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AIBU?

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Original poster

To ask how part time you’d go if…

37 replies

workidoos · 26/10/2024 14:16

Your DH’s wage covers all the essential outgoings (mortgage, bills, food, cars, childcare). After that you still need to save and have some disposable income enough for clothes, trips/holidays, meals out, birthday gifts, little treats & generally a nice quality of life.

How much would cover the above for you as a family of 3, per month?

I need to work out how realistic our plans are for my return to work. Keen to keep my foot in the door career wise but know how quickly the early years go and want to spend as much time as I can with DD.

OP posts:
Dishwashersaurous · 26/10/2024 15:07

The other trade off is how much time do you want to spend with your children.

And then how feasible is it to do your job part time.

3 days a week is clearly part time. Whereas 4 can end up doing a full time job but only being paid 80%

Fizzleaway1 · 26/10/2024 14:54

I think everyone has a different definition of a ‘nice’ life though.

Fizzleaway1 · 26/10/2024 14:50

Probably 4 days a week to be honest.

depends on the type of holidays you want but I probably spend a minimum of 4k on holidays a year. Then there’s spending money.
day trips are dear so even if you say £200 a month for that type of thing.
plus clothing and other treats.

id say 1k to 1.5k a month.

Original poster
workidoos · 26/10/2024 14:50

Franhollywood · 26/10/2024 14:26

I’d work 4 days, taking advantage of funded childcare and limiting effect on my career whilst maximising my pension contributions. Much depends on the sector you’re in though and opportunities for advancement.

I thought this but 3 is also appealing, just don’t know if we’d lose too much money that way

OP posts:
Bbqnights · 26/10/2024 14:31

This is the same situation we're in. I still work 4 days a week. I love having a day off with my DS but I also want to be able to save, overpay the mortgage, go on days out etc.

After nursery costs I net about 1500 a month. Plus pension contributions.

Tarantella6 · 26/10/2024 14:28

workidoos · 26/10/2024 14:22

Thank you. I wondered about this but didn’t know if this amount would be too little.

Show quote history

It does depend on what you are used to and what standard of living you think is the minimum.

Holidays don't have to cost much with small children. It's not really worth spending £10k on an all inclusive holiday with a baby imo, just go to the Canaries in May for £2k. But plenty of people would be horrified at the thought of that.
Similarly days out aren't expensive because you are just going to a farm for 3 hours, you're not going to Thorpe Park with a child that can't even walk.

Once they're bigger then everything gets more expensive, the stuff you want to do gets more expensive.

Franhollywood · 26/10/2024 14:26

I’d work 4 days, taking advantage of funded childcare and limiting effect on my career whilst maximising my pension contributions. Much depends on the sector you’re in though and opportunities for advancement.

Ponderingwindow · 26/10/2024 14:24

My DH’s wage covers absolutely everything. When dd was 3-5 I worked 10 hours a week. That wasn’t sustainable career-wise indefinitely. Once she turned 5 I went up to half time. I have been half-time for 10 years now.

Original poster
workidoos · 26/10/2024 14:22

Tarantella6 · 26/10/2024 14:21

£500-£1k a month depending on how expensive your tastes are. I like holidays and you should make the most of termtime prices before dc starts school!

Thank you. I wondered about this but didn’t know if this amount would be too little.

OP posts:
Original poster
workidoos · 26/10/2024 14:22

AlwaysFreezing · 26/10/2024 14:21

If you can negotiate a term time only contract, I'd go for that. It's so much better being able to cover the holidays without relying on clubs or whatever other options you have.

It also means you only ever work 6 (maybe 7) week blocks at a time, and you get the best parts of the school years with your kids.

I probably can’t in my role unfortunately. It won’t figure for us until DD starts school, but would be useful after that

OP posts:
AlwaysFreezing · 26/10/2024 14:21

If you can negotiate a term time only contract, I'd go for that. It's so much better being able to cover the holidays without relying on clubs or whatever other options you have.

It also means you only ever work 6 (maybe 7) week blocks at a time, and you get the best parts of the school years with your kids.

Tarantella6 · 26/10/2024 14:21

£500-£1k a month depending on how expensive your tastes are. I like holidays and you should make the most of termtime prices before dc starts school!

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