Working full time with toddlers: are you managing to save anything?

[Handsfreeme]

Im 30 with twin 2 year old boys, who go nursery 8-5pm twice a week so I can work those 2 days.
DH works full time. Nursery fees are quite reasonable tbh and I do get the insane mum guilt when I pick them up and they’re ofcourse knackered after the long day.

With working 2 days a week I help DH with the bills slightly and the rest goes on miscellaneous things with the twins or myself. I can’t save anything at all, but I’ve accepted I chose to work part time.

I want to ask the mums with toddlers if they’re working full time and if you do are you able to save anything!

Yes we do manage to save but as a family... It sounds like you have separate finances? Surely you both decided together that you would go part time as that's what you both thought would be best for the kids?

Nope, 9 years of childcare fees 4 days a week (youngest starts school this September) and we not only don't save anything at all but have also burned through all of our previous savings. We both earn well but are literally living paycheck to paycheck and have been for the last 7 months.and my DH has some significant MH issues reducing his income. It is horrible, some months I don't pay the mortgage so I can catch up with the overdue amounts on other bills then I swap and pay the mortgage but miss loads of other bills and repeat. The constant calls and letters are beyond stressful, I'm not sleeping well but I can see the light. I just have to make it to August then things will improve immensely without that massive, massive bill.

First step is to get back up to speed with all bills and mortgage which I've forecasted should be 2 months, and then next job is saving a few thousand very quickly as I need that to be able to relax a little. Then I'll look at longer term stuff. It is awful, and 100% a huge factor in why so many women do not return to the workplace.

Joint finances, surely you're not separate finances while working part time with twins?

I’m not full time but do work 4 days a week, DH is full time. DS is in nursery 4 days a week and DD is in school with wraparound that we pay for. We do manage to save a reasonable amount, but appreciate we both have above average salaries. It would be a different situation if we had twins in nursery 4 days a week though, it would be a lot harder to save.

We have combined finances. I work 4 days a week earning about 45k, nursery for two kids is about £700 a month with the funding, so I'm definitely making a profit by working.

My DH earns similar and we manage to save every month. To be honest our lifestyle has changed so much since having kids, what we spend in nursery fees we save by never going out any more!

We never managed to save anything! We had children younger than we had planned, so didnt have great financial backing - but we made it work! We were never in debt, just not that far in the black either 🤣

Just aiming to keep your heads above water until they start school is good enough to be honest.

You can always re-earn back that money - but you wont get this time with them again whilst they are little. (Sorry thats so sickly sweet but it is true!)

Fees will go down a little as when they are over 3, but I can imagine it is extra tough with twins. Your costs are just going to be a big chunk until they start school. Tbh, if you are
managing okay I would just be grateful you can spend most of the week with them before they start school, but still have a job so you aren’t completely out of the workforce.

And yes, it might be best to combine finances so everything comes out of one pot. Then each of you can see exactly how everything is being spent and you might spot areas where you can both save.