Life’s Little Luxuries No More

When both parents work from home, reality changes. Some things get quite a bit harder. Little things that we took for granted are no longer possible.

• When we want to take time off, there is no vacation pay. If we get sick, there is no sick pay. We can’t take time off unless we are caught up, and financially ahead.
• Home is no longer the place where you do not have to worry about work. Work is part of every moment, there, filtering its way through your day.
• Hobbies have to be replaced with work tasks. There isn’t time to paint, or read very much for recreation, or to watch movies, or indulge in other time wasters. Those pastimes have to give way to paying endeavors. A lot of those are fun, so it isn’t pure drudgery, but we still have to choose wisely.

Daily decisions are different.  We have to choose for business and family, and somehow balance the two. Sometimes we can’t do things we’d like, because we are self-employed. Kevin cannot go to Scout Camp with Alex and Erik this year. There is no way we can afford for him to take a week off. With a deadline looming, I had to choose carefully before going to a women’s church luncheon today. It is just the reality of balancing live where the time you put in, or do NOT put in, affects your ability to meet payroll a week later.

It is easy to take some things for granted when you are employed by someone else. That equation changes when you are solely responsible for every bit you earn though.

It isn’t all bad. By making extraordinary sacrifices now, we are building something better. And the rewards are purely wonderful. I’d go into detail, only I don’t want my site to be banned by family friendly websites! In between all the work, there is good interaction with the family, and working with our clients is purely a joy.

Working from home IS a lot about what you give up. But it is equally about what you gain. Benefits that I’d not trade for anything!