Does it pay for both parents to work when the
kids arrive or for one to stay home?
Well, lifestyle issues aside, there's clearly no right or
wrong answer -- but it does pay to do the math, says Andy Dappen, author of Shattering the Two-Income Myth.
Some of his numbers are a bit dated for this economy, but the exercise is certainly worthwhile, maintains one stay-at-home mom, who blogs at On One Income, and concludes that the few extra dollars just weren't worth it.
When considering whether two paycheques will
pay off, you have to figure out how much of the lower earner's salary
will be eaten by dual-income expenses.
For instance, the "working tax"
on a second income includes childcare costs, work-related expenses, lost
perks, and additional household costs. You may also find yourself in a
higher tax bracket where you end up giving the government a bigger
percentage of your overall family income.