One of the first things you have to figure out when you realize that you want to stay home with your kids is whether or not you can afford to do so. You are probably used to living on two incomes, so making the switch to a single income may not be easy. However, it may not be as hard as you think.
If you have children already, the first thing that goes away when you decide to stay at home is the cost of daycare. However, if you work at home, part of that cost may remain, unless your work is such that you can keep the children home with you. Take a look at how much of your income right now is going to daycare. That cost alone may prove to you that you dont need a high-paying work at home job to stay home a simpler one may suffice.
There are several other costs that will drop if you stay at home. Youll be in a different tax bracket. Youll probably drive less, eat out less often and you wont need clothes for work, which can save both on shopping and on dry cleaning bills.
When youre figuring out how much it costs you to work outside the home, dont assume that becoming a stay at home or work at home parent will cause you to stop eating out. You will have those...