: I've been a stay at home mom for three years. With the increasing cost of childcare, is it worth it to go back to work?

: Your concern on this matter is most certainly valid. Whether you should go back to work or not is a difficult decision. While you should consult with your family, only you can know whether this is the right move for you. Just be sure that your decision is an educated one.

For starters, remember there are other factors to consider besides money when thinking about a return to the work force. Being able to utilize skills you most likely worked hard to acquire is often beneficial to your self-esteem. In many cases, a woman is a better mother as a result of working outside the home. She returns home each day with a sense of fulfillment, not to mention more thrilled than ever to see her much-missed little ones.

If you are considering working strictly for financial reasons, then making this choice will require you to grab a pen and paper and crunch the numbers. Many women don't realize the reality of what they're actually taking home after they deduct childcare expenses and work-outside-the home expenses. Go ahead and add up the monthly expenses that would be avoided if you continued to stay home. Consider childcare, transportation to and from the office, purchasing (and dry-cleaning) work-appropriate clothing, and meals bought outside the home. Now deduct this number from your monthly salary. (If you haven't found a job yet, approximate what you're likely to make.) Evaluate what your net financial contribution to the family will be. If it's lower than you expected, it might not be worth the significant time you would be putting in at your job. On the other hand, you might be more than satisfied with the number. If that's the case, and you are ready to return to the workforce, then by all means, go for it!

And of course, there's always the option of letting dad take your place at home for a while!

Ellie Kay is a national speaker, financial expert, and the best-selling author of eight books, including her most recent release, The Debt Diet [0]. She is the mother of five and makes here home in Palmdale, California.

[2]	The Debt Diet: An Easy-to-follow Plan To Shed Debt And Trim Spending [3]asin: 0764200011

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