But If My Wife Homeschools Our Kids, We’ll Lose Our Second Income

God has blessed me with a great job, and my wife has never needed to work outside the home since we’ve been married. However, a lot of families depend on two incomes. If you decide to homeschool your kids, can you really afford to become a single-income family?

Objection #4

If My Wife Homeschools Our Kids, We’ll Lose Our Second Income

The fact that there are single-parent homes today that homeschool should alert us to the fact that it is more than possible to work and homeschool at the same time. How? Because the amount of time a child needs hands-on instruction is typically only 2-4 hours a day (depending on the child’s age and the model of education you’re using). The rest of the time, children can work on projects or reading on their own. For many parents, this leaves plenty of time to hold down a part-time or even a full-time job at the same time. 

New Priorities and Cutting Costs

For many parents who have considered homeschooling, the shift in lifestyle signals for them a reexamination of many other priorities in life, including finances.

Money questions are a matter of income and expenses. If a wife stops earning and income out of the home, how much money will her family lose? Now consider what expenses they will also eliminate in the process. Need for a second vehicle? Need for a second cell phone? Childcare costs? Paying higher taxes? Cost of gas? These are expenses you incur as a dual income family.

Families also find ways to save money by reexamining their lifestyle.

• They learn how to budget – Instead of spending money impulsively, they make a plan and stick to it. They keep track of what they spend and look for easy things to cut.
• They learn how to get out of debt and stay out – There are many helpful tutorials out there about how to do this effectively, like Total Money Makeover and Crown Financial.
• They eat healthier and menu plan – Instead of a Starbucks Carmel Macchiato and eating fast food, they focus on plain coffee and cooking nutritious meals at home. They end up saving money in groceries and are healthier as a result.
• They buy in bulk – Many companies give free shipping and cheaper products when you buy in bulk online.
• They pack lunches for work – People can save hundreds a year doing this.
• They learn how to travel cheaply – They use websites like Travelocity, Hotwire, Expedia, and Orbitz to get cheaper hotel rates and plane tickets. They buy package deals and find coupon codes to save money.
• They use the library – Many libraries not only loan books, but DVDs, CDs, audiobooks, and even toys.
• They get prepaid phones or ditch their landline.
• They get into Mystery Shopping – Not only do they get free meals and goods, but some mystery shopping opportunities will pay you a small wage.
• They grow some of their own food – Gardening is good exercise, cheap, and makes good food.
• They ditch cable – Not only do they waste less time in front of the TV, but they get their movie and TV fix other places: Netflix, Redbox, and HDTV antennas.
• They find online incentive programs – Use daily deal sites, MyPoints, Swagbucks, Ebates, and Groupon.
• They buy used clothes – They come to love thrift stores, consignment shops, garage sales, ThredUp, Like Twice, and clothing swaps.
• They learn how to find coupon codes (like RetailMeNot).
• They take advantage of credit card promotions – They make normal purchases with credit cards that get them points, cash back, and miles.

Even if losing income means a lower standard of living, many families decide that the benefits of homeschooling are worth it.

(Here’s a simple calculator to help you determine whether you could feasibly stay at home.)

Making Money from Home

For the homeschooling parents (usually the mom), there are creative ways that people can make money from home. With a computer, a phone, and a reliable Internet connection, there are many possibilities.

• Freelancing writing (you can find jobs at ProBlogger, FWJ, BloggingPro, and many other places; there are many markets that pay well)
• Freelance translation (we recommend TranslatorsCafé and ProZ to find jobs)
• Transcription (medical transcription may require a little training, but there are non-medical transcriptionists as well)
• Make your home office a virtual call center (companies like LiveOps or ACD Direct)
• Graphic design work (if you have the experience and skill)
• Virtual assistant work (being a VA includes helping out bloggers, Internet marketers, and online businesses)
• Selling stuff on Etsy
• Become a Lilla Rose consultant
• Event planning (weddings, parties, community events, etc.)
• At-home telemarketing
• Childcare out of the home
• Selling photos online
• Online tutoring (such as InstaEDU or Tutor.com)

What Money Can’t Buy

Upon further examination, many parents find that a second source of income is actually costing them something more valuable: time with their children. The decision to homeschool and do away with the second job is as much about building relationships with their kids as it is about education.

My Other Objections to Homeschooling

Objection #1: Does homeschooling really give children a quality education? Does it prepare them for college? For the world?

Objection #2: Is my wife really qualified as an educator? Can she really teach our child every subject?

Objection #4: I don’t want my child growing up without good social experiences.

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Read more of our Homeschooling 101 Series!