What % of your income from work do you spend because of work?

[verdantverdure]

AIBU to ask you what percentage of your income from working you spend because you are working?

A younger family member has asked me to cast an eye over her sums and it looks to me like she can't afford to go back to work after maternity leave.

Once you add up nursery and the commute, she's already running at a loss even before she buys new work clothes to fit her post pregnancy figure and current norms at her workplace.

Not including convenience foods such as pre chopped veg or a bought in lasagne etc so she can get dinner on the table soon after she gets home, or takeaways for the nights she's too shattered to do that.

A cleaner do her weekends can be family time not housework time?

Treats to cheer her up because life is a bit of a grind?

Stuff like hair, make up and nails so she looks "groomed" at work?

What about you?

What percentage of your income from working do you spend because you are working?

Other than a professional registration, indemnity insurance and fuel to get to work, i don't have to pay anything because I work.

The op is too ridiculously sexist to be taken seriously but @FrostyBits makes a valid point about the costs of not working

Surely you just do it at weekends, then. That's what lots of us do. Or evenings. It doesn't actually take that long to keep on top of stuff, especially if there are two adults to share it.

Is your niece looking for a justification for not going back to work? Because it kind of sounds like it with that list of "costs".

Isn't that just creative accounting though?

It costs what it costs.

They'll be worse off by that amount no matter what heading you out it under.

No.

In the short term it doesn't always add up financially, but in the long term it always does. A lot of things on that list are nice to have but not strictly necessary, and probably more unaffordable not working than working. But it depends a lot on her personal values and personality, for some people being a SAHM is worth the long term financial impact, for others they would hate being a SAHM, or wouldn't want that long term financial impact and find a way that works for them, be that going part time, or staying full time and realising that means spending a day of every weekend cleaning and prepping for a while. I don't think there is an easy path or a right path, but it's not just a financial decision. That's too simplistic for a decision this complex and ultimately emotionally rooted also

Isn't that just creative accounting though?

No. Both parents incur costs, not just one.

She’ll get pension contributions when employed so you need to factor that in too.

That made me laugh but I'm not exactly sure what you mean?

Probably 0.000001%. No childcare costs, walk to work, don't wear make up or get my nails done. Haircut every two months but would do that if I wasn't working. No cleaner, rarely have convenience food. I buy maybe a new pair of trousers and work top once a year.

The big costs you can't get away from or reduce much are childcare and commuting. The rest is a personal choice.

Has she calculated what it will cost her not to go back to work? Not only in lost earnings, but lost opportunities for career development and progression, lost pension contributions etc

But neither of them incur nursery costs if she doesn't go back to work.

It only comes off the bottom line of their family finances then.

Yep, and she shoulders 100% of the risk.

0.5%

That's £20 on petrol.

Food/drink is free, don't wear make up, only wear jeans and a top, hair is in a messy bun.

Mine's about 30% of my net income, because I live a long way from the office and the commute is very expensive for my office days. Also have to board my dog as it's such a long day. I get a good pension and consider it fair as it was my choice to live far away (and my living costs otherwise are reduced). I agree with pp that these are neither her costs alone nor all strictly work related.

Sounds like you are coming up with reasons why she shouldn't work.

The only actual expenses are travel to work and childcare.

For childcare tax free account takes 20 per cent off.

And then when child is three, free hours reduce the cost somewhat. So the really high cost is only the first couple of years

@verdantverdure Are there any ‘benefits’ not being claimed - free child care vouchers/tax credits?

That's another optional cost. Nothing is stopping her taking a sandwich.

Sounds a bit like you're making an excuse not to work really. A lot of what you list are choices not necessities.

@verdantverdure

Oh come on.

You mean that wasn't deliberate?

Your bias is that bad?

Why should childcare fees, getting dinner on the table, housework and having a pretty bow in her hair while she does it all be her responsibility?

Where's the kids dad in all this?

Sitting with his slippered feet up, puffing a pipe?

I spend 4% of my take-home pay on train fair (2 trips to the office a week).
I make my own lunch. I don't buy coffee. I don't have kids, so no childcare costs to factor in.

You can't claim takeaways as a work cost!! It's quicker to cook some pasta and pour a jar of sauce over it than it is to place your order and wait for it to arrive!
Likewise having a cleaner - plenty of people cope just fine without.

Then the WHOLE calculation has to be made off of the bottom line. You either make the calculations about going back to work off of the impact to the whole family pot, or you pro-rate costs based on one partner -- you can't do both in the same equation and have it make sense.

"The op is too ridiculously sexist to be taken seriously but FrostyBits makes a valid point about the costs of not working"
This.

Is this thread a wind-up?

Well, of course you do the cleaning at the weekends. That’s normal. Buying takeaways isn’t. Your post is completely ridiculous and insulting to normal people. “Work expenses” are the commute and childcare, that’s it. Plus a couple of outfits, if really necessary.

It's not that it's her responsibility, it's that her decision will trigger these costs.

This!!