Part time work or full time?

[pontipinemum]

I could earn considerably more if I went full time

I work in a professional job, 3 days a week from home. I am doing a job I am over qualified for and the salary reflects it, although 2 friends in the same field are on similar wages for 3 days as well even though they do more than me. If I worked in a more senior job I would earn 20-30% more gross. I would need to go full time though. Which obviously would bring in a lot more money.

I was working out the salary last night and it looks tempting. BUT my work life balance is very good right now.

I have a 1.5 yr old and due baby no 2 this summer. DH is a farmer, he will inherit the family farm/ home but we currently pay out a small 'mortgage' to his parents , it's complicated DH does a lot of labour for free as. But we don't have a large financial burden and will (hopefully not for a long time) have a house.

We are fairly comfortable in that we don't have to worry about food shopping, bills, OK car, but couldn't buy nice clothes/ go on holiday at the drop of a hat but can save for it.

Work are incredibly flexible with me when DS is sick I collect him from nursery and mind him until DH is home then catch up on my hours later.

I'd be mad to jump ship wouldn't I?

But the money looks tempting. I am in Ireland currently on 30k for 3 days. Full time I would I would get 65k - I am in a very rural area not a large city 100k+ salary around here just doesn't happen.

It sounds like you have a nice work life balance at the moment, especially as you say you’re fairy comfortable financially. I don’t think it would be a good idea to change it until baby number 2 is born and you are settled into life with 2 kids. Make the decision then.

Could you do full time for an amount of time say six months /a year and save the extra you would earn?

@FrancisSeaton I'd love to do that, work full time for a year or so and save up a bit. BUT I think I'd really struggle to get a job like what I have again. Part time doesn't come up often let alone fully remote. I live on a farm in a very rural area if I was to commute to the nearest city it would be 2 hours each way.

@TipsyKoala I won't be making any changes before baby no 2 arrives. I probably won't either. I think I need to just see while the extra money would be nice there is more to it than that. Hopefully it'll keep, as in I keep doing this work for a few years to keep my toes in work then when they are at primary I might look for FT