to think the amount of money im left with by the end of the month is ridiculous?

[yellowcheesepie]

I recently went back to work after mat leave and am sat here wondering how on earth this is worth it ?! after paying all my bills of food, rent, electricity, water, internet, netflix, phone, commute and childcare etc i'm only left with £200 a month to save? i'm not a big spender either, all my income goes on the mentioned above plus £100 spending allowance for myself.

I'm not trying to rant, but i'd like to understand how other working mums do it? is this a reasonable amount to save per month or is there something very wrong in my finances? I live with my DH and we split all bills / expenses if anyone is wondering

Irrespective of what's left, I don't really understand the question. There's not an alternative out there offering free food, housing, utilities etc, is there?

So you’ve actually got £300.

And you can afford the large expense that is childcare - a relatively short term expense.

So you’ve got less money now you’ve got a child - which bit of that was unexpected? Or even unfair… children are expensive hobbies!

Eventually you will get some childcare free hours. Are you using the tax free childcare scheme or getting vouchers through work?

I would agree with others that at the moment having any spare means you are winning. You say you split all bills with your DH. Do you both earn similar amounts? Have you discussed this with him?

We had joint accounts when our children were born and all income and expenditure went out of the same account. We then had the same amount of spending money in separate sole accounts which we still do now. Best way to avoid problems of unequal income (I went part time and was a SAHM for a few years when they were babies). I pointed out to my DH that he would not be able to do the job he did if I was not picking up all the childcare responsibilities but financially I suffered for doing that. If he did not agree to financially share the responsibilities at least by joint accounts or proportionally according to income then I would have gone back full time to work and made him sort out childcare for half the week.

Presumably that £200 has to cover your share of travel costs, holidays, clothing, haircuts, gifts, washing machine repairs, etc?

And £100 personal savings each month is pretty healthy.

I think you should do a thorough budget and analyse where all of your annual costs. Family costs, not just yours.

You'll possibly find that if you were not working, your income wouldn't stretch very far at all, even without childcare costs. It's a decision for you and your DP to make, with all the factors carefully considered.

Is it worth going to work to pay for your living expenses?Erm ,yes! That's what people who want to have a home ,food and clothes do.They work for living

That’s £200 more than I am left with at the end of the month.
More month than money mostly.

What a giggle!

Jeez. I think a large proportion of the country would currently give their right arm to "only" be able to save £200 a month in this current climate.

Times are hard right now. Consider yourself blessed to be in such a good position.

As for how other working mums did it…
I didn’t have children until my earnings were good.
I deliberately waited longer than my preference for #2 to reduce childcare costs hitting at the same time.
I just accepted that these would not be my peak saving years - and saved hard before they were born, and again now they’re in their teens and I have zero childcare cost.

You are literally well off enough to be able to save all that childcare fee once they’re older!

You pay all your bills and both you and your oh (presumably) have enough money left over to save and 100 for yourself?

What the fuck else do you want?

If this is real I suggest you go down to b and q with your 100 quid and buy the biggest grip you can find

God it really is a race to the bottom.

She's renting. Saving towards a house 200 pounds a month will get a deposit in just a short decade or two. If she's extremely lucky.

I bet half the people commenting already own a house.

Cruel stealth boast

£300 of disposable income is pretty good! Have you looked at if doing 4 days a week instead of 5 would be helpful? You'd save childcare costs and that 5th day might be heavily taxed compared to the rest of your income.

You have money left over and you’re worrying?!

So many people have either nothing left at all or end up in debt every month - I think you’re doing okay!

@Potat0soup

The op doesn't say anything about saving for a house.

Not everyone wants to buy.

£100 to yourself and £200 to save ..wow ..that’s brilliant,amazing,I’d totally love to be in that situation

Lucky you!!

How much is your childcare bill?
What did you spend it on before you had children? Did you save it ?

You say you save £200 (+£100 personal spend). I presume dh saves as well, so your combined household monthly saving amount is quite good.

I voted YABU simply because it's normal to be broke when you have little ones in nursery. But the point is: you stay in work, you get a pension, then at age 3 you get a reduction for the 15 term-time free hours spread over the year, then at school age you can reduce childcare to breakfast/after school clubs and holiday care. So it'll feel better in a few years.

Unless you decide to have another baby!

£100 spending money after essentials, AND £200 to put into savings?? That’s a lot of money to have left over.
I haven’t had anything going spare to put into savings for the past few years. Not a penny. I’ve currently got £12 in my savings account, and it will stay that way. Once my rent, bills, food, fuel to get me to work etc are paid, there’s very little wiggle room with what’s left over. If I put that into savings, there’s be nothing to fall back on that month if I need it.

I'm not trying to rant, but i'd like to understand how other working mums do it?
But not everyone earns the same, so "How does everyone else do it?" is ludicrous, isn't it?
Most of them in different circumstances to yours simply earn more 🤷🏻‍♀️