When we are young and fall in love we can sometimes have too high expectations for ourselves. We would like everything to be perfect. We think of our future together forever and hope that one day we will in fact have a fairy tale wedding and therefore live happily ever after.

For most couples love and marriage can be a fairy tale. Waking up together in morning looking for that first smile of day. This alone can put you on a high pedestal for rest of day. Sharing breakfast together can also be fun. Then when you return home from work and cannot wait to see each other there is so much to tell one another that, without realising it, you are becoming closer and closer to each other. Also, old saying that a problem shared is a problem halved can be so true as your partner may view things in a different light from how you have viewed them. Again, by sharing you are showing you can caring. Hence, a stable relationship is growing all time. Live is such a wonderful thing.

Whoops! Most moms don't seem to be thinking about what being a stay-at-home mom does for her retirement package. The years spent not working have a huge impact, however, when you decide to retire, so you need to plan now.

Let's start by looking at what you're losing for your retirement. No 401(k) with your employer contributing towards it. No pension, although those are getting scarce in most jobs anyhow. Less money available to put towards retirement. You aren't putting money into Social Security, so your benefits will be lower.

Ouch. Being a stay-at-home mom means you lose a lot for your retirement. Socially, stay-at-home mom, as you may already know, is not as valued by most or by our government as working mother. Fortunately, there are steps you can take to prepare for your own retirement. It means more sacrifices, as you'll have to put more money aside, but better to provide your own retirement than be a burden.