tina what kind of machining/installation does your DH do? Sounds interesting!

My DH has always had his own residential remodeling/repair/engineering business operating out of our house - good news/bad news especially when it comes to insurance and time off because if he's not working he's not earning. When our boys were growing up he was around for breakfast and could walk with them to school (when they were very young) frequently although not every day. He was always home for dinner, too. I watched many of my girlfriends operate essentially as single moms till the weekends and sometimes even then since some of the husbands traveled for 7 or more days at a crack. My DH is not usually at home working unless he has a project that requires him to be in his shop. Before we moved 90% of his customers were within a couple of miles of our house. He'd set up for a big project, bring all the tools and equipment needed in his truck. From then on he'd take his bike and our buggger with any small items he might need that day and would often come home for lunch - another good news/bad news because I liked having the house to myself! He did not plan on continuing that business after we moved but intended to ramp up a small side business he's had for 25 years manufacturing a product for new construction and remodeling. Sadly that has proven to require significantly more $$ than he''d hoped so it remains a small side business and he's recreating his other business. I'm hopeful this is temporary because I really don't want him working this hard anymore but we'll have to see. My dad was an entrepreneur as well although his business employed 40 - 50 people, so I've always lived with the business owner mindset and can't compare it to anything else. I've always thought it would be great to have him traveling 3 - 5 days/month - I like to be alone!

Mine is more or less retired, but has a regular volunteer job at a local food pantry. He is therefore at home most of the day, while I am at the office. As he is the one with the most flexibility, he has become a de facto "house husband" (he even calls himself that on occasion) who tends to our household needs (cleaning, laundry, shopping, pet care, house and vehicle maintenance, etc.). It works very well for us, particularly since both sets of aging parents live nearby and he's able to assist them as needed too. We have discussed from time to time him going back to paid work, but we don't need the money that would provide and we think his ability to contribute as he does is of greater value than if he were bringing home a paycheck and we had to share more of the household tasks.

We farm and have our own small construction business, now with our sons, so we all work from home : ) . And until our youngest's recent high school graduation, we home schooled too. It works very well for us, but it's all I've ever known for the past 25 years!

With farming esp we're often at Nature's mercy, but working from home and having our own businesses has allowed us a lot of leeway caring for aging parents, etc. On my own and then with my husband and the kids, we spent a lot of time in the US and abroad when my father was first diagnosed with cancer, then when he died, after he died, then when my mother got sick and then after she died, dealing with the estate, helping to run the business from here, etc. I've often said that if we had worked for someone else, my husband and I would each have been fired several times over.

We've worked for ourselves for over 40 years. DH works from home and his truck (it stays a mess!) At one time we owned two large office buildings, so we had an office there to give him a place to go during the day. I stopped going when we moved out (took almost an hour to get there, another back). So I've been totally working from home all this time (with the exception of going into the office for a few years). He does all the legwork (checking on our commercial real estate properties, leasing, dealings with tenants, problems) and I do all the paperwork (leases, accounting, increases, etc).

I've worked all morning (end of month, first of month) at the kitchen table, in my pajamas. Dogs at my feet. Cats on my paperwork. Can't beat that, especially since it's raining today.

DH leaves daily, although he doesn't need to. He likes to work. He's gone by 4am. Walks, swims, showers. Checks on properties Usually goes to grocery store on way home, and is back here by 10. Sometimes earlier, sometimes later.

We are slowly retiring, and should be fully retired by 2020. DH would like to travel more. Me? I'd rather stay at home.

The only problem is as soon as he comes in the door, the TV is turned on. I like quiet. Especially when I first wake up... okay, all morning! He can't hear as well, so it's too loud for me. I think he gets bored sometimes, so we are trying to decided between pool or no pool, so he can entertain himself a few times a day.

Working from home has always allowed us to make our own schedules. Taking time off for traveling is easy. When our parents were all living, it was extremely helpful. I think it is seen by some (one friend in particular) as being cushy, not much to do, we don't work our a$$es off. Maybe not as many hours as she and her DH (both residential RE agents) do, but we are always in working mode. It never fails on the way out of town or while traveling, we get phone calls. All times of the day. Not to mention, not being able to turn off our minds sometimes.

Not really - he has his own company and spends most of his time there. Sometimes he will hang around the house for a few hours and work from home but he likes going to the office. We have one home office and it's mine. I'm glad he doesn't have his work stuff all over the house. I'll just say he's comfortable with clutter and I'm not.

I thought possibly he could be retiring in the same timeframe as me but that idea is currently off the table. I think that's probably a good thing as adjusting to retirement AND adjusting to both being around the house all the time might be a bit much. Since he's his own boss he has a lot of flexibility to take off when he wants so we should be able to do whatever we want in retirement even if he is not technically retired.

"Since he's his own boss he has a lot of flexibility to take off when
he wants so we should be able to do whatever we want in retirement even
if he is not technically retired." Ditto 3katz!

DLM, I can't even tell you what he machines! LOL!! It's greek to me. One of his biggest customers is a global automotive components manufacturer. He makes alot of parts for them and also modifies some for them. He has a customer that modifies surgical instruments to work better or more comfortably for certain surgeons. The installations - that is usually for a customer who does space management and they've done tool rooms for service departments at auto dealers, various locker/supply rooms for a local hospital and also a casino in NC, etc. He recently designed a frame for a large sign at a new business.

I know what you mean Allison. There are people who need/want help (including my MIL) who think because hubby works at home, he has tons of free time to come help them with whatever. Like he's sitting home waiting for them to call so he can go help. Ha!

As to the dishwasher, well I choose my battles. He doesn't work in the house other than we do have an office in there, but more times than not, you will find him at the table in the breakfast nook. He keeps his stuff picked up. He will take his dishes to the sink, rinse them, but they would never reach the dishwasher if left up to him. I love days when we are both home - even if we are not in the same room. The pup loves it too! She has learned to go to the door leading out to the garage/workshop and bark for him. LOL

DH works from home and his truck (it stays a mess!)

I think I know just what you mean about the truck, Allison!

Are trucks ever meant to be tidy and clean?! There's at least 5 years worth of dog hair etc in DH's!

We had a statuary manufacturing and retail business for years but sold it about 15 years ago. A series of events and he started back up, in a much, much smaller scale, from our home. I have a love/hate relationship with it.

I love that he's at the house-he gets house things done when he's not actively working his statuary and mold making. I have a built in package accepter, service people letter-in-er, animal entertainer, etc. Plus he's really good friends with all our neighbors, most of whom are retired, so he gets all the good gossip and helps to keep an eye out on things.

I hate that he works from home. He comes in the house with his dirty clothes, he brings tools in and sets them down in the kitchen. He has completely taken over the garage, shop, storage shed and half the back yard. My front yard is beautifully landscaped and decorated with personal things I've curated-but his customers think it's a display garden and want to buy my things-including my plants! We don't get a lot of privacy-so if I need to go to the laundry room (in the garage) I always need to make sure I'm fully clothed and my hair brushed because there could be a customer standing in view.

We've discussed getting another shop off site, but we did that for too many years and if we did that, we'd be back to having to WORK the business to make it worth while. He has a few wholesale accounts that he services, and a lot of regulars and casual customers who come by-and he makes the majority of his money on the mold making, the statuary is secondary but more fun for him. If we opened a shop again we'd need to get more wholesale accounts (which we could so easily, he's very much in demand) and go back to hiring staff and he'd work even more hours than he does now. So the idea is that when I retire I'll help him launch what he really wants to do, which is memorial pieces. We won't have customers come visit-it'll all be done on-line or mail order and I might get to regain my space again.