Money Mom Podcast
Welcome to The Money Mom Podcast—the ultimate guide for moms who want to take control of their finances, crush debt, and create a life of financial freedom and abundance. Hosted by Rachel Coons, a budgeting expert and mom of three, this podcast is your go-to resource for practical tips, mindset shifts, and empowering strategies to help you manage your money with confidence.
Whether you’re navigating grocery budgets, tackling debt, or dreaming of building wealth for your family, each episode offers bite-sized, actionable advice to make money management simple, stress-free, and even enjoyable. With relatable stories, expert insights, and a dose of mom-to-mom encouragement, you'll learn how to transform your finances—one small step at a time.
Tune in every week to discover how to save more, spend smarter, and feel empowered to create the financial life you deserve. Because when moms thrive financially, families flourish.
Money Mom Podcast
41: The Unseen Salary: Valuing the Unpaid Work of Moms
Imagine a world where your role as a stay-at-home mom is not just acknowledged, but celebrated for its immense value. Discover the powerful impact you make on your family's financial wellbeing, even without a traditional paycheck. As a childcare expert, event planner, and savvy financial manager, your contributions are priceless and vital. This episode is a heartfelt discussion celebrating the multifaceted capabilities of stay-at-home moms, inspired by my own journey to embracing this dynamic role. Whether you are managing a household, tutoring your children, or orchestrating family events, every task is a testament to your worth.
xoxo,
Rachel
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Hey there and welcome back to the Money Mom podcast. I am just sitting down right now to record some podcast episodes and feeling really excited about what's to come in 2025 and what we've got in store for you as a listener and for our community members. I have been my kids went back to school on Monday and I have been deep in the throes of creation mode. We are releasing a bunch of new content inside the Money Mom Club and helping the members with budgeting, family budgeting for the month of January and all of the things that we want to create in the next couple months. So my brain is like on go mode 24-7. And I was just telling Brad last night I was like I am seriously creating for probably like four or five hours a day where I'm like sitting down at my computer to create content, to film content, and he gets home from work, we get the kids to bed and I am just like a zombie on the couch. In fact, the other day, we like to take a walk at the end of the night where we'll go on a walk around. We live on a circle. We'll go around that circle a couple times and two nights ago Brad was like are we going to go on a walk. And I was like, yeah, let's do it, and we usually talk. It's our time to like debrief the day, talk about the week and talk about different things that we're dealing with. And I said, yes, I want to go on this walk, but it has to be a silent walk. And he kind of looks at me and I was like I need to just like turn my brain off for 30 minutes and be in silence. And he was so confused by that. But it really was necessary. For all the work that I'm doing right now, I have to give my brain a break. But, that being said, I am sitting down to record a bunch of episodes because I'm fresh, this is the start of my day and I have a lot of energy to get this content out to you.
Speaker 1:And this specific episode that we're going to talk about is something that I'm really passionate about and doesn't always get the recognition that it deserves, and that is the incredible value of a stay-at-home mom. And I want to jump into this topic, but before I do, I also want to recognize that there are many moms out there who are wonderful moms and doing everything they can, but are working outside of the home. And when I target my audience towards stay-at-home moms, that is not to push away or to neglect the value that a working mom has as well. In fact, I would consider myself a stay-at-home slash work-from-home mom. I have a little bit more flexibility in my schedule, but I definitely am a working mom as well. So this is not. When I say stay-at-home moms, I am not Just because I value what a stay-at-home mom does and I see the value that they have. I also see the value of a working mom value that they have. I also see the value of a working mom.
Speaker 1:But this specific episode we're talking about, even though stay-at-home moms don't bring in an income necessarily they don't have like a paycheck they have monetary value. We're going to talk about the monetary value that a stay-at-home has and I think a lot of times stay-at-home moms question whether they're contributing enough or whether they're doing enough. They feel underappreciated. And so if that is you, this episode is geared for you, because I have been there and I've experienced what it feels like to leave the workforce from making a steady income. You know, every two weeks I'd get my paycheck. Leaving that world to then come and be a mom is extremely valuable. There's so many wonderful things that I chose to do, but when you take away the paycheck, sometimes it leaves you feeling a little bit more empty and not as valued. So we're going to dive in today how much work stay-at-home moms actually do, and what would it cost to outsource all of the jobs that you handle daily, and why you are a powerhouse. You are a magical piece of the puzzle in your family's finances, even if you're not bringing in a paycheck. And just to forewarn you, these numbers are actually going to blow your mind. So grab a drink, grab a blanket, sit down, go on a walk, listen to this and let's get into it.
Speaker 1:Let's start by listing out the roles that moms take on every single day. As a mom, you are a child care provider. You are taking care of all of the children's needs, whatever that is. You are cooking three meals a day most of the time. You are also a housekeeper, so you have to keep your house clean and organized. You are a tutor, so when your kids get home from school in the afternoon, if you're anything like me, I've got three kids in elementary school and I have to sit down with one-on-one with each of them to help them with their homework. That can take an hour or two hours every single afternoon, so you are a specialty tutor. You're also a chauffeur, so you have to drive kids to all activities, to and from school. And you are an event planner. When children have special events like birthdays or playdates, you are planning those for your children and for your family. You are also somewhat of a nurse, where you take care of the health and well-being of your children, whether that's taking them to doctor's appointments or when someone gets hurt, you are there to help them.
Speaker 1:And the last one that we can put a price tag on is you are a financial manager, so you are helping run the money in your household with you and your partner, if you have one, where you are the one primarily, I would say, spending the money and in charge of purchasing the goods of the household. And, honestly, that's just scratching the surface, those roles. And even if you're not a stay-at-home mom, you're probably doing those things as well. On top of that, hey there, I've got something exciting that I wanted to share with you. This week I am hosting a free training about how stay-at-home moms can increase their bank accounts by $1,000 every single month without going out and getting a job. I'm going to share with you my number one method that has saved our community over a million dollars in 2024. It's happening this week, on Wednesday and Thursday, and we're diving deep into how you can take control of your finances, stop living paycheck to paycheck and start building the financial future you've been dreaming about. This training is going to be packed with actionable tips and strategies to help you make real progress, even if you're just starting from scratch. Whether you're struggling with budgeting, paying off debt or figuring out how to save more, this is the place you want to be. So pause right now, head to the link in the show notes and register. It's completely free, but spots are limited. I can't wait to see you there.
Speaker 1:So moms, don't just air quotes, stay home. They don't just sit on the couch and watch TV all day and if you do that, no judgment. That's fine, but for the most part, you are running an entire household and you're navigating multiple people and multiple personalities and multiple needs, which makes it a 24-7 job, without weekends or holidays off. I always tell Brad like you get to come home from work and you're off of work, but I live in my work zone. I don't get to leave it, so you're always on, and that means that there is a value for the work that you do.
Speaker 1:So let's talk numbers. Each year, salarycom calculates the annual salary of a stay-at-home mom based off of the various roles that you fill. And there are some things that stay-at-home moms like to offload as far as helping out with the household. So maybe they have babysitters, or maybe they pay somebody to clean their house, or they purchase meal subscription services, whatever that is. But so you can look at the various roles that you do and calculate that. So in 2023, so this was actually two years ago they estimated that the value of a stay-at-home mom's work is to be over $180,000 per year. That's a lot of money. Think about that. For a second.
Speaker 1:If your family had to hire people to do all the things that you do on a day-to-day basis, it would cost nearly $200,000 a year. Here's how that breaks down, if you're wondering, like how the calculations work. First, child care like a nanny, if you had full-time child care, there'd be about $50,000 a year, depending on where you live. Housekeeping is about $15 to $30 an hour for cleaning services. Cooking if you had a personal chef would be about $25 an hour, and I don't know about you, but I'm in the kitchen at least two hours a day getting meals ready and cleaning up. Driving is about $20 to $25 for transportation services. So if you had to purchase like an Uber or a chauffeur, and then tutoring is $30 to $50 an hour for educational support. So you add up all the hours that you spend doing those things, you can calculate what your value is. And then let's not even forget the on-call status that you have. The middle of the night. Wake-ups, the sick days, the emergencies All of those things, I would say are priceless as a mom as well. And we didn't even calculate the financial planning aspect of this and how valuable that can be as well.
Speaker 1:Stay-at-home moms are huge financial decision makers in the household. Stay-at-home moms are huge financial decision makers in the household. So studies show and this is where I'm like. So this is just like hitting home for why I do what I do but studies show that moms influence 85, 85% of household spending decisions. Think about that for a second. So more than three-fourths of the household spending decisions. You are in charge of Everything from groceries to health care to big ticket items like furniture and cars and those types of things. So, even if you're not earning an income, even if you're not earning an income, you're saving your family money by doing these jobs yourself and, on top of that, managing spending, managing the way that the money goes out of your account so that you can stretch your budget further.
Speaker 1:Here's a fun stat that I love. According to a recent survey, the average mom saves her family over $20,000 a year if she is shopping smart, if she is meal planning and if she is looking for ways to cut back spending. $20,000 a year, that's huge, and that's why when I say we can get you easily $1,000 extra in your bank account every month, it's from this statistic. It's saying that you even $1,000 is low for that statistic. But even if you just honed in on your spending and budgeted correctly, budgeted the right way, you can have a lot of extra money every single month. I also want to hit on the idea that the emotional value of a stay-at-home mom is big too, so your value isn't just financial, it is emotional too. Studies show that children of engaged, present parents tend to have better emotional and academic outcomes. Families with a stay-at-home parent often report lower stress levels for everyone in the household because one person is able to manage the day-to-day logistics. So you are providing a sense of stability, love and connection that can't be quantified. We can't put a price tag on it, because it is invaluable. I want to share a personal story that really reflects this, why I think stay-at-home moms need to step into this power that they have, that they can feel good about the work that they're doing.
Speaker 1:I was at a park with my children one day. This was with my two oldest kids, I hadn't had my two younger ones yet. We were at a park and I was talking to some moms that I had just met at the park and they were all talking about their jobs. They all worked in various places and they asked me what do you do? What is your career? And I've always taught fitness classes, and so I. My answer was oh, I teach fitness classes at the local 24 hour fitness. And that wasn't. It wasn't a big deal. We moved the conversation on. But after that, we move the conversation on. But after that I reflected on that answer and I was like why was I so embarrassed to share that really? I mean, I only teach fitness classes a couple hours a week.
Speaker 1:That is not my career and that's not what I do. What I do is I stay home with my kids. I'm a stay at home mom and I should have been proud. I should have been able to answer that with feeling like no, you guys all work, but I chose to stay home with my kids and that's okay. That's my career and I think it really hits home on.
Speaker 1:Sometimes we don't feel like it's valuable. Despite all that stay-at-home moms do, they often are undervalued Not saying that those women would undervalue my answer, but I think we do that to ourselves. We dismiss ourselves because of that. So let me just say this loud and clear what you do matters. Your work supports everything that your family does their well-being, their finances, their future, their emotional stability and, whether or not you acknowledge it, whether or not society acknowledges it or your friends or family, the impact you have on your home and your children is immeasurable. So here's what I want you to take away from today you are worth so much more than any paycheck could ever show.
Speaker 1:Your contributions to your family, both financial and emotional, are invaluable. This isn't something that I can just say in your ear and tell you how important it is. You have to believe it and you have to step into the idea that there is power in what you do, and a lot of the times, it's saying that and then going and taking action that proves that. So how can you help your family financially in 2025? How can you do the things that make what you do even more valuable and that's why I teach.
Speaker 1:What I teach inside Money Mom Club is because I believe, as a stay-at-home mom, you have a special gift to run the family in a way that is more beneficial to everyone involved and can really change the financial trajectory of your life. If this episode resonated with you and you want to dive a little bit deeper into how you can manage your family's finances a little bit better and feel more empowered in your role, check out my free training. It's happening this week. The details are in the show notes below, but I just want to leave you with the sentiment that you can do anything. You are powerful and I am cheering you on every step of the way. So thank you for everything you do for your family and I'll see you back here next week.
