AIBU to feel stuck financially while working part-time with young twins?

I worked 22hrs a week when my kids were small. When I separated from ex I was able to scale up my hours to 30hrs a week, it was really positive because I was already in the job just added more hours. For you I think it's great that you are keeping your foot in the door to keep your options open but also balance work with your kids.

You’re fine. By comparison: We saved as hard as we could until we could afford to have kids. The mat leave and childcare + drop in hours used up all our savings. Started saving again once kids in school. You’re in a very fortunate position (as am I), and kindly I’d suggest you’re probably in a bit of a bubble about what things are like for most people with young kids.

Surely you can see that this is ridiculous? If you wanted to work more you could, you have substantial savings and can afford your lifestyle on a greatly reduced work schedule. Not saving in addition to 40k for 2/3 years is hardly being hard done by.

I clicked the wrong option, yabu childcare alone for 2 will cost a fortune full time, it sounds like you are managing ok you don't need to do anything more until the boys are in school.

She didn't ask to be attacked, mocked, and told to delete her thread. This is a forum for mothers to support each other. Some posters have provided perspective without being rude or unkind but a few have been needlessly nasty.

But the OP asked for opinions.

Be a bit of an odd forum if people were only allowed to reply if they were empathising with the OP.

I don't think you can expect to be saving at this stage in your life. Maybe once the kids are in school.

Would it work out better from a tax perspective for you to increase a day and your husband to drop a day?

@Handsfreeme enjoy the time!

My twins are now 10 and I also worked 2 days a week when they were little which meant I earned about £20/week after nursery and petrol!

You can build your working hours up later when they start school.

Like I said @DaisyChain505, everything is relative. If you can't relate, scroll on by, rather than trying to police what others post.

It’s not the fact of people posting that they live comfortably it’s the fact that the OP clearly does live comfortably and is still complaining about money even though she’s got two properties and over 40k in savings behind her.

You're doing well and because your DC are twins you don't have the age gap between DC holding you in this position for longer than you need to be. You are incredibly lucky, enjoy your time with your little ones.

God, the anger, bitterness, jealousy and spite that comes out on these threads!

I am not angry, bitter, jealous nor spiteful.
But it is not hard to see this is a pretty tone deaf post.

God, the anger, bitterness, jealousy and spite that comes out on these threads! God forbid anyone should post that they have a comfortable life instead of posting that they're on the bones of their arse with 1 tin of beans to feed 5 kids until payday. We are not living under communism: people have different income levels and different lifestyles and those who are more comfortable (often because of working hard, delaying gratification and making good decisions) are still allowed to have worries: everything is relative. Get over it.

OP, you sound like you are in an absolutely idea position.

Very few young couples have the privilege of being able to have one of them work only two days, whilst being in such a privileged financial position.

Financially we’re stable. We have good savings (over £40k invested), our yearly expenses are budgeted for, and we have equity in our home and another property. However, because I’m only working part-time, for the next 2–3 years until the kids start school I’ll essentially just be maintaining our finances rather than adding significantly to our savings.

Very few 30 year olds are lucky enough to own two properties, and, quite separately, have over £40K invested which they don't even need to touch, despite all the initial expense that comes with having twin babies. You have all your expenses budgeted for and equity in two properties.

You are enormously privileged and clearly somewhat tone deaf to the position most people are in at your stage in life.

Enjoy the privilege of being able to just work for two days - thereby 'keeping your hand in' and skillset current - whilst also being able to spend most of the week with your dc. Very few people are able to hit that sweet spot.

It’s privileged to have the attitude that anyone living pay day to pay day is not responsible with money and must be pissing away every penny they have as you stated in your previous post.

It’s privileged to say that people are poor because of bad life choices when really it’s down to the shitty economy and government.

There is a lot that goes into the outcome of where someone ends up and how much they earn. Their upbringing, role models, access to education and so much more.

You’re replies are just digging you further into your privileged little hole and showing how little you know about what it is to live on very little whilst working very hard.

It’s not being privileged to have made good life decisions.

This constant pretence that life outcomes are purely some kind of cosmic lottery is tiresome, a lie told by people who in most cases are living with the consequences of shit decisions.

Claiming someone else doesn't understand entitled... then completely misunderstands the privilege she refers to. Oops.

Why don't you ask Mumsnet to pay you more?

I don’t think that you know what “entitled” means, but the poster I was responding to was having a go at the OP for doing what was right for her family.

it’s not privilege to make better decisions, and this is not a bucket of crabs, you don’t need yo try to drag anyone back in who seeks to improve their future.

This is perfectly reasonable if you are married and your husband is supportive. However, you need to do this with your eyes open. I seriously underestimated how much the years of scaled back working would knock back my career prospects.

Honestly the years go so fast, they'll be at school before you know it and you'll never get this time back. The financial sacrifice short time is so worth it imo, try to enjoy it

I thought this might be a thread I could relate to and then I read that you have £40K invested and two properties 😂 I think you'll be fine op

When you say friends and family are progressing financially what do you mean?
I have no clue what my friends and family's finances are? For all know they could have millions hidden away or equally everything could be paid for with loans and credit cards.