick them up after school. The answer to not being able to earn enough to make it worthwhile is usually to acquire the skills needed to earn a higher salary.

medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

Employer-paid medical/dental/vision insurance for me and my family keeps us healthy. My employer also makes a matching contribution to my 401K, effectively doubling my retirement savings account.

cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

We don't have any TV channels, or smart phones, and we certainly do watch our budget. You want to preach the gospel of not wasting money on useless cr@p, preach it to your SAH sisters. ahem. Lady Lydia.

buying in bulk and freezing food in season

WTF? Now you've jumped the shark, joyful mother. Why on earth do you think WOH moms can't/don't do this?

buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

I have the flexibility to do just about anything during the work day that needs to be done. But why would I have to buy from a farm when I have my own garden, which provides food for us year 'round.

packing my husband’s lunch daily

My husband packs his own lunch. As do I. As did our children, from age 6 or so.

[Deloris]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

Because obviously you can't do any of those while working as well, like buying in bulk or making meals. :roll:

Exactly.

I work full time and somehow manage to cook 98% of our meals from scratch, grow a huge garden, can and freeze my home grown fruit and veggies in season, and raise chickens for the free range eggs.

I'm a RN and wear scrubs--no expensive work clothes here.

I do drive an Explorer and do go through a lot of miles and gas. When you are a visiting nurse and live in the country there is no way around that--however, my work does re-emburse me for milage. (The Explorer is my husband's choice of vehicle for me--I have to have four wheel drive, and he doesn't want me driving a smaller car as he feels they are less safe. Since he is a former auto mechanic and knows about 100x more about cars than I do, I defer to his wishes when it comes to cars.)

We don't have children, but if/when we do, we've discussed changing our work schedules so that one parent can be home during the day.

And my husband packs his own lunch. I'm not his mom, thank you very much.

[YPestis]

ajoyfulmother.com/2013/02/09/can-stay-at-home-mothers-save-our-economy/

Because obviously you can't do any of those while working as well, like buying in bulk or making meals. :roll:

Let me see now, a SAHM will not have to drive every day, so that may save money. Check. SAHM will not need daycare so big savings there. Check. Everything else? Not seeing it.

First of all, I'm always annoyed at the clothing argument. Staying home doesn't mean you don't WEAR CLOTHES (unless you like going in the nude). You just wear different clothes. It could be PJ's or T-shirts but there is still wear and tear on your clothes which needs to be replaced regularly. Yes, some work clothes can get pricier than home clothes but there are clever ways to be frugal about it. Thrift shopping, buying stuff on clearance, buying clothes which can double as home clothes....there are so many ways to buy cheaply. Plus, not every job requires suits and such. During inpatient months, I spend nothing on clothes and don't even have to wash them. The hospital provides my scrubs and I can change into a clean one before leaving the hospital, tossing the worn on into the hospital laundry.

The buying food argument? Absolutely dumb. My parents both work fulltime, they cook all meals from scratch, and pack their lunches. It never occurred to them to buy lunch or to buy premade Chinese food. They also try to buy fresh produce, not sure why that requires a SAHM parent to do. As for freezing, my parents avoid it when possible because they like their food fresh.

The thing about having an SAHM to keep an eye on expenses? Not sure why it takes a SAHM to do it. My husband lived by himself, owned a home and kept track of his expenses while a medical intern clocking in 80 hr work weeks!

The natural health thing? I don't get that. It's not that hard to read books on maintaining good health. My mom reads books on nutrition and aging well. I know people who read up on healthy cooking. And (I hate to say this as a health care provider) I don't think this transfers to automatic savings in your health care bill. Maintaining good health is important but accidents and illnesses still strike the healthy. You want to save money on medical expenses? Get health insurance.

Now, I'll address the most laughable suggestion: that men would have those wonderful jobs if those foolish women would only leave the workforce. First of all, there's nothing to stop men from getting those jobs. Companies and schools and firms will hire the best person for the job. If your husband wants to be an accountant or lawyer, he has to go through the same hoops as any woman. If your husband does not have a law degree or can't count, he won't get those jobs even if all women were banned from the workplace. Skills don't magically transfer because you have a penis.

I know the writer mentioned some "feminine" jobs were ok, so I figure she's implying it's the better paying, gender-neutral oriented jobs that women should avoid. Well, if a guy is so much smarter and females are so incompetent, then it should be easy for those manly men to compete against us weak females. No women would be able to go head to head with a male for seats in med school, or jobs in law firms, right? Aren't these fundies big on the "pulling yourself up by the bootstraps" mentality? Don't they love competition and merit based hiring? What's so democratic or meritocratic about whining that men can't compete properly when these qualified women are stealing jobs from their deserving husbands?

Anyway, I hate these fundie arguments about why working women is the death of the economy. Their arguments are so juvenile and ignorant it's almost comical. I'm no expert on economics but even I know sending half the population home doesn't solve our recession problem.

[Closed Womb]

There are, of course, jobs that are suitable for women in the workplace...

"suitable for women in the workplace."

"suitable."

Head. Exploding. :angry-steamingears:

[Childless]

1. I live a whopping 3 minute drive from my workplace. I use virtually no gas at all. I also own a used car that is paid off. In the warmer months, I can even walk to work.

2. At my place of employment, we wear jeans (which I'd own regardless of whether or not I worked) and company provided shirts. No clothing expense at all.

3. I make 98% of my families meals also. All while working a 50 hour a week job. It's not that hard to do.

4. No daycare. My husband is home to watch our son.

5. Natural health remedies? Sure, they're good for some things (and despite working a full time job, I know what those things are and am able use the methods when needed). Some things however need actual medical intervention. My being employed provides us with health insurance, so that we can pay for those medical interventions. If she really wants to stump for something in the healthcare industry, she should put her efforts toward universal healthcare. That would do a lot more for people than women not working.

6. This is why you budget and why you decide what's important. We do not have smart phones because we want to have cable. We can't afford both, so we decided what we wanted more and spent our money there. Everyone needs entertainment. Whether that be tv, netflix, video games, outdoor activities, etc. It's a matter of figuring out how much you can spend and what you want to spend it on.

7. We do not buy in bulk and freeze. It's just my husband, myself, and a toddler. Buying in bulk means spending money we don't need to spend. Again, it's more advantageous to look at your lifestyle and decide where to spend money and where to save it. There is no one size fits all.

8. I buy local meat, eggs, and produce. If I cannot get to a farm to buy it, I pick it up at a local health food store. Working does not interfere with my ability to seek out good food. If you want to buy something from a local farmer, trust me, that farmer will make sure to find a mutually acceptable time for pick up or delivery. They want your business.

9. I don't pack my lunch because I don't need to. Living so close to my workplace, I can come home and eat lunch. It's ideal and has the added benefit of getting to spend some time with my son in the middle of the day.

[JMarie]

"suitable for women in the workplace."

"suitable."

Head. Exploding. :angry-steamingears:

Until the day when they're in the hospital and their male nurse needs to insert a catheter. Then they'll decide that men shouldn't be nurses.

[TyleredOne]

First and foremost : I cannot stress how much money we save by my packing my family's school and work lunches. I'm talking 'family of 5 sweet Florida vacation during low season almost every year ' savings. Oh, yeah, and the lunches and drinks are a zillion times healthier. That's a bonus.

I was a SAHM for 18 years, and then I got a job in a factory. I remember coming home each night and telling my hubby how I learned to run a band saw, a table saw, a punch press, a pallet jack, load a semi, etc etc that day. It was EMPOWERING to me. I learned that I can do so much more than I ever imagined, and I can do it well. I'm still learning stuff. A good day at work is worth more than the paycheck sometimes.

I do most of the things that were mentioned, but not the medical stuff. We go to the doctor ,thankyouverymuch.

I'll take her 'buying in bulk' and raise her a 'raise and butcher my own poultry in the backyard'. ( Our birds lead REALLY good lives until that very last second....don't be a hater.)

Guess what ? I don't have a cell phone. Sometimes I feel like a dying breed.

I'm rambling.

What I meant to say was ~Hey asswipe ! You are really arrogant, ignorant and naive and I don't care for you. I think you need to expand your circle of friends. If Heaven is full of folks like you, I'll take my chances in Hell.

[burntnorton]

This nitwit doesn't understand the difference between an economy and a household budget. More people participating in the work force is GOOD for the economy. The main reason the economy didn't contract in the 70s was that women's participation in the labor market exploded after reaching its nadir in the 50s and 60s. Paying for daycare, cars, clothes, even convenience foods, creates jobs. Supply side economics has its limits, but jobs begetting jobs is pretty basic.

[desertvixen]

I rarely hear "if women didn't work, there would be jobs for men" but it used to be a common refrain.

It hasn't come back around, but I think it's due. I really wish these people would get some new arguments.

Funny, I was just reading about how this played out in the Depression, and women were actually not at fault. A shock, I know.

[crawfishgirl]

I am in my 40's, and started working at age 16. I received two degrees, got married, and had two kids while working in my field. However, over a year ago I was laid-off from my job, and decided to take a short break from work and spend more time with my kids, who are still in grade school. Here are my comments regarding her bullet points:

1. gas and commuting expenses: I worked only a few miles away from my house, so this expense was negligible.

2. professional clothing: my office was a casual environment and jeans were acceptable, so I didn't need much formal office attire. I did have a few professional/nicer outfits, but I could also wear them at other times that nicer attire was required, such as weddings, etc.

3. less money on convenience food: actually, I did spend too much money eating out for lunch. I had a really stressful job, and I usually needed to just get out of the office and relax for a while during lunch. Occasionally I would bring my lunch, but not that often. However, many of my co-workers brought their lunches and just ate out on Fridays, so it's really a personal preference issue.

4. daycare: this was a huge expense when my kids were younger.

5. medical expenses: I haven't noticed a change.

6. cutting home expenses: I have cut a few home expenses since I stopped working, such as maid service. However, I have always been frugal, so I didn't spend an exorbitant amount to begin with. I view a cell phone as a safety issue, and I also like having a large selection of TV channels - some shows are just mindless pleasure, while others are educational. My kids love the Animal Planet channel, and my husband likes the Science channel, so we consider it a worthwhile expense. We don't go out that often.

7. buying in bulk and freezing: At this time, I don't, mainly because I don't have the storage capacity. If we ever buy a deep freezer to put in the garage, I may start doing it.

8. buying from farms: I live in a large city, so it's not common here.

9. packing my husband's lunch: he doesn't want me to. He likes to go out for lunch with his co-workers, and doesn't want to give it up. That is his choice.

Overall, I have saved some money by not working outside of the home, but in no way, shape or form does it make up for the lost income. I will eventually be going back to work, just to be able to cover the "extras" like a newer car when ours stops running, saving money for college, etc. - which are really necessities and not luxuries. My family is enjoying my being at home, but we all realize that it is only for a short time, and that I will need to return to the workforce soon.

[znthahmed378]

But women who forego the workplace do help save money in the home. I think it is possible for more families than we think. The following list is how I, personally, feel I save my own family money:

•no gas and car expenses for commuting

Let's not mention the 15 people gas guzzling thing most god opens my womb people have.

•money for buying professional clothing

I wear a uniform. Why do they always assume people spend thousands on 'work' clothes? Some people do. Some people shop in Primark.

•less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

ALL working Mum's buy convenience food ALWAYS! :roll:

•daycare (this is huge)

At least she did not say evil as well.

•medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

What the ever living f*** is that supposed to mean? I have yet to find a natural method to remove a rancid appendix.

•cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

Oh yes. Sucking the fun out of life.

•buying in bulk and freezing food in season

Yup again. Only SAHM's ever thought to do this.

•buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

Using your car?

•packing my husband’s lunch daily

All I have is :lol:

I'm not sure what that means. Can you clarify that for me, please?

[EyeQueue]

•no gas and car expenses for commuting]

I commute, but my work is a 10-minute drive from my home, and I'm also getting ready to bike it more regularly (once the weather gets nicer).

•money for buying professional clothing

Being employed by a public university, the dress code is fairly lax. Business casual, and I rarely make an outlay for clothes. When I do, I shop bargains and love to peruse thrift stores. I also buy quality pieces that last for a long time.

•less money on convenience food as I make 98% of our meals

We cook most of our meals. But, yeah, what others said above: SAHM's never, ever use convenience foods, right? And the ebil working momz always do. Gotcha.

•daycare (this is huge)

Not a concern anymore, but yeah: this is a huge expense. I was fortunate to have my Mom able to take care of my daughter when she was a baby and toddler. Plus, as a university instructor and grad student, when she was a baby/toddler my hours basically totaled up to a part-time job. Of course people like this blogger never consider things like that, right?

•medical expenses, because I have time to explore natural health

My p/t university job offers great benefits for my family, and I'm not about to give them up for the dubious benefits of "natural health."

•cutting home expenses that aren’t necessary (like smart phones, many TV channels, watching the budget, etc)

Working women are perfectly capable of doing this, also. Why does staying at home automatically equal better sense in cutting these types of expenses? I call bullshit. I got rid of my cable TV almost three years ago, and we have a very reasonable smart phone plan.

•buying in bulk and freezing food in season

We make ample use of our farmer's market and our CSA baskets. Again, there's nothing magical about being a SAHM that automatically conveys these benefits. Anyone can do it.

•buying from farms and having the flexibility to pick it up

See above. My CSA delivers right to my work.

•packing my husband’s lunch daily

My partner packs my lunch daily. You see, I'm not only an ebil working womman, but also the primary income-earner in my household. My partner is currently unable to work, but we are able to more than get by on my income. She seems to forget that not every family is led by a headship with a woman to stay at home. Sometimes, it's flipped, or there are other equally valuable combinations.

No offense to any SAHMs out there. I'm totally not knocking the extremely hard and valuable work you do. My comments are solely directed at the type of self-righteous fundie from the original blog referred to.

Edited to fix a quote tag.

[Wolfie]

I'm not sure what that means. Can you clarify that for me, please?

15 passenger van is what she probably means.

I'm pretty sure a short trip in a 15 passenger van uses more gas than a 30 mile trip in my little Yaris. And you know what, I can fit a kid or two in the back of my Yaris.

[jenny_islander]

Yet again, turning personal circumstances into a yoke for everyone else's back. It's true that some couples with children find that their income after expenses is actually higher if only one of them has an outside job. And it's also true that if a heterosexual couple ends up in this situation, the man's job is usually the one that ends up being kept. I'm in this situation. Does that mean that my situation should be every Christian wife's choice? What, who am I, Jesus? :roll:

As it happens, I have a part-time job with flexible hours that pays my personal expenses without costing me a cent in child care and lets me talk to adults without my kids in tow. It works for me. But, again, that doesn't make it a commandment for everybody in my situation.