to ask how much money you would need to stop working?

[bedraggledmumoftwo]

Or if you already have, at what point was it manageable financially?

returning from mat leave after second baby but don't think i can go back part time so it is all or nothing. I am lucky in that i have a successful career, am senior qualified professional, but even so i will only bring in about £1k a month after childcare for two toddlers and commuting costs. I realise i am lucky to actually make a profit at all after paying for childcare, but i do question whether it is worth the stress and commute and being away from my babies all week, when my dh has just got a big promotion and could afford to cover our living costs.

at what point would/did you decide not to work any more? And if you are a sahm do you plan on working after the kids are grown up?

But to cover our day to day living costs, £3k per month.

net around a grand a month more if I went to work and put the kids in nursery than if i were a sahm

Including pension contributions?

Don't get me wrong - I'm an FT mum of two small children and it's really quite tough even when your take home pay makes it worth your while to be back at work.

1k a month is actually 12k a year which is a salary that many people survive on....

I think your proposed approach - to use annual leave to go back part-time initially is a good one. It also allows you to suss out the situation with a possible job share, or compressed hours, line up all your ducks before tackling a manager who is less than family friendly.

I'd also suggest banking the 1k a month as a nest egg and trying to live off your DH's salary only. It's a very useful indicator of whether or not you have been realistic in your calculations but also whether or not you have had to dip into it in emergencies and overruns.

My DH was extremely confident that we could live on just his salary - due to unfortunate timing with new job, I only qualified for MA in my second pregnancy. The reality of the lifestyle adjustment was a shock to him !! I was always going back to work but it was a very useful exercise.

Treadsoftly, thank you, that's a brilliant idea. We both transfer money to a joint account for bills etc although in practice it is all family money and i am in control . I have just reduced mine as i am coming to the end of smp, so i think i will cancel it for now and only pay enough in to cover the nursery fees when i go back, and see how we cope!

I don't think any amount of money would make me go out to work, but we are very lucky to be able to live very well on one very low income.
I am lucky that I don't have a career or childcare to pay, as many do.
There is no way I would do any sort of commute unless I had to.