What minimum salary allows for you to be a *comfortable* stay at home mom where you live?

I know this is dependent on where you live, how many kids you have, lifestyle, debt, but I’m just curious a rough amount that people are actually comfortable on. My husband makes about $100k and it’s *barely* enough to just get by where we live. We have basically no debt, no car payments, just mortgage and normal expenses. We don’t go on vacations. We don’t frivolously shop. But it still feels so hard. We can’t really up and move somewhere more affordable because this is where all of our family is. Feeling so overwhelmed.
Like
Share Mobile
Share
  • Share

Show your support

We makes together 170k and is super hard honestly where do u live?

@Noelle I know I’m hearing from girls in my area that it takes at least $200k. I have a friend in Long Island they make $200k and say it’s still barely enough and they wanna move but that’s where all their family is. It’s crazy how you can get priced out of living where you grew up

We’re hoping to be able to do this after my maternity leave ends in June hoping just under 200k is enough for us to do it vs. doing the daycare route😭

Sometimes it be the taxes and long island used to be affordable back in the day but now its just as expensive as nyc

I understand wanting to stay close to family but sometimes moving is the best choice ☹️ we planning to move 2 hours away

I’m a SAHM in Denver, he makes a 115k salary and it’s not comfortable I’d say but it’s workable. We’re going to be moving to a more rural area within the next year to have a more comfortable lifestyle. I’d like to have a little more money for exploring, kids activities, traveling, out to eat, etc.

@Autumn I’m starting to think we may have to do the same. At $100k we’re not comfortable by any means, but we have a roof over our head so feel terrible complaining. I just don’t want to move because we have all of our family and friends here. 😢 If we move we may be more comfortable financially but then we’ll be lonely and that seems worse. 😭

We’re in the same boat! Both of my sisters are here in Denver and I honestly love this city so i don’t want to leave but we’re planning on buying a home soon and it’s just so unaffordable here. We’re paying 2300 a month for a small condo here, money that could get us a 4bd house with a yard somewhere else 😅

@Brooke my husband is trying to get to that range so we have a shot at staying near our family. 😭 It’s crazy how $100k is basically nothing now. Too much to get any help whatsoever, but not enough to afford more than the bare minimum. What does your husband do?

@Autumn Yep this was us last year. Our rent was $2,300 so we ended up buying a house. Our mortgage is $3,000 but at least we own a house now. And even at a $3k mortgage we live in the CHEAPEST house in the entire area.

We're under 75k a year, in WA, and idk what you'd consider comfortable, but we make it work, and we have more than the bare minimum. You don't really need much imo

I have a higher paying job than my husband… I told him i would love for him to be a stay at home dad however I also know if he had a gap on his resume it would be way harder for him to get a job if he ever needed one… we are in CA Bay Area.. I think honestly it would need to be over 250k+ and even then it’s risky ..

@Lindsey can i be your stay at home husband 😚😚

@Noelle Forreal 🤣

@Margo Yes comfortable is definitely different to everyone. To me when I say COMFORTABLE I’m talking being able to afford all bills, savings, retirement/investment, owning not renting, not using credit cards to stay afloat, and have enough $ leftover to take 1 small vacation a year, go out to eat a few times/month, and not be stressed out if I need to buy a little something for myself/the kids/holidays/birthdays. 🩷

Try today for free
Scan the QR code and join the app
to connect with women at a similar stage in life.
Download Peanut to connect with women at a similar stage in life.

StarStarStarStarStar-Half

Trusted by 5M+ women

Logo
Try today for free
Scan the QR code and join the app
to connect with women at a similar stage in life.
Download Peanut to connect with women at a similar stage in life.

StarStarStarStarStar-Half

Trusted by 5M+ women

Logo

Our combined income is under that, and we're just getting by 🫠 if my husband made 100k by himself I think it would work

@Melissa I wish I could convince my whole family to move to the Midwest or somewhere more affordable 😩 I know a $100k salary would be great in other areas. But then the problem is he’d have to find a new job and then do those areas pay that much? Idk

Me and my husband made around $140k collectively and we couldn’t afford to give up one of those jobs - we don’t have car payment but we both have a little Credit card debt (less then 2k) that we work on. The cost of daycare is so high where we live in Colorado, that I plan to keep my remote job and ‘juggle’ parenting. I honestly don’t know how people do it on one salary

Usually whete cost of living is lower, income is also lower unfortunately. But it really depends on his field.

My husband I think makes about 75k and we make it work

@Noelle girl 🤣😉

Read more on Peanut
Trending in our community