One income family of four - can we get ahead even after pay cuts?

joedenise

I didn't go back to work part time until my youngest was 7 and found a local factory job (which I absolutely hated) which had good hours for me as it meant I could drop the kids at school on the way to the bus stop and then it was just 15 minutes on the bus.  I worked 9am - 1 pm and it paid just enough to keep me under the limit for paying NI and tax so I got all the money I earned.  I stuck with the job until the youngest was 10 when I changed to full time work as a secretary in the Civil Service.  My childcare costs were zero as my DH was shift working and was often home to collect the kids and look after them until I got home.  On the days when he was working they were old enough to walk to MILs and DH would pick them up from there.

Would you consider doing child minding now?  Perhaps just one child which would bring in an additional sum of money and not be too onerous and you'd still have time to spend with your own kids.  This could then expand as time goes on.

Bluegreen143

Thanks @joedenise! It’s good to hear of people taking longer out but then getting back into full time work later on. Reminds me that whatever solution we decide on just needs to be right for now and doesn’t need to be permanent.

Re childminding, I could only take one other preschool child at a time due to ratios as Monkey isn’t at school yet and I’d still have him three afternoons plus the other days after 3pm. Once he’s at school I’d be able to take two alongside Bambi. So if I did start now it would need to be a slower start to it but it’s something Red and I keep discussing. I think we are a bit hesitant of going wrong with the new rules in just now due to Covid with social distancing and different rules to normal re the materials you use with the kids, so would possibly prefer to hang off a few months and see what’s happening. 

Just sat down and sorted/photographed all the cloth nappies to list for sale. I must admit I hate selling things with a passion and much prefer donating or passing on but needs must. I’ve priced them as bargains to hopefully sell quick, on FB marketplace so no faffing about with postage. If they don’t sell in a reasonable timeframe I’ll list them on a cloth nappy selling group as they always go well on those. But downside is you need to post them of course. Mainly I just want them not to go to landfill and to help another mum on their cloth journey and if they all sell for what I’ve listed them as I’ll get £85. I need to clean up my nappy bucket but could probably stick that up for £5 too. Also have at least one baby sling/carrier I can sell so need to dig that out. 

I found two £25 gift cards MIL gave me at Christmas for topshop and the like. At the minute I do need new clothes as mine are wearing out (or don’t fit as I’m a stone heavier than usual eeek) but I’m happy living in tshirts, jeggings/leggings + (fake) converse or boots. I already have a couple of dresses that can be worn with tights in the day or tight free in the sun, or dressed up if I ever go out in the evening again 😂 and neither me nor my friends care if I wear the same dress umpteen times over the years on nights out! So tbh the stuff in top shop was all too “fashiony” for me and I’ve ended up sticking the gift cards on Cardyard site to sell and been quoted getting £40 on PayPal for them. I know if I just spent them I’d get full value but I really just didn’t see anything much I’d wear that I could get using the voucher. Must be getting old 😅 (I’m 32). Hopefully the money comes in without a hitch and I’ll then use it to get some basics like leggings and tshirts from Primark. I do need a waterproof coat too but going to ask my mum to get me it for Christmas, oh and wellies which I might be able to pick up in Primark too.

Baileys_Babe

Selling the gift cards makes sense if the shops they are for don't sell things you want.

I think working out all the associated costs of working would be an interesting exercise and it might surprise Red how little you would be bringing home, try doing it for various scenarios ie full-time, term time only, school hours, childminding costs. 

MagicCat

Well done on the £302 food budget, amazing work! I am working on something similar but way off at the moment so I know it's not easy.

I think you'd make a fab childminder from all your descriptions of the activities you do with your kids. You're right it must be a difficult time to start anything like that with Covid restrictions though. My mum did childminding when my siblings and I were little, I have really nice memories of having the other children around, we're still in touch with some of them as they ended up as family friends.

The work/childcare cost dilemma is so difficult though. I'm currently working a few shifts a month to keep my registration current, but barely breaking even now my younger one is in nursery, I swapped to a different role to go part time after my eldest was born and don't really enjoy it much but it is convenient. I'm not sure I'd achieve much in the way of savings etc if I didn't work though, I don't work much as it is but seem to be getting nowhere at the moment! @Baileys_Babe I was really interested in what you were saying about homeschooling, it must be such a challenge but really rewarding and so nice to be able to do things in a way that really works for your family.

Baileys_Babe

Yes @MagicCat it can be challenging at times, but so can every scenario regarding bring up children and their education. We have a lot of flexibility of what we do when, which allows us to make the most of opportunities. PreCovid we took our children to the theatre regularly to a wide variety of shows, but we were not limited to weekend performances, which are often more expensive and book up quicker, we often went on a weeknight because despite it being a late-night I could change the next day's schedule to accommodate any tiredness. We often booked and went with a small group of other local home educating families and received discounts.

Other times if one of the children is obsessed with a subject ie dinosaurs, I can keep all our learning themed whilst learning various subjects like Art, English, Maths, Science, History.

feeldaburn

My mum started owrk as a teaching assistant once my younger sister was in school full time - could something like that work for you? She was able to do drop offs/pick ups fine then worked longer hours once we could cope alone.

Bluegreen143

@feeldaburn I hadn’t thought about it actually - good one to add to my list. I had thought about retraining as a teacher as I’ve already got a degree so it’s only one year to do the teaching postgrad. That’s a very well paid and stable job with school holidays off. But I know it can be stressful and longer hours with the extras required around the actual teaching time. I’m not sure I’m ready for the commitment as if I do the degree I feel I need to really be ready to do this for the long haul. 

Baileys_Babe

Being a teaching assistant for a couple of years would have the added benefit of you being able to see what the teachers have to do in addition to school hours. As well as testing if this work pattern works for you and the family without a big initial outlay.

Bluegreen143

So Red has got his payslip in (he gets paid tomorrow).

I’d worked out that if he gets a minimum of £2,000 (or his wage + UC makes that) then I can leave him the £240 for his spends that I left last month and that gives me £1,760 + £140 child benefit to budget for the month which gives me enough to budget in all my categories. And his pay is going to be £2,050 as he has been back at work two weeks so that’s fine even if we get no UC (which I’m not sure we will tbh). I’ll leave him the extra £50 as it will cover the bit of his overdraft he’s got into this month.

So Sept budget as follows after Red has transferred me £1,740 (eeek! How is it going to be Sept!):

BILLS £835
Mortgage £421
Council tax £153
Life & illness ins £50
Gas & elec £105
Internet £23
TV license £14
Nursery snack fund £25
Phone + Spotify £45

ANNUAL EXPENSES £95
Car ins & tax £43
Breakdown cov £5
Home ins £10
Amazon Prime & Disney+ £12
Boiler service £5
Car servicing/MOT £20

MY SPENDING £50

HOUSEKEEPING £600
Food £300 (+ £25 put aside for 5 week months)

Household/toiletries £75
Petrol £60
Clothes £40
Fun £50
Misc £50 (for anything I’ve forgotten & to be saved if unused)

SAVINGS £320
Christmas/gifts £140
MIL debt £100
Emergencies £40
Home & garden projects £40

I’m challenging myself this month to try and save as much extra as I can from the housekeeping budget by saving on groceries, fun and petrol etc. We are unlikely to use most of the clothes budget but I’ll keep extra to add into next month’s and by then I expect Bambi to have moved up a clothes size as they are getting on the small size now. That said I do have a box full of hand me downs in age 2-3 but will need to fill in basics like PJs, vests, making sure there’s enough leggings etc. 

I need some clothes myself but my aim is to only use money I’ve made from selling bits. I’ve got someone coming to pick up three nappies on Wed for £15 and two other people have messaged me to ask about postage costs which would make me another £25 between the two if they go. Plus the gift cards I sold for £40. 

I went to a car boot sale with Red (and Bambi) before picking up Monkey from his sleepover with MIL today. Quite fun to do something “normal”! It was quieter than normal and we didn’t find too many great deals - I split that £20 that SIL gave me for my birthday and gave Red and I £10 each to get whatever we want. But in the end I only spent £2 on some new boots, £1 on two new books and 50p on measuring cups. I also spent £5 from the gifts budget - £2 on 12 picture books for the kids (including some Shirley Hughes which we love), £1 on a bag of dinosaur figures and £1 for a plastic monster truck (both for stocking fillers) and £1 on a kids sewing craft box for Monkey’s Christmas. From now til birthday/Christmas season I’ll keep a good eye on car boots, charity shops and eBay/Facebook to fill up my present cupboard. I find things like books, puzzles, games, boxes of mixed Lego etc can all be had really cheaply with enough looking in advance.

Baileys_Babe

A couple of years ago me and Mum went to an exhibition of Shirley Hughes artwork, it was lovely to relive memories of Alfie and Annie Rose and other familiar characters.