How on earth can I afford to work??

[Arrowfanatic]

Stopped working to become a sahm in the early part of 2011.

I now have 3 kids all in primary school and have been considering returning to full time employment.

However I've been totalling the costs of child care and I just can't see how it's worth it. Daily costs for before/after school care is almost £60 a day and that's after the sibling discount.

Holiday costs are close to £100 a day after discount.

I have no family or friends who could help, and the nature of my husband's work means he wouldn't be able to be reliable to do any school runs (works for the emergency services, shifts, minimum notice call ins, very rarely makes it out on time and is at least 1.5 hour commute away).

Any job I could get would not be a big earner, less than £25k. Even with childcare vouchers I can't see it being worth it. I feel like I should try to work, especially now the kids are all in school but it looks impossible. My husband's salary although good only just covers our costs as it is.

Is there anything else out there to help? We don't qualify for any benefits, except child benefit so no tax credit help.

It's pointless me working isn't it.

I love everyone saying split your annual leave to cover school holidays. In my previous employment we were not always allowed to take leave during school holidays as everyone wanted to do it.
So not always the answer!

I think you said you did debt collection in the past? At a previous job we had a self employed person come in to chase debts and they got paid a percentage of what they recovered. As it was self employed they could choose their hours/work from home etc and I expect you could drop it down a bit during school holidays.

Might be worth checking out. Not an employed role obviously but might sort the childcare issue and would get you using your skills so that you would hopefully be in a better place to apply for employed roles in the future if that's what you wanted.

If it’s not that the financial aspect that’s the big issue for you, how about becoming a carer? Either gong to people’s homes, or a healthcare assistant in hospital? Most of these jobs provide in house training, and hours can be very flexible - especially if you work for an agency. Although hard work, it can be really rewarding - might not be for you, but it’s a thought!

I applied for a job that was advertised as full time but said I could only do a max of 22 hours a week. They still hired me and I work 4 x short school days so I can do drop offs & pick ups, and in the holiday I do my hours over 3 days instead of 4 which makes childcare much easier and cheaper.

You just need to put yourself out there - there are flexible jobs around but they are not going to come and bite you on the nose!

There are a variety of reasons why it's of benefit to return to work, whether full or part time and although initially your salary will be eaten up by childcare costs (although I totally agree with others that this should be paid from both salaries, not just yours) the benefits outweigh the initial cost.

Returning to work now means you gain up-to-date experience and consolidate your position in the workforce. It also means you are paying NI and contributing to your own pension. Should something happen to your DH - illness or worse, redundancy, or should you and he split, you won't be in the difficult position in which so many women find themselves. Having been at home for years, they assume the DHs will be reasonable re finances but they so rarely are once reality hits, their lives are in turmoil and trying to find a job with no relevant experience while all this is happening becomes an intolerable burden.

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Op, I hear you about your H's job. I'm in the same line of work so yes, to the posters asking there are mothers doing these roles (although I don't generally get called in, but do frequently get held on late) and with one partner in the emergency service you do usually need to have a partner with a job with a certain amount of leeway. It's H that does pick ups/drop offs when I'm working and it's him that has to dash to the school to collect sick children.

It's not as simple like you say to change roles or hours. But we do use a childminder and we are skint because of it, but it's only for a few more years. Me staying at home wasn't an option as I would probably have not gotten back into the service if I had left.

I haven't read all the way through, but in your situation tax free childcare would be more appropriate than childcare vouchers. Any family that has 2+ children with at least 1 higher rate tax payer would usually be better off with tax free childcare. It gives you a 20% discount per child up to a total of £10k fees per child. So, up to £2k of fees per child. Since your children are at school they will be below the £10k each in fees, so effectively you would get 20% off all childcare.

Re-do your sums with 20% off and see if that helps.

Another place to look for part time jobs, are there any national trust properties near you?

Lots of people have given you good ideas without mentioning your husband's job at all. Have you seen those posts?

Doesn't OP need to be working a certain number of hours for tax free childcare also?

OP I don't really understand what you want. You say you don't need the money, but yet you don't want to do a job where there will be little financial gain. You say you don't like your husband being the sole earner but you don't want him to change his job (fair enough, not saying he should) and it's his job which makes it really difficult for you to work because of the childcare logistics.

As I said upthread, I sort of get the impression you don't really want to work which again is fair enough. I'd love to be a SAHM.

I think it sounds like you want to stay being a SAHM.. but you want an excuse for it? If you wanted to work you could afford to work. If you don't want to just don't! Simple!

Pretty sure jobs in social housing and debt collection still exist. What about part-time work? You do seem very sure that there is no way you can possibly work but the fact is it can, and the longer you leave it the harder it will be to get back into the jobs market.

Is it possible to do agency work on dh days off? OH works shifts and I do agency work around his shifts and days off. Alternatively apply for school jobs.

Exam invigilator could be an option although not a steady income throughout the year. It is during the day though.

I understand the issue of living in the SE with husband that does irregular hours. Hope you find something op.

I worked from home, 10 - 2, as a private medical secretary while the kids were in primary. No childcare required and quite a few of these positions about - it made it much easier to move on when the kids were older.

I sympathise OP, not the same circumstances entirely but financially it would cost too much for me to return to work (admin) due to childcare and commute.
Even if I went part time and stayed local it would mean DH would have to change his work and that would mean he would earn less.
From what you have very clearly explained it simply won't work for you and your family, however you look at it , your contribution can't be a financial one until something changes. It's no less valuable though and your DH appreciated you and if they grow up with one full time parent at home and here for all the school years then IMO that's no bad thing.
Keep looking and thinking if it helps but the role of a SAHM is a very important one and you sound like you've got a balance you're happy with for the most part.

Loving the idea that under £25k is a low wage and that OP should return to uni to retrain.
I'm currently at uni and expect to earn £22k when I graduate as an entry level professional. Fortunately we only have 2 kids and dh works school hours - although not at the dcs' school so we still need some wrap around care and compulsory after school clubs.

I have not read all the posts on here but lots of people are suggesting term - time work. Can I just say that parents are legally entitled to take up to four weeks unpaid parental leave per year per child provided they have been employed for a year. This is statutory so employers can't refuse (only delay the dates) so with both parents taking some unpaid leave plus the usual paid annual leave you can cover pretty much all of the school holidays to look after the DCs.

If you don't need to work financially then why don't you volunteer. Would give you something to do and you could let them know when you are available.

If my husband earned enough so I didn't have to work then I wouldn't

It's why I couldn't afford not to work even when my wages didn't come near to childcare as kept me in the loop and on the payscale. Now all mine are in school I'm upping my hours and moving forwards.

oh i do agree that volunteering at the school is a well worn path to a TA job - can't think of a person that hasn't started like that at my DCs' school, if that interests you.

I get you OP. People here saying they don't understand, they just won't if they're working.
It's not about the money, it's about having a job and having some adult social time, actually using your brain to challenge yourself for once other than just doing Mum stuff.

Have you looked into the charity sector? Employers in this sector are less likely to pay overtime due to funding constraints and generally offer flexitime instead.

I'm trustee of a charity where we have a small staff of 7, all of them work total flexitime, and come in when they are available, provided this enables us to get all the work done when needed. At least 2 of them are postgraduate students and fit work around their studies. Well worth trying local charities.