Mums

A question about : Mums

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 Ј8 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 Ј25 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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Best answers:

• 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!
• I'm lucky in the fact that mum looks after my children while I'm at work 3 days a week. I pay her Ј500 a month, but I'm on a fairly good wage where I get Ј20 per hour.
• 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 Ј4 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.
• 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 Ј800 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?
  X
• 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.
• TBh for me it doesnt really work.
  I earn Ј6.30 p/h and pay Ј4.00 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)
• 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.
• 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.
• 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 Ј1100 per month for 4 days a week. Our nursery was relatively affordable at Ј30 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 Ј500 pm but the salary sacrifice was about Ј160 pm each so we saved quite a lot that way. My son went to the OOSC whcih we paid Ј10 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!!
• 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.
• I worked nights when mine were little. When DD was born, I was on day shifts and she went to a childminder. Then when I had DS 2 years later, I had 6 months mat leave. They went to the childminder together when I went back to work and I found myself being put on night shifts most of the time. SiL then started looking after the kids (DH's mad idea as they lost their tax credits) for less than the childminder (although the same cost to us). She then decided a couple of months later that she wanted double the money as she could get that amount in Asda so I went to see my boss and explained what had happened. There was no way we could afford to pay double to SiL as she wasn't registered so we couldn't claim ctc for her. My boss agreed to put me on permanent nights and I just struggled along like so many of us did/do with no sleep. Sleeping when the kids do etc. we all counted down the days until our littlest started preschool and then school .
  I'm still on nights now with them being 11 and 9 but I think I will be able to get back not day shifts soon. At least when DS starts secondary so 2 years or so but I would still worry about what to do for childcare during summer holidays.
• For myself it has been really tough but i have made it work. Originally i was the main earner and my partner stayed at home with our son. He has since become my ex-partner and I wanted to stay at work.
  So i have a childminder who has my child in the mornings from 730, then drops him off at pre school at 1230, then my mom picks him up which saves on childcare costs on the afternoon. I don't usually get home until 7 which is a horribly long day but I am currently waiting on a laptop from work so i can work at home a bit more.
  Financially i have found I'm better off now than when my ex lived here. I pay Ј400 a month to the childcare but the tax credits i recieve cover most of it. On the other hand i have one less mouth to feed and he would take money out to pay for things like cigarettes and wacky baccy and alcohol without my knowing. He would spend so much money every month when i had told him we were on a budget - he was useless but that's another topic!!
  I think everybody has different situations and everyone needs to find what works for them. For me this works!
• I mention this every time this comes up but it's very important: your job is earning you more than your take-home pay. It's earning you potential propotion, pay increments, pension contributions and an unbroken CV.
  Even if you spent your whole income on childcare at first, you would probably end up in a far better financial position when the kids were grown compared to having to get back onto the career ladder after several years out.
  OK, this does not apply to all jobs, and there are obviously many more considerations than financial in that kind of decision - quality of care and quality of life are important - and people should do what's right for them. But it bothers me that people seem to only consider their take-home pay, and ignore the fact that many jobs are a long term investment in their own right.
• When my boys were little I worked 2 evenings and Saturday when my OH was home to look after them, I actually really enjoyed it, it gave me time to be be, not someone's mum.
• For me the first few months back were the hardest DS was 9 months and husband works over 50 hours a week + 2 hour commute each way, I chose to come back 4 days a week which I discussed at length wiht my boss and listened to his needs so he felt happy with what I could provide.
  I jsut want to say it does get easier, now my son is receiving his free 15 hours entitlement my childcosts have reduced and we are able to save money that we previously hadnt had.
  Also I should add when I went back to work my office was a 45 minute drive from my house each way, we then moved offices to a 15 minute commute round trip so I have definately gained as my petrol has reduced, and also the amount i had to pay my childminder due to reduction in hours.
  It is really hard, I certainly found when I went back to work I jsut broke even but will a payrise annually, and less petrol and now reduction due to childcare vouchers it has become a little easier..I am not sure how long I could have stuck it out if my office hadnt move though.
  Also I love my job and it is a 1:1 job wiht my boss who I know very well and I wouldnt feel confident in finding another one, I think what I am trying to say if you like your job and your see progress or stability try and weather the storm of the bad times...
• I became a mumtrepreneur! I have 3 small jobs/businesses none of which are going to make me a millionaire but what with childcare savings/flexibility of working for yourself/tax advantages etc I would have to earn a standard wage much higher than I would be able to get!
  I do miss the interaction within an office environment and a do spend alot of time alone (working from home) but the positives far outweigh the negatives.
  I also did evening work (waitressing) 3 nights a week as pocket money when I first gave up my full time job.