To wonder what’s the point when I’m left with this after bills?

Their just misguided they are losing out, for some unknown reason the same error does the rounds. They only lose 55p for every extra £ they earn they would be so much better off working more and so would the country lol 😆

Well said! The OP is paying over £20k of her annual salary to HMRC. I know people earning £12k a year who are not because of benefits top-ups. They don’t even need to take advantage of the 85% childcare discount because they don’t have an incentive to work more than 16 hours a week.

Did you forget about the lights heating car council tax tv licence water bill mobile phone? Soon goes down lol

Surely you have over £300 left after food for just you and a pre school child?

I’d save for a couple of months and then get a membership for a localish kids adventure or zoo place. Then you’ve got somewhere fun to always go.

Do you have a big car payment too?
Things will get easier once nursery is done but you could probably cut back some bits and shop more cheaply.

It's the fact that she will be paying so much and paying it to retirement that makes me think she's in the London area.

570 left after bills and food..

I'd fucking dream of having that much.
I'm lucky if I have £50

I thought she maybe in London, it's really not worth it these days. Yes you get the equity held in the house but this poor woman will be past retirement by the time she's paid for it. What can she possibly get out of the held value? I'd rather move and have a bigger better house for less money. Will you be paying yours until retirement aswell?

It’s certainly more than mine! 😆

What's life on benefits got to do with it? Is OP responsible for you not being able to work?

She's litterally paying those benefits, she really doesn't deserve the lecture on how "lucky she is" luck had nothing to do with it. It was all her, she worked her way up and she's helping a hell of alot of people along the way. She's every right to feel aggrieved at struggle alone with a small child. It shouldn't be that she's left to struggle because she's a woman and successful.

That's pretty low these days tbh.

We are in the south west, not London, but ours is £1200 for a 3 bed fairly ordinary semi.

None of that means it isn't worth working though, you have to look at the bigger picture which is understandably hard during the childcare years. Childcare cost is the major sticking point.

Claim cb op and pay the 1% penalty for every £50 you earn over 60k, you will lose 20% of its yearly value but you will still be 80% of it better off 😀. Hope I've been able to help.
I'm including some links to support aswell

https://www.gov.uk/sign-in-childcare-account

https://www.gov.uk/check-eligible-free-childcare-if-youre-working

It would seem your entitled to 15 free hours at least at the moment.

DH is on a fraction of 70k salary, I don't work and we manage okay.

Two adults two teens two primary aged DC.

You cut your cloth accordingly.

Some people don’t have one?

He might be dead, poor or OP might be a single mother by choice.

In my home country OP would get free or almost free childcare, generous child benefit, 80% paid leave if child gets sick etc. At that salary level she would be able to afford little luxuries after paying her bills.
She would also pay less tax. As a single parent she would get further tax relief in form of doubled tax allowance.

It's not that it's not worth it to work in UK but for mothers it's definitely less worth it then in any other developed country.
And OP is lucky to have only one child, it's even more difficult if you have more.

But people are completely missing the point and talking about luxury bubble baths and having it worse on minimum wage.

Does that £100 include pet food and litter? Perhaps alcohol? I spend up to £80 a week for two adults and a 6yo, including packed lunches for all of us every day. That’s from Tesco.

It's not enough tbh I spend 200 a week on food and petrol and I'm not south and I think she is. Granted there is more of us but she won't get much more than the basics for £140 a week for food and fuel. She's got a great job with great pay she shouldn't be left like this. Another thing OP I think there has been some changes to Child benefit so look into that see if you are now eligible I'm sure they increased it to 70k or 80k so you can claim it now.

No one is "racing to the bottom" and childcare costs ARE ridiculous but that's not going to change overnight, so if OP is seriously struggling there are ways to cut back.

Agreed. OP asked what is the point? and most have told her that her childcare costs won't be forever, so worth carrying on working, and also gave ways to cut back. £570 a month isn't loads but it's definitely manageable.

You didn't claim back your childcare though UC? Poor OP is unable to do this. Also people should realise she's not only paying 40% tax she's paying 8% or more national insurance on everything over 8k. She's litterally paying for other people's funded childcare, whilst she struggles to pay her own so I think those being quite mean should stop like now.

Wasnt the 570 meant left excluding food?

Asda nappies are £4.99 for 84 nappies which is 12 nappies a day which most babies won’t use that many. An 84 pack lasts us more than a week and they are really good nappies.

That's understandable then in that scenario, I can see how it would be expensive.

Your rent and childcare alone are more than £35k take-home.

It does pay to work in Britain, the pay isn't the issue, or even the taxes, she takes home a decent sum. It's the nursery fees and I think that stems from her area. That said no single mum should be left struggling like this they need to do something for mums like her. Earning a higher wage with less tax allowance.

They could double the tax free childcare for single parents to 40% that would solve all her problems or reduce her taxes to 20% through paye for as long as she can prove she's paying childcare fees and is still a single mum. They should do something without a doubt.

Me. I have a four year old with autism and he often wets himself, pours things everywhere and cannot eat without making a mess all around him. So yeah, I go through two big packets of cleaning wipes a week and lots of laundry pods and fabric softener. I try to bulk buy so it’s cheaper but I definitely go through a lot of household essentials.