Husband Going to School. How to Make Things Easier.

I don't know about stay at home jobs, but I get the daycare dilemma...it's just not cost effective sometimes...I can tell you what I do...

I work as a Baker at my local grocery store. I work very PT. The downside is I have to wake up so early, but you get used to it!

When I work M-F, I only work from 4a-8a...that way I am home in time to help get my kids off to school/preschool and be there to watch the baby before the hubby has to go to work.

During the weekend I can work a full 8 hr. shift...and I make an extra $2 an hour when I work on Sunday...I usually work a 5a-1:30p.

I also get a 20% employee discount on food, which is great and helps a lot...and being an employee, We always get the heads up when the really good deals come up!

We just did it for the last two years, my hubby graduated this summer.
I work full time and my entire income went for rent and daycare, we paid for our food expenses from financial aid for the last year (he worked PT before)and we also got some childcare assistance (small amount but everything helps!) from his university.
We were extremely conservative with our spending. No going out, shopping once a week, no new clothes for us etc... we lived in a 700 sqft rental home.
We even cut back on daycare hours and hubby watched our daughter whenever he was not in class (for example I would go to work at 7 and he dropped baby of at daycare at 9 before his class...saved $10/day, $50 per week, $200 per month - if you are lucky enough to find a daycare that charges hourly).
My husband picked up hours at his old job (we were so lucky they didn't want to let him go) whenever he could, during school breaks and summer for example.

The whole thing was rough on our marriage, he had to study very hard and in my opinion he didn't really help very much at home... but he did really well, got a job right out of school and now I am going back to school next year. It was absolutely worth it for us and he is a lot happier now, than he was working a dead end job without a degree.

It's doable, but frankly I don't see that it could be done without you returning tob work or taking on an exorbitant amount of student loans.
Make SURE that you apply for financial aid!
Good luck.

You may be able to get a job at a Mother's Day out at a church. Generally your kids can go for half tuition....so you don't make a lot of money, but it could go towards groceries or gas.

Have your husband check into the State Guard...if it is similar to the Texas State Guard then they pay for school after 6 months. It is strictly volunteer. Drill is once a month and four days a year they go for training (they are paid for this and most jobs allow 15 days military leave so his job may pay him also). When they are deployed it is only within the state and it is usually to help with disaster relief. My husband was deployed once during the summer to help with a hurricane in South Texas. They do not deploy him during the school year so that he doesn't miss school. if you want more info just PM me and if he is really interested I can have my husband find out who to contact in your state.

Good luck....we are in the same boat!

Updated

You may be able to get a job at a Mother's Day out at a church. Generally your kids can go for half tuition....so you don't make a lot of money, but it could go towards groceries or gas.

Have your husband check into the State Guard...if it is similar to the Texas State Guard then they pay for school after 6 months. It is strictly volunteer. Drill is once a month and four days a year they go for training (they are paid for this and most jobs allow 15 days military leave so his job may pay him also). When they are deployed it is only within the state and it is usually to help with disaster relief. My husband was deployed once during the summer to help with a hurricane in South Texas. They do not deploy him during the school year so that he doesn't miss school. if you want more info just PM me and if he is really interested I can have my husband find out who to contact in your state.

Good luck....we are in the same boat!

Doesn't your Husband's university offer online courses???

My Husband, works full-time AND goes to school. He works a day job... and goes to school around that.... either online courses of on-campus courses (for which he then goes to class with his employer's approval during work hours).

If he then goes to work during they day... then he'd need to get a night job.

Or, you can do babysitting, in your home... and get extra income that way.

all the best,
Susan

You may consider offering after school or day care from your home.

What are some of the things you really love to do? Do you like to bake, sew, crochet, knit, make jewelry? Can you put your natural talents to work to make money for you? Holidays are right around the corner, I have a cousin that bakes fresh loaves of bread and rolls. I know another woman that bakes cakes and pies for some local restaurants. One of the girls at the church sells accessories from the back of her truck (hand bags, socks, necklaces, earrings, etc.). I'm about to sell small electronics (MP3 players, video cameras, and digital camera's) online. Really sit down and think of some of the things you love or are really good at and see if there is a market for those talents.

See if you can get a job at a daycare center... kids go with you for a reduced rate!

The other thing I would strongly suggest (because we had a very hard time finding someone) is place an add on Craig's List offering yourself as a "personal assistant". We were willing to pay up to $30/hour to have someone run errands, clean the house, do laundry, start dinner, etc. We found someone who has been a lifesaver! She's with us 7 hrs/ week and we are fine with her bringing her daughter with her when she needs to.

This may be tough with two little ones, but you could probably find a daycare for the kids for 5- half days a week and still end up making money if you had 2 or 3 families.

You could also wait tables at night... it's not glamorous, but it's cash and your hours could be "opposite" his.