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Houseparent Expenses
caring4kids Apr 29 2006, 06:23 AM Post #1
Since housing, utilities & food are taken care of for houseparents, what is
left to use the income on? I know there are things like personal hygiene,
clothes, personal vehicle/gas expenses, etc. But, we have to take care of those
now with the major expenses on the income we get now from my husband's job
(which seems to be about the same as alot of houseparenting positions). Are
there any other expenses (major or minor)??? I want a good life for the house
children, but I want to make sure my birth children have a good life also.
putkidsfirst Apr 29 2006, 10:16 AM Post #2
Well, you ask a good question and make me feel a little guilty for spending the
kind of money that I do. My wife and I own a 2005 Chrysler Crossfire and a 1997
Chevy Blazer. Payments on those are very high (especially the Crossfire). Other
places we spend money is on food. Yes, we can eat here but I am a very picky
eater and my wife uses the Atkins diet so we end up buying our own groceries
most of the time. (But we do eat with the kids!) I am talking about lunch (when
kids are in school) or other times when the kids aren't here, etc.
I also pay for high speed internet on my computer. I have to use satalite
because the house we are in won't carry the cable connection. It's sickeningly
expensive and I may drop it. I also have Direct TV hooked up in my apartment.
We have a nice plasma TV and I want a high def signal with as many channels as
I can get (especially sports).
When we are off duty we like to try and go OUT. Since we are so often shut up
in this house or on this campus we have a strong desire to go somewhere and do
something entertaining so we tend to spend a nice ammount of cash on
entertainment. This also happens on our vacations, we like to take NICE ones.
But, if you are disciplined, don't need a new car, don't need to buy your own
food (especially this one!!!), and don't need other "nice" things, you can save
a TON of money, especially where I work. As for the kids in the house, we get a
budget (on a credit/debit card) to take care of them with. I do spend small
ammounts of my personal money on them from time to time but it's nothing much
and certainly not enough to worry about.
webmaster Apr 30 2006, 01:55 PM Post #3
My race is on rain delay so I will take time to answer this question now
instead of later.
Besides our house that we keep, most of our other income goes to our children.
School, clothing, orthodontic work, camp, birthdays, Christmas, etc. My 6th
grade daughter wants to go to Norway as an exchange student when she is a Jr,
so we are now saving for that.
We travel on vacation once a year, I have an old Pick-up and small fishing
boat, a 2005 Dodge Grand Caravan, a retirement account and a savings account.
Compared to most of society we live a somewhat modest lifestyle
We do spend a good amount on the children in our cottage. I have a payroll
deduction that goes into a special fund for cottage activities. I also spend
close to $200 a month for cottage stuff like Lunchables for field trips,
gatorade for field days and sports events, as well as special groceries that we
are unable to get from the food service people. We have some kids that really
enjoy steak and shrimp; I can't afford to take them out and the kitchen won't
provide it, so I buy the groceries and cook it at the cottage occasionally.
I will also spring for pizza every now and then and have been known to purchase
a DVD or two a month for our cottage movie library.
The savings in being able to eat at the home, use their hot water and
electricity, burn their gasoline, and washing with their shampoo, soap, laundry
detergent and toothpaste makes a huge difference in what we are able to spend
our salary on or not spend on and save. I don't mind using the cheap stuff, but
others do and will by their own stuff.
I have also known many houseparents that don't pay anything out of their
pockets for cottage expenses, which is their choice as well as houseparents
that spend a bunch more than we do, you just have to make your choice.
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