Why I Won't be Working (Just Yet)

I've been getting asked this same question for quite some time. "When are you going back to work?" I realize that most of my readers could care less. In fact, I'm pretty sure most of y'all support me staying at home based on the comments when I announced that I would be staying home. So this really isn't for y'all's sake. This is for mine. As a way to say, "oh you really want to know? Go read this."

Well, the short answer is I'm NOT going back to work anytime soon. Not for at least two and a half more years.

Ainsley is only two. In two and a half more years, she'll be starting Pre-K which of course means FREE as long as we go through the Georgia Lottery Funded Pre-K programs. If I were to back to work before then, well we'd be struggling more than we are now.

Daycare for a 2 year old costs anywhere from $150 to $200 a week depending on where we took her. That's about $600 to $800 a month. Y'all, my rent doesn't even cost that much. My best case scenario for going back to work is after I'm done paying for daycare, I'd have enough to maybe pay my cell phone bill each month. Summary: I'd be working just to pay daycare.

Transportation is an issue. Currently we only have one car. Sure we could make it work with carpooling and things like that depending on where I would find a job. We've done it before. It was also stressful when we did it. Josh's schedule has him going into work at 10 and getting off at 6:30. It worked to get me to work, but not to get me home. I'd rather not think about that right now.

If we were to have another car, car insurance goes up. Y'all, we've already established that I'm broke after paying daycare. Having to pay more in car insurance doesn't make sense right now either. My uncle actually offered my cousin's car (that she's not driving) to me. It'd help out a lot right now, but I had to politely decline. I know what Josh and I can and can't afford (right now especially). Extra car expenses is not something we can afford.

I might not even go back full time. Part time jobs would allow me flexibility to get my kids from school without having to utilize after-school care. This might mean working a weekend or two, but I'll cross that bridge when I get there.

Basically, me going back to work is not right for my family right now. Yes, we're struggling. Yes, we're shuffling bills around. Yes, I'm asking friends and family for help with unexpected life events dealing with the kids, but I know from the bottom of my heart this is what's right for our family. I'm sorry if I sound like a broken record saying this, but I got tired of telling this to family. I'm not about to let our family struggle if it means me going back to work immediately.