 |
|
|
|
|
seeker
|
 Thu, Jan 26 2023, 12:49 pm
|
Wanting to add for those single moms who work full time because you have no choice - kol hakavod to you. I believe G-d is with your kids and will help you all do ok despite the hardships. I hope that my underlining the hardships doesn't make it feel worse. I'm just talking about IF there's a choice
| |
|
| Back to top |
0 
6 
|
seeker
|
Thu, Jan 26 2023, 2:10 pm
| amother DarkCyan wrote: | This. I’m so happy for you.
If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to know what degree you have that allows you to make that much. |
Not to open a can of worms but as the household is mostly children, you don't need to make THAT much if you stay under the line for state sponsored health insurance and possibly also food benefits. There's another recent thread on this so please move over there for further detail.
Combine that with certain economies of a part time flexible job such as not needing after-school childcare or school vacation camps.
We also lived pretty cheaply, young kids can wear more hand-me-downs than older ones, etc.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
1
|
amother
Narcissus
|
Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:05 pm
| amother OP wrote: | Looking for opinions. I'm a single mom with full custody and no child support. I come from a poor family with no financial support from my parents, and have no savings.
Luckily, I have a degree and can make a middle class income if I work full time. Also, I live in a place with relatively inexpensive housing, and I get free tuition.
I have been working part time for the past few years, getting a small amount of government aid, and have been living decently, I don't feel like my kids or I am missing out, BUT even though real estate is relatively inexpensive in my area, with this part-time income I would never be able to make a down payment for a house.
So my question is, how important is it to buy a house? If I were to work full-time, I could make a down payment in about 5 years, probably a little less. But I'm afraid I'd feel overwhelmed, tired, be a grumpier mom and less available to my kids and enjoy life less. My kids are still little...
Opinions? |
All depends on what your needs/priorities are.
Do you have enough room in your current residence? A yard?
How m any kids and ages?
Make a list of pros and cons of living where you are vs. buying a house, and which you absolutely want/need and then you’ll see which one makes more sense
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
0
|
amother
Diamond
|
Thu, Jan 26 2023, 4:20 pm
You dont have the money for a down payment now - so no point in theorizing what might be.
If you can try to go to work full time & see how it works out, I assume if its not good for you, you could always go back to working part time. Work for a couple of years - if you can, to save up the downpayment. Then you can reevaluate if buying a house is good for you, or if you can afford it. (If its not, you could then invest that money, or buy an investment property in cheaper area etc). Generally, buying a house is a good investment, but costs always go up, utilities, maintenance etc (and life costs go up too) and you don't see any return on your investment until you either sell & move again, or pay off the mortgage. It needs to be a long term plan.
| |
|
| Back to top |
0
0
|
amother
OP
|
Fri, Jan 27 2023, 1:43 am
| amother DarkCyan wrote: | This. I’m so happy for you.
If you feel comfortable sharing, I’d love to know what degree you have that allows you to make that much. |
It's not that my degree makes a lot, the reason I can support myself with part-time is:
I live in a very cheap part of Israel (I don't want to say where, but it's either way up north, way down south, or way past the green line). My kids go to the public religious schools which are are practically free. I'm out of work by the time school ends so I don't pay for the tzaharon, I do pay for a few hours of babysitting a week. I don't pay for healthcare.
I actually don't get much government aid, but I get the same amount that a single mom with my income who lives in Tel Aviv (most expensive city) would get, so it goes a lot further for me.
It's very easy to get clothing for free. I never even asked anyone, but my friends/neighbors with slightly older children will bring me bags of clothing that their children outgrew.
When housing is cheap and tuition and healthcare are free, you can live decently on part-time.
| |
|
| Back to top |
1
3
|
|
Imamother is a community of frum Jewish women, where you can come to relax,
socialize, debate, receive support, ask questions and much more.
© 2023 Imamother.com - All rights reserved
|  |
You are a real inspiration to me and many others here. Your children are still young and need you around. you made the correct decision. Later on down the line you can work longer hours as needed.
