6 Ways for the Work at Home Mom to Juggle Finances and Family Life

Telecommuting and the number of home businesses are rising all the time. Working out of the home is a great opportunity for moms but how do you manage both the finances and your family? Here are six ways to stay on track.

Set Regular Work Times

Image via Flickr by cogdogblog

Just because you work from home doesn’t mean you can leave you home office constantly for household chores or family duties. You will get a lot more work done if you set home office hours and stick to them.

Let your family, babysitters or nanny know what your work hours are. If they are during the evening hours, ask your spouse to keep the kids at bay.

Have a Financial Discussion with Your Family

Although younger children may not understand the value of a dollar, tweens and teens are able to grasp and understand the importance of saving and spending.

Determine a household budget that includes all income and expenses and review the budget with your family. Initially, your budget should include actual expenses to see if your finances are in the red. Ask each family member to help you decide how to save more each month. Make sure everyone sticks to their fiscal responsibilities. Start a nest egg account, open a money market account or invest in mutual funds with your extra disposable income.

Keep Business and Personal Bank Accounts Separate

It’s important to ensure your business expenses are paid from a home business bank account. Any income you receive from working at home should also be deposited into a dedicated account. Open separate banking accounts for this purpose and don’t comingle funds—even in an emergency.

Make sure you set aside enough money to pay self-employment taxes quarterly when due.

Learn Top Tips from the Experts

There are a plethora of magazines dedicated to working moms that offer tons of tips for managing family and finances—many are available in electronic form. You should also browse the Internet for websites that offer useful ways to help you manage your household.

Get tips from Amerisave’s Blog where you’ll learn all about refinancing your home, how to finance a new home and the various types of mortgage products on the market today along with other money-saving tips.

The more you learn and read, the better prepared you’ll be to handle any financial situation that may arise.

Treat Yourself!

Everyone needs some special time dedicated to something they love. Each month, make sure you choose a day and get a massage, go window shopping, have lunch with friends or form a club of moms to discuss challenges and exchange ideas.

Paying attention to you not only offers relief, it also helps to keep a peaceful mindset.

Spend Time with the Family

Try not to be the work at home mom who throws up her hands and claims work and household chores don’t allow for spending quality time with the family.

Do rely on older children for help with the chores and your spouse for errands and household cleaning or laundry duties. If you try to be Wonder Woman you won’t have time for family events. Enlist the help of your family and explain why you need it.

The secret to being a successful work at home mom that can also manage the finances is employing these six tactics and sticking to the new plan.

Resources:
http://www.sheknows.com/living/articles/1478/juggling-work-and-family
http://www.today.com/id/21213762/ns/today-today_101/t/money-tips-stay-at-home-moms/#.Ubeqhfm1GvM

About the Author
Shaun Chatman is a well published author on many authority sites. He lives in Dunedin, FL, and spends his free time playing with his kids or advising friends on tech, gadgets, finance and travel.