I recently read Miserly Moms by Jonni McCoy. Even though I’m not a mom, the book gives a lot of great advice for anyone looking to save money on household expenditures. THe book was originally published back in the early 1990’s and apparently the publisher, Bethany House, felt many people would be interested in the valuable information this book offers in light of the recession.

McCoy does a great job of mixing in couponing tips with low-cost recipes and fresh tactics on saving money. One of the topics McCoy touches on throughout the book is the cost of working. At first that may seem like an incorrect statement– don’t you make money by holding down a job? McCoy argues that while you do earn a salary working, there is also a price you pay– and often a big one at that– for having a job. For example, McCoy argues that in order to have a job you pay more in transportation, wardrobe, and child care. Factor in the cost of tolls, parking, gifts for co-workers and occasional housekeeping help and it adds up quickly. She says that you also spend more money eating out because there’s less time to work and you may end up paying more for groceries because you don’t have time to use coupons or shop in multiple stores to take advantage of the best deals.

McCoy says that when she left her job she was able to save her family $595 a month by reducing expenditures in the following categories:

Groceries: Reduced by $250 a month
Not eating out: Reduced by $125 a month
Clothes: Reduced by $75 a month
Haircuts: Reduced by $60 a month
Automobile gas and insurance: Reduced by $50 a month
Medical Insurance: Reduced by $25 a month
Cleaning Supplies: Reduced by $10 a month
Total Reduced Spending: $595 a month

Combine that with the cost of working which McCoy says was $915 per month for her and she saved a total of $1,510 each month by not working. That equals out to $18,120 to not work. So if you’re considering staying at home, or if you’ve been laid off, consider the cost of working as well as the earning potential you have.