Jobs around your kids

Spendless

I have 2 children aged 7 and 4. When the eldest was born we needed me to find a p-time job but we couldn't afford childcare. Initially I found a job at a convience store 2 evenings a week 6-11 plus 5 hours on a Sunday. I did the morning shift 8-1. There was also a 1-6 and a 6-11 shift.

After 6 months I found a job in a diy store mon-fri 5pm -8pm. My nan looked after my son for the hour before DH came home from work. I left due to ill-health in my 2nd pregnancy and not long afterwards both my nan and mil suffered health problems and were no longer in a position to help us out. Fortunately for us our finances changed around this time.

Once my eldest went to f-time school, I did 6 months as a school dinner lady for just over an hour a day and my youngest had lunch at my nans (now a lot better) whilst I worked. Eventually I packed the job in to go to college and get some admin skills back, which is where I still am and the youngest is starting f-time school in Sept.

Once a child reaches the term after its 3rd birthday there is non-means tested funding for nursery (12.5 hours a week, x amount of weeks per year-think it's about 36 but someone will be able to give precise figures). This does reduce your childcare costs. I used this in conjunction with the busybee voucher scheme DH employer offers to pay DDs nursery bills whilst I studied.

bekkki1

I work full time as a asst payroll manager and money isnt great, been on my own since before daughter was born.

Shes in nursery before and after school and in holidays. term time its £50 per week inc breakfast and tea, and in the hols its £105 per week with 3 meals.

When she was a baby it was £28 per day but that was 3 years ago now.

Here in stoke they can go to nursery school in the sept before their 4th birthday, all day! so that has knocked a lot of my nursery fees

wendym

lynzpower wrote: »

its not really that different you know. Ive looked at the figures for moving nearer one of our parents, and we will save about 120 a motnh on rent, but probably have to run a car, which would cost this anyway.

I think a lot of the differences have evened out since we did it. I sat with a map of Britain until I found a town with a college that accepted mature students to train for secondary music teaching, with affordable housing within walking distance of shops etc. And here I still am!

Unless you work for an organisation that offers a creche it's really tricky. And moving to be near parents doesn't always help as it might - I have a friend who moved across the country to be near family, who were less keen on helping with childcare than she had assumed.

When we bought our first ancient Mini I earned money from cooking - mainly dinner parties in the homes of people who wanted to entertain at home, but without any of the work. Selling a skill from home is worth investigating, although 'domestic' skills generally don't pay well.

Sallys_Savings

I've done several jobs over the years my children were growing up.
Working the evening shifts in a supermarket and garage, the party plan (ooohhh naughty knickers lol and also the Dorling Kingersley books), typing up reports and also I had some typing of students college assignments, book keeping and childminding. Whilst childminding a nanny babysitting service opened in our area and I went on their books for evening babysitting. At one point I was going to do a life saving course, as the local swimming pool was trying to find qualified life guards...and the pay wouldnt of been too bad for a couple of nights work.

wifeforlife

Hi Lynz

I work currently as a job share, Mon & Tues and every 2nd Wednesday. I was fulltime until 18 months ago

I'm in the civil service so I do benefit from flexi time and public holiday entitlement.

I'm a single mum to a 3.5yr old

Wages arent great but the extra benefits make up for it to be fair. I've had awful issues with childcare, mainly being I cant find any reliable and decent childcare, my Grandmother currently is helping me out with this at no cost to me.

I bulk up my wages with mystery shopping which can be done in my lunch hour at work and or on my days off whilst dd is at school

All the best
Cate

1012donna

I gave up full time employment (earning about £900 per month) when we moved overseas in 1999 and only worked part-time over there earning about £300 per month so when we returned to UK with a baby in tow we were lucky as we didn't have the realisation of losing a full time wage. I haven't worked full time since then as another baby came along but I have over the last year worked from home with direct sales (doing candle parties in hostesses homes). You can earn a fair bit depending on how many parties you wish to do and I don't have to pay for child care as I do them in the evenings when my husband is at home or coffee morning parties when the eldest is at school and the little one in nursery.

Spendless

lynz- how much do you need to earn on top of your OH salary? Is it possible to save that amount to acount for the shortfall over next few years (like Lillibet described doing in the other thread).

bloomin_freezing

Hi

I work 4hrs per night in theory, but its actually 1 1/2 - 2 hrs . I clean at a local office, I do the job meant for 2 people thats why i'm allowed to still claim the whole 4hrs per night, they are happy if it doesn't take that long which it never ever does. I take home £280 per fortnight, which puts me on £14 per hour (if it takes 2, even more if i'm done quicker!!) now thats not bad at all in my eyes.

overlykeensaver

1012donna's thread made me think of things like virgin vie, phoenix trading and other things where you can hold parties or sell your products at school fetes and things - that may be a good way of supplementing your income and you can do it either from home or at weekends and evenings so no childcare costs either. (I don't work for either of these companies they are just suggestions!)

TheWaltons_3

I work as a Phone Sex Operator and last week earned £228 doing this part time.

It's definitely not a job everyone can do though.