Do i take the plunge and go 3 day part time - can i afford it - what do you have 'free' a month

[Jellybabie3]

So its a question i guess noone else can really answer but i am gonna throw it out there anyway. i am a first time mum wanting to return to work part time. I can afford 4 days and plan to use annual leave to get to christmas on 3 days. But I would love to then switch to 3 days permanently in January. DH also earns but we have separate accounts. He earns less than me so I pay a greater % of the mortgage + bills and he covers food. We will split childcare.

By working 4 days I (as in just me) have a healthy £750/mth ish left over which allows me to save. 3 days leaves £430. Having been on maternity for a year a feel I have got a better grasp on money but is this enough going forward with clothes etc for DS and god knows what else (only d.debit bills accounted for in the sums so no car insurance etc) as he grows. Holidays etc? Future children... I am scared to make any leaps in case I muck it all up....

Any advice from similar situations? I have no idea what to do. If i mention to boss and muck her about it can only make work life harder. I am also being hounded by childcare to make a decision

So thats not going to work at all. I cant change to 4 days then request 3 at Christmas. Aargh

If you were to wait until your oldest was 3 until you had another you would get 30h free childcare.

That sounds like a good amount of money per month put aside. I'd put £100 of it into savings. You don't need to buy clothes as regularly as children get older as they don't grow as quickly as they get bigger...

Yes thats true. I am panicking now looking at my statements. I am spending about 700 a month on absolutely nothing apparently.

Ask if you can do 3 days a week for a temporary period (say 6 months to a year) then to review it. Then at that point either you (or your employer) can say if they think it is working. You may end up with your employer thinking differently to you after the trial but it gives some leeway to change things for both sides if it is not working for any reason.

When you ask for this, don't mention money, say you would like to work 3 days a week but would like a trial in case it doesn't work in terms of getting the job done ( which should be revised/redefined to take into account the change in hours). Some jobs just don't work as a PT 3 days a week even if the scope of the role is chsnged. but it isn't always obvious until you have tried it.

Yes it says in my terms that we are allowed a 3 month trial period. I am on good terms with my manager so perhaps we can swing it as 4 then dropping to 3 at christmas.

I dont go back til October

Im literally lost if i cant reduce my hours again at christmas. I think this would mean going back in november instead of october as i have so much leave and they wont pay me for it.

Literally gone through everything and DH with fine tooth and we would have 760 spare a month total if putting money aside for Christmas car etc.

Dear god im stressed

Can you "go back" in september, and get paid for holiday then, and request 3 day weeks from October?

Yeah i could. I would actually get to November on holiday full time. Then switch to 3 days. Its just a case of deciding whether we would be comfortable financially.

Are you on 100% income currently? I would pretend that you are getting 3 months worth now and then put the difference aside each month until October and see if you are managing. That of course include putting aside what it will cost in childcare.

No i am not, but i have the savings to put it aside and see if i cope. Or i can just keep stock of my spend.
Thanks

Thanks all. After a long chat with DH last night I think we are going to go for it. Worst case scenario I have to dip into savings a little whilst looking for a new job. Best case is I get atleast a year with more time with my son. This also means I may not go back til November (although cheeky as this would have been 15months off work...)