to not understand how you can get 8 months into maternity leave before you realise you cant afford to take a whole year?

[JRmumma]

Seem to have had the same conversation a few times recently where someone has suddenly realised that when SMP stops, they will have to return to work when they had originally planned to take the full year off as 'they wont have enough money coming in'.

To me, it just seems sensible to add up the total amount you will receive in maternity pay and divide it equally between however many months you plan to take off and just spend that.

I just don't understand how, if you don't do this, you imagined that you would get by if you already know you cannot do it on 1 wage? Maternity pay is usually front loaded and so surely its a no-brainer to put some aside for the months you receive 0 pay.

I guess in a lot of cases it's down to underestimating how much a baby will cost. Plus of course unforeseen changes in circumstances.

DS1 was certainly more expensive than DH & I had anticipated.

Actually I always thought splitting your pay up like that is for people who are bad at budgeting. Why else would you let your employer hold on to money that is yours for longer than they need to? No way would I let them. It's like those Christmas savings clubs but the opposite way round. I always thought why can't you just put it in a separate bank account - at least you get interest that way (however pitiful).
As for mat leave time period I also wanted to keep open as I truly didn't know how I would feel. Still don't at 6 months but I know that if I decide to come back early my boss would not be complaining so what is the big deal?
Oh and my baby has been way more expensive than I anticipated due to health problems I couldn't have foreseen . In my case that won't really affect when I go back but i can see why something like that might have affected others.

Who's employer is holding on to their money? I meant add it all up and split it x ways yourself. Its usually front loaded so able to put away what you need at the beginning to see you through till the end.

A lot of people get their pay split up evenly across however many months they say they are going to take off. So not front loaded and you have to decide before you have baby how long you are going to take off. I assumed that is what you meant op.
It is very popular where I work but not something I would have considered.

I had no idea you could do that tbh

We calculated the minimum we could survive on and saved to make up the shortfall when salary would drop.

Lots of people breezily go about saying "babies don't have to be expensive". Even if you get loads secondhand and don't spend much and have a realistic budget there are lots of associated costs you don't realise beforehand (and that you can't really prepare for). Eg. breastfeeding might be free, but I calculated it took me until about 6 months to break even compared to the cost of formula after I'd had to spend a lot more than I'd anticipated on stuff like nursing bras, emergency hire of hospital grade breast pump when breastfeeding was going v badly, lactation consultant for tongue tie, taxis to breastfeeding clinics and so on. And who budgets beforehand for extra washes running all the time because you got a posseter, taxis to the GP for baby doctors' appointments for this and that semi-urgent thing, ready meals because you're too exhausted to cook, baby cranial osteopathy, baby wipes, and all of the things you buy from eBay in desperation just in case they'll help the baby sleep?

Lots of people breezily go about saying "babies don't have to be expensive". Even if you get loads secondhand and don't spend much and have a realistic budget there are lots of associated costs you don't realise beforehand (and that you can't really prepare for). Eg. breastfeeding might be free, but I calculated it took me until about 6 months to break even compared to the cost of formula after I'd had to spend a lot more than I'd anticipated on stuff like nursing bras, emergency hire of hospital grade breast pump when breastfeeding was going v badly, lactation consultant for tongue tie, taxis to breastfeeding clinics and so on. And who budgets beforehand for extra washes running all the time because you got a posseter, taxis to the GP for baby doctors' appointments for this and that semi-urgent thing, ready meals because you're too exhausted to cook, baby cranial osteopathy, baby wipes, and all of the things you buy from eBay in desperation just in case they'll help the baby sleep?

Eek, no idea why that posted twice, sorry!!