Can I afford a baby?

bestpud

If I were you I'd do the course first.

You seem to be assuming this is all going to go to plan...

What happens if you can defer the course a year but you aren't pregnant within a month or two? Would you then hold off for another year so you can start the course, or drop the course?

And what will you do for an income if you can't conceive straight away?

Doing the course now will be far easier than with a baby to care for! PGCEs are intensive and you will struggle with a very young baby - and that's before you start thinking of placements. And you will be more employable after the course too!

I think you'd be mad to go off track now!

xnatalie81x

Congratulations - saw your diary on 'how much have you saved' and thought i saw you here!

michpotts

Personally I would get a full time job first, then you will be entitled to full pay for 6 weeks and then maternity allowance (about £110 a week) for 33 weeks. Don't put tax credits into consideration- I have a feeling this government will phase them out. Studying when you have kids is extremely hard- I studied to be a nurse with 2 young children and I would not recommend it at all.

When our 3rd child (a happy accident!) was born. My husband was out of work and I was only working part time, but we managed- you just have to. Everything was bought 2nd hand, but she doesn't care. And if things get really bad you could always sell the rental property.

Lots of people are !!!!less and don't even consider what you are considering and I congratulate you for that! Also accidents happen and circumstances change but you just get on with it.

michpotts

Is "f-e-c-k" swearing?

Sequeena

Honestly I would wait until you're out of uni. Why work all this time only to be set back?

Gleeful

You'd struggle to complete a PGCE when pregnant or with a young baby!

trufflebuggy

Get all your education out of the way first, then get your teaching career on the go, then have a baby. Save along the way, and then have the benefit of occupational maternity pay, descent length of maternity leave, as well as a job to return to after the happy event.

This way around you'll have many more options open to you in the future than if you decide to defer your education possibly indefinitely.

Deepmistrust

lgxgw32 wrote: »

Hi.

I am 25, currently working full time on 20K salary, however I am due to finish my work contract as it is maternity cover in October (this yesr, 2010). I then will be out of work.

My partner earns £14K a year. We both have no savings but we do have a house worth 90K with a mortgage £390 a month.

I own another house worth £200K (approx) with a mortgage that is currently £400 a month, with a tenant that just covers this. There is £40k equity in the house.

We want a baby but are worried that we wont have the working capital to support ourselves or the child. We are wondering if we would be entitled to any benefits?

There is also the added complication that I have applied to study my PGCE (a full-time university course) starting in September this year. I have a place on the reserve list for this.

Can anyone help?

Thank you

You'd get tax credits based on your partners income, and childbenefit. But you won't get any childcare on WTC, and that will be expensive for a full time uni course.

If you really want both, you have 40k in equity you could use to fund your childcare. Also unless you took a break from uni you'd be looking at putting a very young baby into childcare full time.

Personally I think you'd struggle enough on his wage of 14k supporting you both WITHOUT the added costs of children and childcare. Depends how strong you feel the need to have a baby I guess.

AnxiousMum

It would be pretty hard I imagine having a baby, and then having to pay childcare for a new baby while you do a PGCE course. I'd do the course first, get your NQT year done with and then look at it again. If you plan your pregnancy right and get pregnant at the right time to have your baby at the right time of year, you can combine your summer break with your maternity leave to give you more time at home with the baby before returning to work.

Good luck with the planning

inmypocketnottheirs

You can never afford to have kids!!