To think its not even worth working!?

[Singlemum90]

Just been offered a job, for reference its about £35k. Initially I was super happy as I have been SAHM for a number of years & its in a field I used to work in but a bit different & a little less stress. And to me, that is a pretty decent salary!

After the call I decided to break down how much better off we would be, cost of living crisis and all that! I was thinking I would have a decent impact on our finances. But nope! With tax, student loan, childcare, the commute & a cleaner once every couple of weeks (we have children & pets- I would absolutely need some help if we are both working full time) I would only be up about £150 a week. And this is with wrap around care in school-goodness knows the cost over school holidays.

So really I would be working a full time professional job for £150 a week, max. I did origionally leave the work force because of this exact reason, but childcare costs then were for a full time childminder, I thought it would be better now my children are older.

I feel very deflated. Is missing time with the children, commuting, & the additional stress of working full time worth it for £150 a week!?

I apologise in advance I know I am incredibly fortunate to have the choice and to be able to afford to stay at home on my husbands income and I know £150 a week is a lot of money to a lot of people. It is a lot of money, just not what I thought a £35k salary would equate to.

So AIBU to think that it is s* to work full time for £7800 a year after everything that needs paid!?

£600 extra spending money a money a month sounds quite significant to me. I am not sure what you were expecting on that wage.

Take the job, it is a decent salary. You will be making pension contributions and your childcare costs will decrease as your DCs get older.

Energy and food increases will happen whether you are working or not, so I can't see the logic in using those figures in your equations.

Yes as those other costs aren’t forever. Factor in pension, promotions along the way. You’re better off in work

It’s the stepping stone to promotions and salary increases over the next 20 years. Employers pension contributions, topped up by the tax contribution and increasing in value henceforth - the longer your money is in the more it grows. Plus NI credits towards a full state pension.

But salary goes up, childcare costs down over time plus things like pension contributions. And childcare is a split cost - I get what you mean about money in your pocket but you seem to be saying only your professional job pays for it.

Obviously you take the job, restart career and get engaged in work. It’s really an ok wage after an absence from employment. Really it’s somewhat disingenuous to be dithering yea but no but. People on benefits will really struggle, you’ll not be struggling plus you may have progression too.

don’t let self doubt ruin a great opportunity

If you look at it as YOU pay out all those things, yeah, doesn't look great. As you are married, you technically pay half of all that, does that make your take home look more appealing?

I find this approach to working very strange. We all have expenses that take up most of our wages. So if I take the same approach, after rent, bills, insurance etc etc then my 'take home' is actually less than yours will be each week. So should I quit work?

YABU
You are coming out £600/mo ahead! And after a long absence from the workforce too. You are only going to come out further and further ahead as you get back into working. The alternative is to stay out of the workforce even longer and perhaps when you start back, you might be worse off by a few hundred quid a month until you work your way back up. You’re looking a gift horse in the mouth imho.

I can see your point especially as you can obviously manage without the wage as you have done so far . All that rushing about and presumably getting in about 6-7pm. Any chance of any free childcare once a week , any relatives that could help ? Chance of a 4 day week ?

I think £150 a week extra is quite decent! Plus those expenses aren’t forever, nursery etc are just whilst your kids are very small. In that time you’re also making pension contributions, getting career progression etc

Its not just the money in your pocket right now that you have to think of.

I said to my dd (now 13) earlier that I sometimes wished I’d been at home with her when she was little and she said “I’m glad you didn’t, I liked nursery!” 😂

I'd so do that for an extra £150 per week. That's more than my monthly disposable income.

For me, it would depend on how old the kids are?

If they are primary ages and do extra curricular stuff too, I'd stay off work rather than go in for 600 quid a month. Just so that you can be there for their assemblies, school trips etc.

Get rid of the children, pets and cleaner and you’ll be laughing.

Can you think of any other reasons that this job may be good?

We’ve all got expenses that come out our salary. For someone who’s been out of the workforce for a while and probably needing to brush up on skills, it’s a decent starting salary. And it willl only go up as childcare costs come down. What role model would you rather de for your children - someone who has made use of their expensive degree and who contributes to the family or one that does housework?

You're acting as though £600 a month is nothing!

Fair play if it doesn't make that much difference to your life.

But it's not just the paltry £600 a month is it. Its to do with pension, NI contributions, getting yourself on the job ladder etc.

You’re looking at it completely the wrong way around the fact that you have the additional money after you’ve paid your bills is phenomenal, that’s brilliant and then if anything goes wrong with your darling husband‘s career as happened to me in 2008 the shit hit the fan he was made redundant and within a year he did not have another job as expected. I was able to keep us all in our home. If I’d been a stay at home mom who didn’t consider £600 a month to be worth it quite literally we would’ve been screwed because nobody was hiring at that stage for me or him.

£150 extra a week sounds great! How old are your DC? Childcare costs won't be forever. It's also additional NI and pensions contributions for you, which will help out long term.

1. More money
2. Opportunities
3. Meeting different people
4. Pension
5. Financial independence

I'd do it.

Ignore all the stay home advice, it’s myopic & short term advice
costs you cite,that’s costs working parents pay and they’re shared between you and your partner .
Do return You’ll be earning and building a career and that’s invaluable

Only 150 a week better off is a lot of money to me - YABU

£150 a week?! I know it's relative to income and expenses but that's a heck of a lot of money for most people I'd have thought.

It's not just about the money, it's about job experience, pension, keeping your skills up to date. The longer you're out of a job, the harder it is to find a new one.

You have to balance up quality of life against financial gain, which is £550 a month plus adding to your pension. You don't say how old you are. This would make a difference in my opinion.
For instance, in my own situation, I had my child late in life. Became a single stay at home Mum. Already had enough contributions for full state pension and have a reasonable private pension waiting for me. I decided that I'd rather be poorer now and be there for my DC - especially in school holidays. When he's a bit older/independent I'll work again.

You’re taking a bizarre approach to this. I don’t have kids and live alone. I earn 55k. After I’ve paid my mortgage, council tax, bills, dog care, pet insurance, travel etc I come away with about 200 a week to play with. Should I quit work because it isn’t worth it? As others have said an extra 600 month seems significant. And it’s not just about that, it’s about your long term plans, pension, career progression etc

As others have said, you are not factoring the long-term benefit of pension contributions.

Plus, if you wait to find job until the children don't need wrap-around care, you may struggle and may be offered on a lower salary reflecting a longer time out of the workforce.

With the way everything is going up, earning potential is really important.