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After a Baby, Full Time or Part?
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Vossler took what she called a significant pay cut for her job as an in-house counsel. But she also had additional day-care expenses for her second child, hoisting the bill from $16,000 to about $30,000 a year. She and her husband have been talking about cutting back on their 401(k) contributions to have a little more cash on hand.
The family is also sacrificing short-term goals, such as taking big vacations, to stay on pace with retirement savings. Instead of buying trendy luxuries, they apply their money to house renovations and do much of the work themselves.
"We're focusing ourselves to stay within a budget," she said. That means shopping at BJ's, buying on sale and going to consignment shows for children's clothes and toys.
Stretching a dollar wasn't new for Julia Gordon or her husband, which made it easier for her to start working part time as a public interest lawyer in the District. "I work in a really low-paid field as an attorney, and my husband doesn't make a very high salary, either," said Gordon, 44.
They are pros at budgeting and have been able to survive because they bought their house in 2001 (an easier market). They take inexpensive vacations, entertain at home, and drive 10-year-old cars that are fully paid for.
One thing they do spend on is a house-cleaner every two weeks. "I think of that as something we might have to spend on marriage counseling otherwise," Gordon said.
If you decide to cut back your hours, it doesn't mean your schedule is fixed for the remainder of your career.
My Sam is at that age when he's thrilled to see his babysitter walk in the door, and he squeals with delight when his 8-month-old friend, Charlotte, with whom he shares the nanny, shows up in the mornings. But this morning, for the first time, he cried and held his arms up as my husband and I said goodbye. My heart is in my throat just thinking about it. But for now, this schedule works for us. In a few years, the situation may be different.
"There's no perfect solution," Lippmann said. "When you have a baby, you kind of have to throw all of your preconceived notions of what you want out of your life out the window. . . . In terms of career, you don't know what your priorities will be until you're in it." She added that she was surprised at how much she wanted to be with her baby. "I take it one step at time. I feel like what I'm doing is trying not to worry about the long term and be happy right now."
