Mums - How Do You Make it Worth It to Work?

guruchelles

I'd love to hear some financially-based stories of how you make going out to work worth it when you've got childcare to think about.

I'm not trying to be contentious whatsoever, I'm just struggling to see, from my point of view, how it would be worth it to work part time. I've got three children: one toddler and two school age. The last job I had paid £8 per hour, but I've worked out that if I did 16 hours over three days (as some of my friends do) I'd net about £25 per week after childcare costs. That doesn't account for transport costs to and from work.

How do you guys do it?

NB: When I say 'Mums', I actually mean 'second wage earners'. Don't mean to offend anyone.


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pesky85

It didn't work for me. I have a 2 and a 3 year old. I used a nursery when I worked full time, and I used a nanny when I worked part time. The only time I found working worthwhile financially was when I only had one child.

I'm now a SAHM, career is on the backburner until they're both in school!

pollyanna24

I'm lucky in the fact that mum looks after my children while I'm at work 3 days a week. I pay her £500 a month, but I'm on a fairly good wage where I get £20 per hour.

Spendless

When I had one child working evenings/w'ends when hubby could do the majoity of childcare was the way to fetch an additional income into the house. A relative provided the hour childcare needed between 1 going to work and the other coming home. When I had 2nd child and the relative providing care had health problems and could no longer help out and hubby changing jobs so he wasn't always home every evening it wasn't possible. I updated skills at college instead working round nursery hours. Later when they were both at school, I found a part-time job and got them after a couple of months to agree to school hours of 9-3. It meant I only had holiday childcare to pay for, though that took all but £4 of my daily rate, but I balanced it by thinking that in term-time all income was kept. Eventually I was made redundant and now temp providing hol cover. Eldest is now at Secondary school and no longer need childcare, I can get to work on time dropping youngest (yr 5) in playground, so no need for breakfast club and I just pay asc and hol club if required. During the next 12-month-ish I am hoping to eliminate asc in term-time for younger child.

bossymoo

I work part time. I have two pre-schoolers although my eldest starts in September. The only way it works is because I'd worked my way into a flexible, decent pay, not too far to travel job. I also get widowed parents allowance (my husband passed away 14 months ago) and child tax credits that go some way towards nursery fees. It's over £800 per month, for 3 days per week, after the funding allowance for my eldest.

It's a job to balance the books, but I'm also thinking of the future, pension contributions, staying in the job market, skills staying up to date etc. not to mention not having to all of a sudden look for a job to fit around school. I've done my share of !!!!py shifts where I work. A little bit of flexibility goes a long way.

I'm also lucky in that inlaws are pleased to help out, in school hols in the future.

A little luck and a lot of planning. Or is it the other way round?
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Make-it-3

Everyone's circumstances are going to be different.

What is your potential maximum earning power in relation to your qualifications/experience? There isn't a secret way to make it work apart from the obvious - find the best paying job you can and/or reduce you childcare costs by getting family to help for free or low cost.

There are some people who return to work even though it pays very, very little because its about staying on a careers path/keeping skills up to date/feeling part of the adult world etc. Also thinking long term they know that in future childcare costs will reduce and they won't have to start again with a big gap on their CV.

threemuttleys

TBh for me it doesnt really work.

I earn £6.30 p/h and pay £4.00 p/h childcare.

I work an average 27.5 hours per week, with the bulk of them being in the week.

The OH and I agree that I could (if I really wanted to) give up work. But I view it as me teaching my son that if you want something, you must work for it.

There are of course ways around it (evenings/weekends for example)

valk_scot

I didn't go back to work after I had the kids because though I earned a very decent wage, I'd have had to go back full time with some very weird hours and need very long childcare hours. (OH was in much the same boat.) With all the additional working expenses such as work clothes, commuting costs, lunches and more spent on convenience foods and possibly even a cleaner I was going to end up with very little to show for it plus we'd hardly have seen each other as a family. So we redid the sums and worked out how badly we'd be if (a) he gave up work or (b) I gave up work to look after the kids. It worked out much the same but I had a better skill set to be a SAHP so I became a SAHM. Never regretted it. The quality of life for us as a family is far better, we all gained from the extra time we made availible. We're as poor as church mice compared to our friends of course but I'm pretty sure we're happier. And I don't feel I'm missing much tbh. It's a worthwhile option if you can cover the financial side on only one salary.

Molly41

Work never paid for me until my kids went to secondary school. Then I could work more hours but my health declined so it was short lived. If I had my time again - I think I would be a SAHM longer and put less pressure on myself. I think the stress of combining motherhood and a very stressful job (midwife) did for my health.

rachbc

It worked forme but it was tough for the first 2 years - but as my pay has improved and my childcare costs have decreased its got better.

When i first when back I was taking home about £1100 per month for 4 days a week. Our nursery was relatively affordable at £30 a day and hubby and I both got chidlcare vouchers making it much more affordable. We both claimed the max and it just about covered the full cost. Our bill was about £500 pm but the salary sacrifice was about £160 pm each so we saved quite a lot that way. My son went to the OOSC whcih we paid £10 a day for during term time.

Now DD is in school and hubby has changed jobs and I've juggled my hours and for the first time in 12 years I'm paying no childcare. Boy does it feel good!!

tattycath

I used to work evenings/nights when the children were small (pre school), Their father-my now ex- looked after them while I worked. I did this until they started school. Then I worked days for a few years, then back on to nights as the money was much better and no need for childcare expense.