Are you a stay-at-home mom or dad? While you may think you don’t financially contribute anything to the household income, this is far from the truth.
Have you ever thought about what all you, as a stay-at-home parent, contribute to the household? How much money you don’t spend every year by staying at home with the kid(s)?
Well, it’s significant!
Think about all the things you might do in a day such as watch your kid(s) by yourself while your spouse is working, clean the house, run errands, cook dinner, pay bills, help with homework, drive the kids to school, and maybe you even have a job that allows you to work from home on top of all that!
See for yourself all that you contribute:
- Full time child care costs can run high these days. According to care.com the U.S “average” cost for one toddler, in full-time day care, is “approximately $600.00 per month.” This adds up to $7,200 per year.
- Do you clean for your household weekly? According to CBSNews.com, the average cost for a personal housekeeper is $300-$500 per week. This could potentially add up to $6,000 per year.
- Are you the head chef of your house? According to CBSNews.com the approx. cost could be up to $400 a week for 4-5 meals for a family of four (includes buying meals and preparing catered meals). $400 a week for a year? That is roughly $20,800!!!
- Help your kid(s) with homework weekly? “Expect to pay $10 to $15 per hour for a high school student, and up to $75 per hour for a certified teacher with experience” for a tutor, according to care.com. Therefore, for 2 hours of tutoring per week for your high school student it could add up to roughly $1,560 a year.
- Do you take care of all the admin work at home? Bill paying, budgeting, planning and keeping the household in order? Hiring a personal assistant to do that for a family can run as much as $20,000 to $25,000 a year according to CBSnews.com.
All of these costs could add up to an average of over $60,000 per year!
These are only a few expenses your spouse might need to cover in the untimely event of a stay-at-home parent’s passing. While life insurance may not be the most joyous topic to discuss with your spouse- it is a necessary topic to discuss thoughtfully.
Protect your family. Let both you and your spouse breathe easy knowing things will be covered if something were to happen.
For more information on low-cost life insurance options for Military families, call an AAFMAA Member Coordinator today at 1-877-398-2263 or visit aafmaa.com.
Kara is a Marine spouse and marketing guru passing along helpful tips and resources that have helped her!
