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?

Are you a single parent then?

I assume you haven't worked a corporate job lately? 😂

Honestly, what you describe is like an insane 70s/80s stereotype. No corporate role I've ever done has required this nonsense.

Is she appearing in the next series of The Apprentice?

Sounds like she needs to look for another job, then!

Number of times a colleague has ever said to me that they are going to a blow dry bar - zero

If you, sorry I mean your niece work in a corporate role I presume the wage must be fairly decent.

And if her oh works away I presume his will be too.

Im sure they will cope

Oh God it does sound like the apprentice!

Sounds a very odd workplace especially post Covid. Heels aren’t worn by young people at all.
I wonder if she’s lacking confidence post maternity leave.

No luckily so of course it’s not 98% of the household earnings, just what I personally bring to the table. As our finances are completely shared it means that I can see the long term picture and continue to work so that I continue pension contributions etc! 😊

If this is true she will be on a massive wage so will be fine. The rest of us manage because these are not normal requirements.

I seem to have got quite far in my career without ever bothering with nail polish.

I do have my hair coloured but that's because I'm vain. Not because it would make any difference to my work if people saw a bit of grey!

Also, office heels are very dated. Most corporate offices these days are full of women in Chelsea boots or other types of flat shoes. And I'm regional, not London!

She is spinning you a yarn.

Many of the 'costs' you list have nothing to do with work.
Work costs- travel to the workplace
Childcare
Corporate work ware IF specifically required.

Lunches- she would have to eat any way
Hair- I presume she gets that cut anyway or has she spent mat. leave like a yeti?
Nails- this is a choice
chopped veg- WTF? This is convenience
cleaner- if you want one then crack on, nobody NEEDS a cleaner to go back to work.

If she doesn't want to go to work then that is reason enough. These costs she/you have come up with are frankly, utterly bonkers.

Nobody is wearing heels anymore, where on earth does she work?

If it’s a corporate role then childcare etc should be very affordable.

None of this makes any sense to be honest.

Wtf is a blow dry bar?

Childcare and travel to work are the only work related expenses I recognise there. The other things are luxuries.

I might assume the opposite. Not a senior professional role.

Crikey i cringe at posts like this. This is why there is a gender pay gap, and women are in such vulnerable position.

If she isn't married she needs to go back to work to protect herself. If as a couple they decide she stays at home, her DP needs to set up payments into a private pension for her, she needs access to all family money.

And i agree with previous poster that childcare costs are only 50% hers, if she choses not to go back tonwork her DP better recognise the value she is savjng him from having to pay out as well!

Having read this I can see why her travel will be so expensive.....travelling back to the 1990s corporate life.....

Zero
Batch cook, no cleaner, make my own lunch
WFH, no travel so no outfits/makeup etc
Hair cut is for me and not work

Agreed. Senior professionals do not dress as described by the OP. It's a million miles off.

Clean, smart (and possibly expensive) clothes - yes. Nail bars, highlights and blow dry bars - no.

It’s like a hairdresser but just does blow drys. I follow an American footballer’s wife on instagram (because of her dog!) and she goes - to be fair her hair looks lovely. I didn’t know they had them in uk, certainly not near me up north anyway.

I'm glad I'm not the only one wondering what the hell a blow dry bar is! Does this woman live in the UK? Or does she commute from New Jersey to her corporate job in Manhattan?!

😂