I was just thinking about the modern world and how hard it really is to keep a family or a relationship going today. We have money pressure that keep couples on separate tracks, your wife has to leave home drive 50 miles to some office park and once inside is dealing with folks that you don't know, who knows maybe she is having one of those workplace relationships and you don't know about it. Well this applies both ways readers so don't get upset ladies. But the point I want to make is that a couple now is apart more than together so how do two people take care of each other when they are never together that much One good thing about being a webmaster is that when you become a $ucce$$ at it you can sit on your arse at home with your mate 24/7 instead of running off to the office (construction site in my case many times) and leaving your mate and kids running wild. What do you think
We're doing without things to have us home more. I took a huge cut in income to start this up, I mean huge. She works 3 days a week. The kids are honor students and we eat pretty good. We just aint driving new cars. It's a matter of priorities. If it's two people and it don't matter that's one thing, but with kids, they come first. 2 cents...cha-ching
If you can hang in there long enough and do a good job, the sites will provide more in the end than your job could have, it is just a matter of keeping them up until that day comes and pay your bills at the same time
We're doing it the other way 'round. Web earnings are up past $125k/yr and I haven't quit my day job yet. That's planned for this year. But... uhh... I sort of like my day job. Wow though... is she grumpy about the travel. So we're thinking Belize, because hey, if you re going to work from home, why make your home in the snow belt?
My husband and I do focus on having time with each other. It helps in some ways that I work at home, but with both an at-home job and a business, sometimes it's hard to sit down together. Thank goodness the business should soon let me quit the job, which will help a lot. He only has about a 5 minute commute to work at a not so great job, but it brings money in. Next business goal is to earn enough to bring him home. Right now, with a nearly 3 year old and an infant, it's especially hard. It's going to stay that way a while because it looks like Gage (the baby) will have to have surgery on his head. We're in the process of getting it diagnosed now, but it's almost definite already. That won't be for another couple months now, but it's very, very hard to think about. It also means weekly followup appointments for a year, so lots of stress for my husband and I, but we are very supportive of each other.
Anthony - GREAT POST! My wife is a 'stay at home mom', and with three children (4yrs, 2yrs, and 3mos) she HAS a full time job Since financially we are working upward from the bottom, anything we do that creates revenue (internet revenue - new concept for me; bare with me) is a step forward out of the ghetto that we currently call home. but for me (being a fledgling) the investment of time/resources is just barely beginning to return a benefit. This forum has been a sort of epiphany. Sorry for the dramatic terminology but it reflects the awe that I am in, as I read some of the revenue #'s you guys are experiencing. I have until recently been happy to review my accounts and see that through hours of selling and developing custom ebay seller solutions and designing websites I have made a couple of hundred dollars here and there. (Of course as a designer the joy of participating in a creative process has to be taken into account, as I love to do it. But the revenue is paultry compared to the time invested.) Here I thought breaking the 4 digit monthly income from 'sidework' was the cresting bud of success. I am at once crushed and inspired. Life is all about perspective, and you guys have contributed to changing mine. Some might see a fellow in my position as barely a blip on the radar, but I see it as having no where to go but UP!
Look at it this way, you are ahead of a lot of other new members, plus some old ones too, so hang in there
steph - my last post crossed over yours I have 3 children myself 4 yr, 2yr, and 3mos old and although we've never faced surgery, we have experienced several similar stress creating circumstances. I feel for you. Its good that you've 'got each others back' as they say. Just wanted to say I understand the stress you guys are facing and my thoughts (and dare I say prayers) are with you guys.
We were able to make the change about 3 years ago. I came home full time. We ran the business on the side for about 4 years, my wife would handle the calls while I was at work. She was also homeschooling a few kids back then. Now we have a larger home, so I have an office, currently I should say, but since we had number six I am being kicked out to the garage where I need to build an office. My wife homeschools the kids 15, 12, 10, 7, and 5 and the baby of course, does take up some time. I hide in the cave for about 8 hours, but I do come out a few times. Even though our income has dropped this last year (mostly due to losing the best supplier who closed when the owner almost died.) we are still doing ok, but I have created some debt to get by the last year. And Steph I hope your baby's surgery goes perfect and things improve.
Steph i'm sorry to hear that....i hope everything goes well. I haven't worked outside the house in a few months. When i became pregnant, i moved in with my now husband, which was two hours away from where I was, so I had to quit my job. While I have been doing freelance work, etc from home, plus attending grad school full time now, I have to say i miss being out of the house. I do not plan on going back to work for a little while, but I do not want a full time job from home. I love my husband to death, but quite frankly i miss outside socialization.
Life is hard for everyone it seems, keep on working hard guys, it ain't getting any easier for any of us. Ain't nothing easy, ain't nothing cheap
I have no experience to answer this question. I have no serious relationship or serious job. I have all those joys yet to look forward to. I think this world is just going majorly down hill. I hate the way I feel like we are living in a rat race. It's all go go go, no one ever stops to smell the roses. Everything is about money and earning a living in order to survive. I fairly recently went to a remote part of France, and life there is how I feel it should be (...yet never will be) ...They have siesta's every day, they eat good and live relaxed, not so many troubles, not so much greed. The children played happily in the street, the wives all cooked together whilst drinking chardonay and picking at the food between laughter. The men were sat outside on a light Summer's night with a cold beer watching the world go by... Some People say that money doesn't matter, but it does. It effects everything in life, even right down to your relationship. I think keeping a 'Happy' relationship is so much harder nowadays than it used to be. There are so many more rocky fractions thrown into the equation and love cannot conquer all. Mad props for anyone that accomplishes this successfully. I hope someday I can too. (sorry i totally went off topic and shit but ah well..)
Great post Mella, I think that is what is missing is the community in most folks lives today, back in the old days folks used to live like you just pictured and it is a better life, no doubt. I watched a show on TV and it was about this little town in Greece where folks from New York City went to retire so they could give back the old ways to their children and it was great for the kids to learn the old ways too. Family and community is missing in modern life, no doubt, but don't leave home without your Gold Card folks, because their ain't no family or community in the big city if you have no money. PS: Gota love the Google Adsense ads for this thread, sort of like the Jerry Springer show
I'm an IT consultant with NSAi. I'm travelling 80% these days. This is not making Alexandra happy. I'm good with it. I like to go places and build things.
80% is a hell of a lot. At the end of the day what is more important..family and your wife or your job? People say there is no choice. But there is always a choice. I would rather be worse off financially and have a close family than be rich and somewhat lonlier. But if you love your job, then what can you do...