Two income trap

[Oma]

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12091111502

Brief Sermon Overview: Dr. Elizabeth Warren from Harvard Law School points out that in 1970, a woman with a 16 year old child was less likely to be in the work force than a mother of a 6 month old today. Yet, families are far more strapped for cash, consumed with far more debt, in higher risk of financial ruin, and under far more stress than they were in 1970. Yet they are paying less for groceries and clothing, adjusted for inflation. So what gives?

Kevin Swanson suggests an even better approach to family finances, than this failing socio-economic system. You do not want to miss the information contained in this insightful program.

[ServantofTruth]

Part of the problem is that many people are not putting this area of their lives into our Lord's hands. Not applying bible principles. Often they say 'I can't' and they are right, but for the wrong reason. We can't by our own strength, but by the strength of God we can!

Whether a woman should work, or even both or one in the couple, again is not the issue - as we see in Proverbs 31 woman. The choices we make in the family must include Jesus Christ as the head. If we are Kingdom people, we will have a positive outlook and not worry. Love SofTy.

[tango]

http://www.sermonaudio.com/sermoninfo.asp?SID=12091111502

Brief Sermon Overview: Dr. Elizabeth Warren from Harvard Law School points out that in 1970, a woman with a 16 year old child was less likely to be in the work force than a mother of a 6 month old today. Yet, families are far more strapped for cash, consumed with far more debt, in higher risk of financial ruin, and under far more stress than they were in 1970. Yet they are paying less for groceries and clothing, adjusted for inflation. So what gives?

Kevin Swanson suggests an even better approach to family finances, than this failing socio-economic system. You do not want to miss the information contained in this insightful program.

The cost of housing alone means that many people find the only way to pay their rent/mortgage and bills is to have both adults working. Of course a lot of people insist on driving a new car and buying lots of consumer doodads on credit which doesn't help.

It can be remarkably liberating to step away from the ratrace and buy things because you need them rather than because the old one has reached an arbitrarily defined age and therefore "must" be replaced.

[steelerbabe]

Here's a newsflash - not everyone has college degree and a high paying job:rolleyes: Have you ever tried living on a "working class" salary? I guess it is selfish to want to eat and have a roof over our heads:o

[ServantofTruth]

Women have always worked, but as we see in Proverbs chapter 31 this takes many forms.

In verse 13 - and with her own hands she gadly makes clothes.

In verse 15 - She gets up before daylight to prepare food for her family.....

In verse 16 - She knows how to buy land and plant a vineyard.

In verse 18 - She knows when to buy and sell, and she stays busy until late at night.

In verse 19 - She spins her own cloth and she helps the poor and the needy.

In verse 22 - She does her own sewing.....

In verse 24 - She makes clothes to sell to the shop keepers.


I doubt she had a degree or a high paid job, or most of these things she could have paid others to do.

I left out her role in supporting her husband in what he did, or the extra child care chores.

I guess the difference these days is that women are working in companies and paying tax etc. But a lot of Proverbs 31 woman still falls on the wife's shoulders, even if she works the same amount of hours as her husband and just as hard while in her paid job.

But I believe there are ways a wife could work less hours, and be more in line with this biblical example, Proverbs 31 woman - by re capturing some of the old skills of cooking, sewing, knitting etc. It is time we promoted some old skills and valued them, rather than belittling women still practicing them. Their own families know the benefits, not least money saving. Love SofTy.

[HisLeast]

I bust my hump so that when babies come, and my wife elects to, she can stay at home and we can get by.

But I'd never ask her to do so, simply because the world needs her. She's a speech & language pathologist working in a pediatric facility. Most of the children she works with are on the autism spectrum, or have other therapeutic needs. Without her care, life would be even more difficult than it already is.

[SeekingWisdom]

Here's a newsflash - not everyone has college degree and a high paying job:rolleyes: Have you ever tried living on a "working class" salary?

Some people have college degrees and still don't have high paying jobs.

Also, re: two incomes vs. one- You don't have to leave the house to bring in income, and in that sense technology has been a blessing in this household.

[ServantofTruth]

You don't have to leave the house to bring in income - most of what Proverbs 31 women did was around the house! What a blessing she was to her husband, children and the whole community. SofTy.

[tango]

You don't have to leave the house to bring in income - most of what Proverbs 31 women did was around the house! What a blessing she was to her husband, children and the whole community. SofTy.

Not only this, but I've known cases where people have been worse off as a result of going to work. In cases where the second income is from a relatively low paid job by the time you pay taxes, the costs of getting to and from work, the cost of maintaining a working wardrobe, costs of childcare, costs of eating lunch at work, the costs of the odd evening out with the team, it's not unheard of for all those costs to add up to more than the salary. And all the while the children are being raised by someone other than their parents.

[Oma]

Not only this, but I've known cases where people have been worse off as a result of going to work. In cases where the second income is from a relatively low paid job by the time you pay taxes, the costs of getting to and from work, the cost of maintaining a working wardrobe, costs of childcare, costs of eating lunch at work, the costs of the odd evening out with the team, it's not unheard of for all those costs to add up to more than the salary. And all the while the children are being raised by someone other than their parents.

Right on!!
Add to that the sheer stress of such a life!! And the ruin of children raised by people that don't share the parents values.
And supposing the wife does make a really good wage, maybe more than her hubby - how does that make him feel?
I believe all that contributes to broken homes.
And if the wife's career does much good in society, she may be able to do some of that privately from home but if not, we have the ask what is more important - her own children of someone elses?
Another thought- now that the economy is bad and folks are losing their jobs - if more married mothers stayed home, their would be more work for the men.

[SeekingWisdom]

And supposing the wife does make a really good wage, maybe more than her hubby - how does that make him feel?

How should it make him feel? More importantly, why does who makes more matter? Some jobs pay more than others, that's a fact of life.


Another thought- now that the economy is bad and folks are losing their jobs - if more married mothers stayed home, their would be more work for the men.

Oh I get it, this is about to turn from an interesting and valid discussion to a sexist one with misquoted scriptures to justify it. No thank you, I am respectfully leaving.

[hdt]

Right on!!
Add to that the sheer stress of such a life!! And the ruin of children raised by people that don't share the parents values.
And supposing the wife does make a really good wage, maybe more than her hubby - how does that make him feel?
I believe all that contributes to broken homes.
And if the wife's career does much good in society, she may be able to do some of that privately from home but if not, we have the ask what is more important - her own children of someone elses?
Another thought- now that the economy is bad and folks are losing their jobs - if more married mothers stayed home, their would be more work for the men.

There is alot of different circumstances in life, and if we were to apply one set of those to everyone...alot of people would get lost in the shuffle.

I personally would not understand a man that would be so insecure within himself to be threatened by women that made more money then he does. :hmm: There is alot more to being a Godly man, and giving in to insecurity like that. I can't even fathom that would be biblical to do either. We are all to fight those insecurities and move beyond that. That is more worldly values he is giving in to. I never could wrap my heart around that type of opinion.

The economy deal? I think to make sure the family stays above water the family needs to work together. If the man is having issues in his field finding work, and a woman can find work - even if temporary until he does - they need to do that. I wouldn't have an issue helping my husband out if the need arose myself.

I think its best to deal with things on an individual level more than throwing the baby out the bath water.:confused

[Toymom]

I had to work until my oldest child was 6 and then I was blessed to be able to stay home with my children. I began working part time last year and my "baby" is now 7 and I will need to go back to work full time next year. I pray that I can find a good job in my field next year. My husband has been laid off from his job, which is a common occurrance nowdays. I am working part time at a dept store and I don't understand how even two people working for that low of a wage can make a living.

I feel blessed that I was able to be a stay at home mom during the years that I was able to. I would like to still be able to stay home and volunteer at their schools and attend the sister's prayer meetings on weekday mornings, but due to the economy, that does not appear to be in my future. I am ok with that. If that is the Lord's will, then I just pray that He gets my husband a new job soon and gets me a good job as well where He wants us to be.

I have learned a lot working at a dept store. At first, I just enjoyed being a peon and not being important and having no stress. I was a little frustrated because some things were being done inefficiently, but it was not my position to tell them that or try to change anything and so I learned to go with the flow and do as I was told and I enjoyed not having to be in charge of anything.
I had to learn to swallow my pride and follow directions from people who are less educated than I am, some of whom think they are important because they are in supervisory positions even though they are not very good at it and I could probably do a better job than they are but I don't want to because I don't wish to make a career out of retail and I don't want to stress out over that sort of thing. I realize that probably sounds prideful and I did see that I can be that way and I think this is something the Lord has been working on in me.
I have been frustrated when I find evidence of theft - why on earth do people feel the need to steal that stuff?
It is not stuff they need, just stuff they want.
I have gotten to know some of the people who I work with and found some dear Christians and many who are in need of Christ. I have been drawn to pray for some of my co-workers and even some of the customers like the pregnant teenager who was looking for maternity clothing and was upset because she coud not find any she liked that would fit and she said that she hates being pregnant.

As a woman and as a mom, I think that whether we work outside of the home or stay home, we have to give ourselves to the Lord that He will work in us and in our situations. Some of us need to work, others just want to work, but whatever the situation, if we are seeking Christ and following Him, He will work in our situations and gain more of us and grow in us.

[steelerbabe]

Toymom - what an excellent post:hug: We have been through a rough year with my husband being laid off from two different jobs:cry: With no family we have gotten into heavy debt just to keep a roof over our heads and food on the table for the our children. My mom use to say, :walk a mile in somone else's shoes before you pass judgment." I work part time but am seeking full time work just to survive. I wish I had the option, but at the present time that isn't possible.

[peaceful bird]

Here's a newsflash - not everyone has college degree and a high paying job:rolleyes: Have you ever tried living on a "working class" salary? I guess it is selfish to want to eat and have a roof over our heads:o
Know I'm tuning in a little late but I definitely agree with this!

[steelerbabe]

I can't believe in this economic climate we are still bashing woman for working outside the home:rolleyes: I heard a couple this morning on Good Morning America lamentating that they were trying to make on $90,000 a year:o My husband is a mechanic and in the eyes of many it is a lowly occupation. Everyone wants to go college and work a white collar job but answer me: Who is going to fix your car, your plumbing, do electrial work if everyone is "college educated"?

[tango]

I can't believe in this economic climate we are still bashing woman for working outside the home:rolleyes: I heard a couple this morning on Good Morning America lamentating that they were trying to make on $90,000 a year:o


The thing is to a couple used to an income higher than that it can be difficult to get by on a relatively low income. I am always amazed at just how rapidly peoples' expenditure rises to soak up all of their income and then some - this truly is the two-income trap that makes it very hard for people to escape it.


My husband is a mechanic and in the eyes of many it is a lowly occupation. Everyone wants to go college and work a white collar job but answer me: Who is going to fix your car, your plumbing, do electrial work if everyone is "college educated"?
Very true, and here in the UK there was a time when plumbers were reported to be able to command significant salaries because they were in short supply. I heard anecdotal evidence of people leaving well paid white collar roles to train as plumbers.

[hdt]

I can understand that as well Tango. You are used to a certain ahem 'livestyle', and its hard to go another one. People do live beyond their means. I have seen that with one or two income families tho!

I remember a lady from years back in another church, and she did stay at home..but she was very irresponsible with money. She refused to help out when it got them into trouble, and they lost at least 2 homes. Her children were older, and I think it would have had a huge impact even if she had got a part time job somewhere. I know her husband pleaded with her to, but she kept using scripture to justify not needing to. :hmm: I felt sorry for the husband and those kids.

I think the key is being financially responsible, living within our means, making sure the household is running as it should, etc.

I truly admired my brother that was widowed, and raised his three sons. He had to work, and he had to raise them. My folks and my family did help of course, but the brunt of it was on him. That daycare system didn't raise those children - he did! People say its different, but I have to shake my head with curiousity over that. They spend time in daycare, but didn't raise his children....other two parent couples doing the same thing? Daycare raised them. Okay then. lol makes no sense to me! I mean which is it? They did or they didn't? :lol:

I see people trying to keep up with the Jones as the saying goes, and I see that with both types of families. One with one income, and those with two. I know in our area its very hard to find reasonable priced housing, and you would have to go all the way to the city and NOT live in a very good neighborhood to do that. That would be acceptable just for the one income defination? I would rather work PT, and have my kids grow up in the better part of town if I could manage that at all!

I guess instead of placing people in groups we should look at the situation. Some are truly doing the best they can, and then you have others that are doing things according to what they want. I think that is another key.

[tango]

Very true, when I see people who are genuinely doing the best they can and struggling just to keep their heads above water it's hard not to want to help. But I see other people who struggle with their mortgage but still somehow find the money for foreign holidays and new cars.

[steelerbabe]

Here is another wrench in the formula: What does one do when faced with unforseen medical bills or a large unexpected bill? I am in debt thousands of dollars due to medical expentidures. When my husband lost his job he lost his insurance as well. Cobra you say, try $950.00 a month to keep coverage and with a monthly income of $1,000 that isn't possible. I understand living within your means but there are peeople who make $40,000 a year before taxes. Try raising a family on that and paying for a house repair, or dental work. Have you seen the cost of food lately. At the present time, I have $25 - 30 dollars a week to feed four people. Again I guess I am selfish because I want to eat at least twice a day and keep my home at 64 degrees. My kids are always cold and half the time have sore throats. Not everyone has it so good.:rolleyes:

[Ashley274]

Here is another wrench in the formula: What does one do when faced with unforseen medical bills or a large unexpected bill? I am in debt thousands of dollars due to medical expentidures. When my husband lost his job he lost his insurance as well. Cobra you say, try $950.00 a month to keep coverage and with a monthly income of $1,000 that isn't possible. I understand living within your means but there are peeople who make $40,000 a year before taxes. Try raising a family on that and paying for a house repair, or dental work. Have you seen the cost of food lately. At the present time, I have $25 - 30 dollars a week to feed four people. Again I guess I am selfish because I want to eat at least twice a day and keep my home at 64 degrees. My kids are always cold and half the time have sore throats. Not everyone has it so good.:rolleyes:


You could try taking in some laundry and also sewing..... ;)

[tango]

Here is another wrench in the formula: What does one do when faced with unforseen medical bills or a large unexpected bill? I am in debt thousands of dollars due to medical expentidures. When my husband lost his job he lost his insurance as well. Cobra you say, try $950.00 a month to keep coverage and with a monthly income of $1,000 that isn't possible. I understand living within your means but there are peeople who make $40,000 a year before taxes. Try raising a family on that and paying for a house repair, or dental work. Have you seen the cost of food lately. At the present time, I have $25 - 30 dollars a week to feed four people. Again I guess I am selfish because I want to eat at least twice a day and keep my home at 64 degrees. My kids are always cold and half the time have sore throats. Not everyone has it so good.:rolleyes:

That's exactly what I'm talking about. I see people who make huge amounts of money and yet still don't manage to put anything by for a rainy day.

I'm not familiar with relative salaries in the US, but guess that if you're raising a family on $40k you're not going to be able to put a whole lot by. If you were making $150k or more and still never managed to put anything by for a rainy day I'd have to wonder why.

I personally know someone who complained she didn't have the money to pay to have a broken tooth fixed, yet a few months later took her family of four on a luxury foreign holiday.

[hdt]

Steelerbabe:

I know what you are talking about, but in different realms. My H has a condition that goes in and out of remission. There are times in which we catch up, and then he gets sick again....and we use the resources we have and fall behind yet again! ;) We don't have vacations, extras and the rest. I'm so sorry about your position. Its hard.

I have to think of the positive side, and hope that the author, etc doesn't take into account situations like we have spoke about.

There are to many senerios to place everyone in a box.

[mrsparks]

The cost of housing alone means that many people find the only way to pay their rent/mortgage and bills is to have both adults working. Of course a lot of people insist on driving a new car and buying lots of consumer doodads on credit which doesn't help.

It can be remarkably liberating to step away from the ratrace and buy things because you need them rather than because the old one has reached an arbitrarily defined age and therefore "must" be replaced.

I'm coming to this discussion way late, but I'm going to jump in. First I want to say that I don't think there's a blanket answer for whether a mom should work. I only worked PT until my youngest was 3 & I'm very happy that I did that. My children are both in school now & I do work FT.

Many families are still able to make it without mom working FT. However, Americans in general are very obsessed with buying things, even when they really can't afford them. (Isn't that how the economy got in such a mess?) Living beneath your means is a foreign concept these days. For some reason my generation seems to think that if you have 2 kids you need a 3000 sq. ft. home & a 7 passenger SUV. I don't understand. Our family of 4 is quite comfortable in a home half that size & we do not own an SUV. My husband has a very good paying blue collar job. (I note that "good paying" is a very relative term, but we live in a low cost of living area as well) It is quite common for the people who work with him to have a very high mortgage payment attached to a big fancy house & 2 new cars, also with high payments. With the recent economy, of course all overtime has been cut & these people are having a hard time making it b/c they were counting on every penny of that OT! Thankfully, my H & I built some wiggle room into our budget. We do not have any new cars & so far we haven't really felt the effects of the recession. PTL! And I pray for Him to continue to keep us.

[mrsparks]

I can't believe in this economic climate we are still bashing woman for working outside the home:rolleyes: I heard a couple this morning on Good Morning America lamentating that they were trying to make on $90,000 a year:o My husband is a mechanic and in the eyes of many it is a lowly occupation. Everyone wants to go college and work a white collar job but answer me: Who is going to fix your car, your plumbing, do electrial work if everyone is "college educated"?

My husband does not work as a mechanic, but can fix cars. I can tell you that's a huge blessing! The only trouble is people don't believe in fixing their old cars anymore. You gotta trade that thing before it hits 100,000 miles, ya know! :B

[mrsparks]

You could try taking in some laundry and also sewing..... ;)

Not everyone can sew...;)

That being said, there is something to be said for having a "hustle" on the side. Cleaning houses, babysitting, mowing lawns, pet sitting, fixing cars, washing cars, etc.

[DaniHansen]

I personally put a well-paying career path on hold because at the end of the day, the stress on myself pulled me away from my kids and made me cranky with my husband, and what's the point of that? There are some things even a great salary cannot make up for. The job when it started, was of God, but there came a point where it had served its purpose, and it was time to walk away. I had to ask myself once again, "who am I working for?" and then I decided to cut my income and work from home instead. More time with my son, we've been homeschooling, and these are years that I would never get back otherwise. And, I am so thankful. A strong home base is so important, no matter how you slice it. Money is so, so very secondary.

God long ago pulled me into getting my priorities straight. I am not opposed to a woman working outside her home, if God opens that door and your economic situation calls for it. We have to be realistic, instead of being full of religious theories and traditions. But at the end of the day, a career should never come before our husbands, childrens and homes.

Really, I think this is an issue that a husband and wife have to hammer out according to their individual situation. Sometimes it's a matter of scaling back our lifestyle and being happy with less, sometimes it's a matter of re-weighing our priorities, there is no one-size-fits-all solution. There are so many working moms that are bellyaching to be home with their children, and simply can't because they really do need that second income to make ends meet. My heart goes out to you ladies in that position, because I have been there and understand how difficult that is. I may be called to head back out to work some time this year myself, but that's God's call, not mine. I simply desire to be where He wants me to be, to be of the best use to my family, and His glory. That's all. :)

[tt1106]

My wife stayed at home many years, and it was a a blessing. She took a minimum wage job at Burger King, although she didn't have to, to offset the cost of our kids field trips and mission trips. What a blessing it is. She is used by Christ daily to minister to the many women who are addicts, uneducated etc.
She is in the mission field now. There is a whole society out there that needs to hear Christ, but won't go to church and won't hear the Gospel at Taco Bell or Burger King.
I am very proud of her for putting pride aside, jumping in with both hands and for answering God's call to ministry.
She is doing what God called her to do. For the past 12 years, that call was to stay at home and raise our daughters, now he is calling her to minister ot a group of women making 7 dollars an hour, addicted to meth or crack and moving from apartment to apartment as they eventually get evicted because they are raising children on their own on less than 20,000 dollars a year.
She is very skilled and intelligent and could get a better paying, more challenging job, but she'd be disobedient.
So I think God calls you to do different things in different seasons. I do agree; however, that we need to be fiscally responsible and not live above our means. If you need two incomes to buy a flat screen, then yes, I think your priorities are not where they should be. if you need two incomes to survive then it's a different case.

PS. I am not labeling flat screens as the root of all evil, nor am I trying to label people that own flat screens as wasteful or not being good stewards.

[EastTexasGal]

Did anyone listen to the "Two Income Trap" broadcast? The comments on this thread about whether women should work outside the home makes me think not.

I think the broadcast (the title was misleading) was more about living on a smaller income, in a country setting where housing is cheaper and having a home based business that the whole family works for including the husband/father.

I think at the time the Proverbs 31 woman was described, her husband was probably working mostly from a home base too. Not in the factory/office setting that we have today. I could be wrong? Anyone care to jump in to discuss?

[Oma]

I think at the time the Proverbs 31 woman was described, her husband was probably working mostly from a home base too. Not in the factory/office setting that we have today. I could be wrong? Anyone care to jump in to discuss?

I agree; if you read the whole passage you can see she wasn't a career woman, but those girdles were made in a home business setting.

She maketh fine linen, and selleth it; and delivereth girdles unto the merchant.
Prov 31:24 (KJV)

[Dragonfighter1]

Not only this, but I've known cases where people have been worse off as a result of going to work. In cases where the second income is from a relatively low paid job by the time you pay taxes, the costs of getting to and from work, the cost of maintaining a working wardrobe, costs of childcare, costs of eating lunch at work, the costs of the odd evening out with the team, it's not unheard of for all those costs to add up to more than the salary. And all the while the children are being raised by someone other than their parents.
When i ran my financial counseling business (Financial Success Inc.) I could do a budget for a working class family and save them more than $500 a month EVERYTIME. About 30% of the time the second job caused them to have less money precisely because of the additional expenses that they were not smart enough to calculate.
I used to have husbands and wives accost me in public and thank me for showing them the numbers without judging them. Almost everyone I can think of improved their life by following the simply 2 hour training session advise I gave them.
Families hemorrhage money out in ways they are unaware of until someone with training has the opportunity to explain things to them. Parents and schools do a very poor job of teaching even basic budget skills!

[Dragonfighter1]

I can't believe in this economic climate we are still bashing woman for working outside the home:rolleyes: I heard a couple this morning on Good Morning America lamentating that they were trying to make on $90,000 a year:o My husband is a mechanic and in the eyes of many it is a lowly occupation. Everyone wants to go college and work a white collar job but answer me: Who is going to fix your car, your plumbing, do electrial work if everyone is "college educated"?
I dont think we are/ they are/ bashing anyone intentionally. Your situation alone makes everyone realize that life brings different responses to everyone.
I actually listened to the recording link in the first post of this thread and the point being made was NOT that women shouldnt work, rather that sometimes it is counter productive.
If I may add sometimes it would be counter productive for the husband to work and the wife to stay home.. for instance a poorly educated or disbaled man may be able to earn only 20k a year yet a healthy or degreed wife perhaps could be earning 80k.. in such a case its easy to see the man should be willing to humble himself (painfull though it is to our egos- and dont forget it really is painful to us) and stay home and learn how to nurture the kids.

Obviously that last paragraph was an illustration so dont be picking it apart anyone... what am trying to do is simply to show that there is no simple answer to the complexity of life.

DF

[DaniHansen]

When i ran my financial counseling business (Financial Success Inc.) I could do a budget for a working class family and save them more than $500 a month EVERYTIME. About 30% of the time the second job caused them to have less money precisely because of the additional expenses that they were not smart enough to calculate.
I used to have husbands and wives accost me in public and thank me for showing them the numbers without judging them. Almost everyone I can think of improved their life by following the simply 2 hour training session advise I gave them.
Families hemorrhage money out in ways they are unaware of until someone with training has the opportunity to explain things to them. Parents and schools do a very poor job of teaching even basic budget skills!

Wise, you are. And right.

When I chose to work from home, my income dropped significantly.

BUT

No childcare expenses, no having to buy clothes suitable for a working environment, no gas driving to and fro, no wear and tear on the car (watch those hidden expenses!), no lunches to buy, no doctor visits due to kids getting sick by being in daycare, being in a lower tax bracket now and so owing less to the IRS, etc. The amount of money it has saved us well makes up for the reduced income. And like I said, there are those non-physical things that can't be expressed by monetary numbers. Sometimes the price is just too high all around. And things add up very, very quickly, and we HAVE TO pay attention to these things.

You really have to keep the bottom line in mind, because what you're making is only that amount you have left after the expenses of being able to keep that job to begin with. Minus taxes and everything.

[Ashley274]

Not everyone can sew...;)

That being said, there is something to be said for having a "hustle" on the side. Cleaning houses, babysitting, mowing lawns, pet sitting, fixing cars, washing cars, etc.


No doubt me either..I can't sew at all.....maybe a button on ... lol... Steelerbabe and a few others know my odd sense of humor and knew I was joking around....but you are right their is merit in adding to one's income that way