Difficult Decision

Pepperoni

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jackieblack

How many hours are you thinking of reducing by?
Remember that the hours you drop will be the ones you're taxed most upon, so dropping your hours by, for example, 20% won't necessarily mean a 20% drop in salary.
Would reducing your hours also mean reducing your childcare costs? Travel costs? (if working fewer days)

Counting_Pennies_2

Would you be able to negotiate to work your hours over 4 days?


I know a lot of people who pop baby in the nursery at 8am and collect at 6pm and cram in their hours with a half an hour lunch break on those 4 days.

onlyroz

Could your partner reduce his hours? Or perhaps you could both reduce them by a little bit each to cover different parts of the week?

Remember that you have the right to request a flexible working arrangement. This can mean going part time but it could also mean changing your working pattern - I have done this to allow me to work three short days and two longer ones while still working "full time". My husband does the converse - he works three long days and two short ones. I know other people who have gone for a "nine-day fortnight" or similar.

There are many options open to you and you need to decide between yourself and your partner what would help you *both* to strike the best work/life balance. But don't feel that it automatically has to be you who compromises your career prospects if your career is important to you.

hazyjo

Sometimes it can be done without major change. Weirdly, we're surviving on one salary now rather than two. I've always been a bit of a spendaholic.


Be honest with yourself about where your money goes/went.


Do you throw a lot of food out?


Do you have takeaways/eat out?


Use vouchers and deals. We have a Prezzo at the end of the road and we eat there every three months with my Tesco vouchers (boost option). We do eat out with friends too, but I certainly don't visit restaurants like I used to.


I buy multipack everything now for lunch. Micro-meals or wraps/sandwiches. I very rarely buy a sandwich or a packet of crisps in town any more. I buy mini-cheddars or the like for £1 for a pack of around 7 - that lasts more than a week. Same for chocolate. Always what's on offer - never individual bars. Also buy when reduced - I always look out for a bargain!


It's amazing the difference even cutting back on a few quid every day.


We buy most of our clothes off ebay now. Actually far greater choice, and you can shop purely for your size, etc. I very rarely go clothes shopping any more. I don't miss it. I prefer scouring ebay lol!


We regularly sell stuff on ebay too.


Jx

Pepperoni

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Gra76

My wife reduced her hours when our first one arrived and she's been on the same hours ever since (originally worked 5 full days, now works 3 full days including one longer shift). Our eldest is nearly 10yrs old now. You soon learn to adapt your lifestyle to your income although at first it'll seem like you're cutting your nose off to spite your face. Once you work out the childcare costs you soon realise that going part-time is a good thing (or at least it was for us).

youwhat

I ummed and aahed over this for ages.

You are fortunate in that you won't have childcare costs (if I have understood correctly). If your child was going to nursery you would have no choice but to get used to a big drop in disposable income. Not sure if that helps you make your mind up though!

In the end I decided I would be more likely to regret not spending the time with my child (they're only little once, you won't get that time back etc etc). Which is likely to be a bigger regret? The loss of income/impact on career or time with your child? Re: the career side of things, I'm guessing you are at an age where you have many working years ahead of you. I kept thinking "no-one dies wishing they had spent more time at work".

I also considered going back full time and getting cracking with baby no.2 but though of child in nursery full time was hard for me to get my head round (although won't be like this for you) and of course you don't know if/when you will get pregnant again. I do still wonder whether I should have done this though!

Any, part time is working well for me. I have just got used to spending less money and don't feel too stressed trying to juggle family/work life etc.

Just presenting my take on it.

Good luck with your decision.

Buzzybee90

35 hours is doable over 4 days.

cazziebo

I don't earn nearly as much as I used to , but I'm a lot wealthier because I now control my spending. (Thanks to these boards mostly!) I do think the secret to wealth is what you spend, not what you earn (within reason!).

It's good to think long term. So many women on these boards look at current salary and outgoings. You have to consider future earnings, impact on career, childcare, school runs, holidays, sick cover...loads! What's your sector like? How fast does it move? How quickly does the network change?

You also have to think really carefully about your in-laws being the childminders. 5 days is a lot to ask. They might be okay now, but what about in a year's time - two year's time? What if they don't do things your way? What about a combination of childminder plus parents?

Is working from home a possibility for at least some of the time? You would still need childcare but you would save commuting time. Could OH do the same?

No one can make the call but you. Lots of thinking and talking - whatever you do someone will criticise it. But you get used to that being a parent!

Pepperoni

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