Is Going Back to Work Worth It?
Compare how your family’s money could look if you stay home, work on-site, work remotely, or work part-time. Your numbers, your choices — no one-size-fits-all answer.
Private by design: This calculator runs in your browser. It does not submit your financial entries to Henry’s Mama or automatically save them. Other website services may still operate independently.
Start with your whole household
Enter monthly take-home income outside your own job, plus regular household bills that you would pay regardless of your work decision.
Monthly household income
Already take-home amounts only. Don’t include the same income again in a work scenario.
Monthly household expenses
USD / monthEnter your usual family costs here only once. Later, add extra costs caused by each work option.
Keep health insurance premiums separate from other medical costs (such as copays, visits, and medications). Enter only premiums you pay outside the take-home pay already reported. The scenario option can replace insurance premiums, but it will not remove other medical expenses.
Compare four ways of working
Your partner’s income and regular household bills carry over automatically. Enter only what changes between these options.
Plan childcare for each child
Choose a different care arrangement and cost for each child in each scenario. Working from home doesn’t automatically mean free childcare, and staying home can include paid care, too.
Children in your plan
Use labels like “Child 1” rather than names. If you have no childcare costs, choose “No paid childcare” or $0.
Your family, four possible outcomes
Each number below is based on what you entered. Negative balances mean monthly expenses exceed income. This is a money comparison, not a recommendation about what you should do.
A personal story behind this tool
Numbers are only one part of the decision. In Leaving Work for Motherhood: I Would Choose More Time With My Son, I share my own experience of balancing paid work, financial responsibilities, and the desire to spend more time with my child. It’s a personal perspective to read alongside your results.