FAO libbymom04 - was Subject: Stay at home mom

"libbymom04" wrote:
. . . My baby is 3 months old now. Well, I can't stand being away from
her, to the point where I get depressed and go into the bathroom and
cry. I do this almost everyday . . . I get so jealous of stay at home moms.
Mom to DD- 03/03/04

Sorry for starting a new thread, Google is having real problems with
your original post.

Anyway, that sounds really awful. You've gotten lots of kind
encouragement about putting your daughter in daycare, but that doesn't
mean it is the right choice for you. You might be able to cut your
expenses to the point where you can quit your paid employment and take
your daughter out of daycare. Of course, I have no idea how much your
DH earns, how much debt you have, or how high the cost of living is
where you are, but I can recommend some resources. Even if you
realize that you are stuck with working right now, you can always
decide to work toward being able to stay at home with your daughter
(and future children?) later. Saving money for the future and living
within your means are very good things. (I am not trying to imply
that you, libbymom04 are not personally doing those things right now,
of course.

misc.consumers.frugal-living is an easy place to start since you
already have usenet access.

The Tightwad Gazette by Amy Dacyczyn is a large book I got from my
local library. It is chock full of big and small ways to save big and
small amounts of money.

Your Money or Your Life: Transforming Your Relationship With Money and
Achieving Financial Independence by Joe Dominguez and Vicki Robin
might help. It's got a lot more philosophy and fewer tips than the
Gazette.

Amazon recommended: Cheap Talk with the Frugal Friends: Over 600 Tips,
Tricks, and Creative Ideas for Saving Money by Angie Zalewski, Deana
Ricks
Frugal Living for Dummies by Deborah Taylor-Hough
Cheapskate Monthly Money Makeover by Mary E. Hunt
Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy
The Complete Cheapskate by Mary E. Hunt (Author), Mary Hunt
How to Save Money Every Day by Ellie Kay
How to Get Out of Debt, Stay Out of Debt, and Live Prosperously by
Jerrold Mundis (Author)
Shop, Save, Share by Ellie Kay
Mary Hunt's Debt-Proof Living by Mary Hunt
Making Twig Furniture & Household Things by Abby Ruoff, et al
Frugal Families by Jonni McCoy
Grandma's Wartime Kitchen by Joanne Lamb Hayes (Author)
Baking Soda by Vicki Lansky, Martha Campbell (Illustrator)
Credit Card Debt by Alexander Daskaloff (Author)
and
The Simple Living Guide by Janet Luhrs

I can't personally review any of them, but you can see, there are a
lot of written resources on this topic! Check some out of your local
library (don't buy! practice thrift!) and see what you think. Maybe
you can make your family work, and work well, on one income.

--
-- Vicki
Married DH May 21, 1995. Ima shel Stoic, born 11/16/99;
Whiny, born at home 5/19/02, and Expected, "due" September 4, 2004.