I never planned to be a stay-at-home mom, but now that I am, I'll never let money take me by surprise again

I never planned to be a stay-at-home mom, but now that I am, I'll never let money take me by surprise again

Recent highlights:

1. Rachel Morgan Cautero is a fulltime freelance writer who writes on all things personal finance and rewards travel, from retirement savings tips to monetary policy to how to hack a babymoon on points.

2. When I had my first child, my husband enjoyed a full eight weeks of unpaid paternity leave, while I returned to my freelance business just three weeks after giving birth.

3. Recognize that our country's maternity leave is brokenI hate to get political right off the bat, but I think we can all agree that paid family leave in our country is appalling — a burden largely shouldered by new mothers.

4. I made sure my husband and I were on the same page with our monthly budget, contributions to our retirement accounts, and saving for our kids' educations

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