Stay at home and do OS?

kunekune

How secure is your OH's job? If you stopped your job, would it be relatively easy to get another one?

What would worry me about giving up work would be whether I could get another job should my income suddenly become necessary because OH wasn't working. I work in an area where jobs are few and far between, people stay in the same job for years and moving jobs means upping sticks and relocating. Recently, I've had reason to be really grateful I stayed in the job market after having children, because OH is both facing possible redundancy and has been diagnosed with Parkinsons, which means that he probably won't be able to keep working till 65. Fortunately, I earn enough to keep the family.

Caterina

Dear Hollysan,

How impressive serendipity is! Everytime I am about to post something, someone else does it for me - I am you! I am in the very same situation as you are, same sort of earning, same aspirations, same ways of cutting costs (including the cleaner - that's a painful decision but worth in the long term I think!).

I hope you will take the plunge and go for it, as an accountant you will always be able to find some other work if you find that staying at home is not for you. Especially if you are willing to work for not-so-good money as you say you are at the moment.

The only reason I am not giving up my job is because all staff at my job are all at risk of redundancy due to lack of funding (I work for a charity) and it would be unfair to drop them now when the situation is desperate, after they have been very good to me when things were going much better - they need an administrator while work is still going on and they would be unable to recruit in the current situation.

If they offer me redundancy, I shall snap it up, though! But I might just keep doing some volunteer work for them.

Good luck with your decision, I hope that you will jump in the deep end, I am sure you will enjoy it!

All the best,

Caterina

Larumbelle

I have given up work to go OS and it has worked well for me. However, I do think you have to give serious consideration to it, and ask yourself what your doubts are. What is your minimum comfort level? For OH and myself, we didn't feel the need for a safety net, because we've been at rock bottom before and we knew that even if the worst happened we could manage again. However, we don't have kids and I imagine that if we did, it would have needed far more serious consideration. If the freelancing didn't take off, would you be able to make do without the extra money or find work locally? It is easier to consider these things before they become a major issue. I think most people would like the time to be with their children and pursue the opportunity to grow and cook more, rather than the money their work brings in. But it does mean making sacrifices, look long and hard at what those are and whether you can make them. Don't be under any illusions, at first you will probably find it harder than you think.

But it will be worth it, I say give it a shot! Good luck, whatever you decide to do xx

Bunny200

I had the decision made for me, I got made redundant 18 months ago, I then started a part-time job that didn't work very well with my life so I ditched that over a year ago. My OS-ing has increased in that time, you learn more and you are better organised as you move forward.
Serious consideration would be as other posters suggested the stability of OH job, mine is luckily in a well-paid job that seems (fingers crossed) stable. He does sometimes have a little wobble about being the only bread-winner in the house but then that passes. In fact the other week a job was advertised that if I were looking would be the perfect job p/t job but when we thought about it, childcare, clothes, travel, tax etc he decided it wasn't worth it, so it doesn't bother him that much!!
As far as the right decision - well for me it definatly was but as I say it was made for me, I don't think I would have been brave enough to make it myself. I love being SAHM and I really feel that my girls are benefitting from it. In a similar way to OP my husband works long hours, so isn't around for the kids much weekdays, usually out before they awake and if they are luck home to tuck into bed! Any childcare arrangements have to fall to me, picking up, sickness cover, dentists etc as its just not practical for him to do it. To try to do all that as well as commit to a job is a very hard thing and I have full admiration for women who manage it. I was being spread too thinly (to paraphrase Bilbo Baggins) and my head was always in the wrong place. Now I can focus on my family and supporting my husband which despite its sounding soooo 1950s is whats important to me right now and I have to do what I feel it right. In 18 months time when YD goes to school I'm not sure what I shall do but I'll cross that bridge when I come to it!

I have no plans to go back to work (the other day a friend said 'Oh you'll go back to work soon, you're a worker, I can see you back at work' I kept diplomatically quiet :rotfl: ) I don't think its for everyone, I know other mums who are desperate to get back to work but the fact you are considering it means that you're more likely to enjoy it. I suppose it depends how much you do now and therefore if you gave it all up how much difference it would make to bridge the finanical gap.

And the biggest question and probably the most important is what would make you happiest and therefore best for all your family?! Best of luck, keep us informed.......

Beccatje

I have just made that decision myself.
I gave up my 20 hr a week job to stay home with my kids.

I'm making up for the loss of income by becoming a childminder.
It took a bit of adjusting as I did like my job but I must say I like this better.

I'm home with my kids, I can take them to school, pick them back up. Don't have to leave them at the sitter.
I have time to chase after the teenagers, cook proper meals and no more 'quickies' because I haven't got time or am not prepared enough.

More time to save money because doing things OS does take up more time. Cooking from scratch takes more time than banging something in the microwave...

I'm not telling you what to do, but for me it's working out so far. (I think)

Butterfly_Brain

I had no choice but to give up because of ill health. We may be a bit poorer moneywise but we are so much happier. Having time with the children is so much more important, they grow up so quickly and there is no job that is more rewarding than being a mother.
My children have never roamed the streets, they are polite and well behaved and I put that down to me being at home.
I always have a housefull of their friends (I think it is because I bake a lot)
We spend time crafting or going out together and have built up so many happy memories and that is something money can't buy!
So I would say go for it and you won't regret it. x

Hawthorn

Taking out of the equation time spent at home with the kids, I don't think there would be much difference financially if I were to work, to be honest.
Reasons for this -

Childcare for four children is expensive.
I KNOW I would resort to more expensive processed foods, to save time.
Our shopping bill would be much higher. I wouldn't feel so much need to shop around for a bargain like I do now, I wouldn't have time to cook and bake, as I do now.
I reckon our bill would double so just to take that into consideration, I'd have to earn £200 a month, just to cover food expenses.
I wouldn't have time to do charity shops, meaning I'd probably spend more on clothing. Call it double at least - £50 extra a month.
Lord knows how much extra we'd spend at christmas time, due to me not being able to hunt bargains down/wait in for deliveries. I suspect this would run into the hundreds, very easily.
Hub works shifts, so I'd rarely see him....probably to the cost of our marriage.
Kids would spend more time with childminders and at school than they would with me.....SO not happening.
I'd have to pay a dog walker. My dog is far to high energy to be left alone all day.
Travel to and from work for myself.
Travel to and from childminders.
How often would I resort to throwing a couple of quid each the kids way to buy lunch with? Well, with four kids, that's £8 a day, for five days a week - oops, there's another £40 gone.

Not to mention, I'd probably crack up, trying to run a budget, a household, manage four kids, laundry, activities, cooking, and working? Sod it. I'll just buy a straitjacket straight off.....much easier LOL.

I don't look at myself not working as being a burden financially. I make the most of what we have THAT is my job.

Butterfly_Brain

:T Oh well said Hawthorn

thriftlady_2

And don't forget if you don't work, the odd snow day, TED day, sick child makes little difference to your day.

Hollysan

Sorry not to reply to all your posts sooner - we have been out for the day.

Thanks so much for all your replies. I am feeling more and more positive about giving up my job. Definitely with the emphasis on earning money on a freelance basis, but also saving money and making more of our resources.

Most of all, talking to OH today, we think it would have a positive effect on the children, because I have been finding it hard to spend time with them, other than the basic picking up and dropping off, feeding them and providing clean clothes!

OH is being very supportive, can see lots of benefits. HAWTHORN - he made the point about Christmas, too. I would have more time to make presents and shop around etc. Also, we have a new puppy I could spend more time with! Huge benefit for me:rotfl:

Feeling rather tired after all that fresh air, so I will post again in the morning, because I want to reply to some particular points.

REVERBE - I would suggest that you look at the AAT qualification. You don't need to be a Chartered Accountant to do most finance jobs, and you can study AAT part-time, through Adult Education. Have a look at aat.org.uk


Thank you all for your thoughtful posts.

Hollysan