...flexibility is the key for me, too. I started this when my now HS Junior started preschool. We are fortunate enough to be able to be a one income family, so MS allowed for spending money, extras (dance, t-ball, etc), dinners out. Now, as she goes to school 40 minutes drive away it allows me to schedule work around her school schedule and near her school. It has also allowed me to spend time with my daughter as her GS leader, field trip driver, etc. I also do mostly gas station audits so it pays for my gas expenses as well as the increased oil changes. Plus, as she is very involved in extracurricular activities and does not yet drive, I can earn some money instead of sitting around while waiting for whatever she's involved in to finish. Since I can offset the extra driving expenses I'm more likely to say "yes" (wait, that might not actually be a good thing). It also covers the extra costs of the "extras" as she gets older. Gas Station audits are also plentiful so, for instance, when picking up from camp across the state, I've more than offset those costs, too. It also allows me to be involved with an internationally competitive Sweet Adelines Chorus and pays those expenses, too. Up until the kiddo started preschool it was pretty simple to make things work with one income, however once preschool started and those expenses began to ramp up (and we could see it snowballing since we've chosen not to go the public school route) the stress also began to build. Honestly, finding MS was the best thing for our family that could have happened. It's also given me a work history so when I eventually return to the corporate world once the kiddo starts college hopefully it will make things easier.
Edited 1 time(s). Last edit at 10/19/2019 01:51AM by KarenMSW.