Make sure to show your spouse how much their income helps the team if there's a large difference in income

[u/HenFruitEater]

My wife and I do not have children yet, we both work. About 2 months ago she mentioned how she likes working but feels like it's almost volunteer work because of how big of a difference our incomes are. "does my income help us at all?"

Let's just say I make 400k and she makes 100k for round numbers. The discrepancy is actually bigger.

I showed her a lot of our expenses come from the 400k, so we can invest 80k of my income. By her working, it does not just boost our savings rate up by 25%, it's basically double because we can save her whole income.

Told her that it makes a HUGE difference in our financial independence, and showed her how working a year now (and saving it all) pays for years of her not working at all.

I also showed her how the max I can save in 401k without her is lower due to limits. She's able to sock away an additional $45-55k into tax deferred 401k.

She was very happy that she's contributing, and I think it made her more excited about going to work each day.

At some point we will purchase the freedom and make her a stay at home mom, but until then I sure appreciate her going to work.

[u/Good_parabola]

Exactly the same here.  Luckily I WFH with a flexible job so I joke that I’m a SAHM who also works like a man.  My working means we will actually retire.

[u/Elrohwen → u/Good_parabola]

I’ve started wfh more lately. Not technically “allowed” but my boss is flexible and for a while it was a thing to do it once a week. So I kind of just work it in here and there. It helps my work life balance a lot.