You Can Afford to Stay Home With Your Kids: A Step-By-Step Guide for Converting Your Family from Two Incomes to One

by Malia McCawley Wyckoff

Offers advice on how to live well on one income and manage finances more successfully, including planning, foresight, and commitment

Genres: Parenting, Nonfiction

189 pages, Paperback

First published June 30, 1999

Reviews

[Didi Delighted · Rating 3 out of 5]

I do not have kids yet, but I wanted to read a book that offers helpful advice on saving money and living off of one income instead of two. Though I feel that I'd prefer to at least have a part time job, this book helped me to see that paying for child care and other work expenses quickly eats up nearly all of the "second income" that the lower paid parent is making. The most useful information in this book (to me) is the chapter that shows the second income and where all the money goes to. Most of the rest of the money saving tips are obvious and I already practice them. (examples: stop buying packaged and processed foods, cut down on take out and restaurant eating, make a budget and stick to it, learn to garden and can, etc) I am glad that I read the book though, and it was a quick read too. The writing is somewhat dated.

[Stine Diamond-owens · Rating 3 out of 5]

Best advice we got starting out was "Learn to live on one income now. Use the other to pay off debt & build up savings." The advice in this book follows suit -It is sound, most of which we have followed from day one. Anyone could benefit. It's also concise & easily/quickly read.

[Rose B · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic and standard. Being home for 6 years now, I use many of the ideas in this book. It's good, not great. Useful if you are just starting out but not a book to buy - you can find these ideas on the net.

[Alexandra Brovco · Rating 3 out of 5]

Note: I am not married, nor do I have a partner or children. I read this book because I read all books that teach you to save/ conserve/ reduce.

The advice is solid but most of it is rather obvious, I think. A lot of it should be done whether you are planning on converting to smaller income or not. I realise this book is a touch old, at least for our fast-paced days, so I understand how back when it's been first published, it must've been particularly useful: Personally, I copied all the recipes for cleaning solutions &c from this book, even though today they're readily available online.

[Amy · Rating 3 out of 5]

This book is a little out of date now, but the information is still useful. However, it is mostly useful to women trying to leave the work force and become stay at home parents full or part time, rather than women like me, who do not have kids yet and are trying to plan financially to be able to stay home with them if/when we have them. The first few chapters on budgeting are somewhat helpful, but there wasn't anything in this book I didn't already know.

[Hayley Brentmar · Rating 2 out of 5]

There were a few useful tips and things that I hadn't though of in this book. But for the most part it seemed to be common sense advice. It also feels a little dated.
My favorite part was the very short conclusion in the end. It was only a couple of pages, but it was an eloquently written bit about the value of being a stay at home parent.

[mRose · Rating 3 out of 5]

Pretty basic and standard. Being home for 6 years now, I use many of the ideas in this book. It's good, not great. Useful if you are just starting out but not a book to buy - you can find these ideas on the net.

[Jessica Strack · Rating 4 out of 5]

This book had some great tips for going from two incomes to one.

[Jessica Grutzmacher · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great tips on reducing debt and expenses. Also includes ideas to organize your house and cleaning solution recipes. Very helpful book.

[Andie · Rating 4 out of 5]

Great book! Helpful whether you are just now thinking about going to one income, or if you are already there.

[M · Rating 4 out of 5]

I wish I had read this before I came home. Good reminders why I did, though, and many "Amen!"s.