Is it ever a better financial choice to be a stay-at-home mom? Aren't two incomes always better than one? Today we talk about the top insights from "The Two Income Trap" by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi, both powerhouse working mothers who detail why the post 1980s era has been worse for the average family's finances. Basically, the fixed costs in a family's budget have increased while the income gains have been nonexistent, which means that even with two parents working its harder to get by. And what happens when one of the working spouses loses a job? Many times it's falling off a financial cliff, leaning on credit cards and assuming bankruptcy.
But what if you could make it work on one income and a spouse stays home? Then, in the case of an emergency, you could switch childcare and working roles to tide you over. Although this is becoming less and less feasible, with proper planning and alignment in financial goals and values, having a stay at home mom can be the ultimate insurance policy.
The Two Income Trap by Elizabeth Warren and Amelia Warren Tyagi
Statistics on the share of household chores and childcare by Fatherhood.org
Sen. Warren to Wells Fargo CEO on Youtube