How much is a housewife worth?
By miamilady
@miamilady (4910)
United States
December 13, 2008 7:26am CST
I just read a discussion asking the question, "Do you feel strange spending your husbands money on a gift for him"?
It got me thinking about my answer to that question, of course. While thinking about that, I remembered an article that I had heard about. It gives a dollar figure and a description to jobs that a stay at home mom does. I decided to see if I could find the article and share it with other myLotters.
Some of you may have seen or heard of this article, but I figure it couldn't hurt to share it anyway.
http://www.coeinc.org/Articles/HousewifeWorth.pdf
In addition to the fact that we may "save" our families money by staying home with our children. I think another important point to mention is that by staying home with the children, we relieve or spouses of the responsibilities of taking the children to the doctor for checkups and when they are sick, along with the many other things that would cause a working parent to miss time at work. When you don't have these things affecting your career, you are more likely to move up the cooperate ladder. So, in many cases, by having on person willing to stay home, it actually helps the working parent earn more money than he would otherwise be able to earn, if he or she had to share more of the parental responsibilities.
4 people like this
13 responses
@faith210 (11224)
• Philippines
17 Jan 09
Hi miamilady! I have just found this discussion of yours just this time and it really caught my attention. Why? Because i am a housewife. I do everything in our home and aside from the chores, I assist my husband in his business. Wow, this only validate my importance and all those housewives out there. haha..Sometimes, I do feel a little down when I think about all those career women and how much they are earning. haha..Thanks for sharing this. Now, I will have my husband give me my backwages. haha..Just joking! His income go straight to me anyway. lol 
Take care and have a wonderful day!
lovelots..faith210
Take care and have a wonderful day!
lovelots..faith210 @biggerb (2024)
• India
17 Dec 08
I agree with you.I see so many working women having a tough time handling their jobs and not being able to take care of the house and children.The money is there when two people work what about the other areas in a family.A house wife does definately contribute to the well being of the family and as you say helps the working parent earn more as the mind is free to concentrate on your work without worrying about the nitty gritty things at home.
@sahyd2don (2942)
• India
14 Dec 08
Man did you say house wife worth ...she is a humabeing not a thing to be gauged for money........
@krfanlim (232)
• Malaysia
14 Dec 08
O_o That sounds like you're comparing a housewife to a helper.
Nahh, i think she's worthless. The love and affection, and how much she cares for you? It's priceless.
There are some things (such as your wife) money can't buy, but for everything else, there's MasterCard.
@FDBrister (115)
• United States
16 Jan 09
Since we first began living together, when my husband received a paycheck, the first thing he would do is come home and bring the ENTIRE check to me. My husband realizes that without me, he would be nothing. My husband is successful because of me. That's the way it is supposed to be with any wife. A true and good wife causes her husband to excel in everything he does; you can't put a price on that. A wife builds her husband up.
A working person brings home money; a housewife contributes much more than that. A wife maintains an environment of peace, love, and togetherness. A good wife causes her family to be blessed beyond measure; her husband and children are never without clean clothes, a good home, food on the table. No matter what job her husband has, it's the housewife whose job is worth much more than money can pay.
@livewyre (2450)
•
14 Dec 08
I think the modern marriage is a partnership, but because of the cost of housing (at least where I live) it is very difficult to survive on one income. However my wife and I do just that so that she can be there and we don't have to juggle school and child-minders etc...
We are pretty conservative with our spending as a result...but the benefits are very important for us.
You can't really put a value on the sacrifices that both parents make for their children.
For instance I just worked out how much of my salary I get to actually keep and it turns out that the Government get three times as much out of me than I do - the family account gets about twice as much as the Government do, and I would really like to put more in if I could.
I don't begrudge a penny to the family - my attitude towards taxes is somewhat different 
I really wish I could afford to give my wife more money to spend on herself - but the point is not the money is it?
I really wish I could afford to give my wife more money to spend on herself - but the point is not the money is it? 
@Savvynlady (3684)
• United States
13 Dec 08
Priceless, just like that Mastercard commercial says. You do it all, sometimes in addition to a regular job and it's not easy. So to me, I will say priceless. worthless, more than what u can pay, more than the deficit, the bailout, and any other amount you want to name. Amen.
@derek_a (10873)
•
13 Dec 08
My mother was a housewife. Nearly all mothers were when I was a kid. I don't think a price can be put on a housewife. She is always working, cooking, cleaning, looking after the health of the family. My mother was always doing something around the house from the time she to up, to the time she went to bed again.. I can remember her being tired, but not very often - she seemed to have boundless energy especially with me and my sister, who weren't exactly little angels.. :-) Derek
@maia0129 (91)
• Philippines
14 Dec 08
I really don't know the sacrifices parents do not until I have my first child. It's not easy, should others say, to become a parent. One has to sacrifice things that they wanted to do because children are prioritized first more than anything. I should say that both parents, the husband and the wife are priceless. All their deeds can't be equated with all the money in the world. They have given all their precious time to their children and in taking care for their homes and that mind you, time is priceless....
@sumiirajj (1983)
• India
14 Dec 08
Hi friend,After we get married there is no difference in things we both own,it belongs to both.Whether a wife earns or husband earns it is their money and they spend it for their children and family and home.Sacrificing and adjusting makes a family.Without that we should come out of the family and own everything for ourselves.Even if the husbands work is less wife should adjust and if the wife's work is less husband should not consider.It is mutual understanding,love care and affection,which constitute a family.In such a family there is no place atall for husbands money and wife's money.
thanks for sharing.happy mylotting.
@Frederick42 (2024)
• Canada
13 Dec 08
A housewife is worth billions of Dollars.
It is the housewife who makes the home and takes care of the children, thus preparing them for their future in society.
The role of the housewife is very important and should be respected but sad to say, several people criticise the housewife saying that the housewife is not worth anything.
