I decided to be SAHM/traditional wife last September. My kids are 8, 10, 12 and I turned 40 kind of thinking ‘Is this it?’. Hubby and I both worked full-time and we usually managed a foreign holiday a year and never particularly worried about money; not loaded but certainly not struggling. BUT...I felt like my job took all my mental energy, my enthusiasm, I just felt like by the end of each day/week I didn’t have anything left for the kids, my husband, and me!
A close Mum friend died suddenly in September and I think something in me kind of broke...but in a good way in that whilst I was devastated, it made me realise that I would never be on my death-bed wishing I’d worked more. So I quit. We’ve downsized so our mortgage has reduced from 190k to 80k (I love our new home tho...it’s perfect for us), so that we can get by with only hubby working. We bought a dog so I enjoy walking her, I watch box-sets, go to the gym, read good books, take my time planning our meals and feel like for the first time since my kids were born like I’m not chasing my bloody tail with jobs/deadlines/life admin.....sorry if I sound smug but I am so happy with the decision, and believe me I’ve made some shockers in my time lol.
We can no longer afford foreign travel, and need to be careful for money (it’s made me realise that being time-poor in the past led to us being quite wasteful tbh), but I have TIME and PEACE in my life, and I feel content for the first time in years. For the foreseeable, my family and my own happiness are my priority and I’ll be damned if I waste any more of my life working like a dog to pay for a life that wasn’t making me happy.
P.S gotta clean my own home though now (we always had a cleaner) and man that sucks ass!!!!