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Original poster

Help with nursery costs/returning to work

31 replies

Worldtravels · 27/01/2025 17:46

We would like to start trying for a baby soon. Just thinking about our situation and wondering if anyone has been in a similar position.

I am an NHS worker band 2
I take home £1600 per month, give or take after tax and pension. If I was to return to work after maternity leave, nursery fees are around £1700 per month for one child. Im struggling to think what would be best:

A, To return to work and pay my whole wage to them. Deal with the constant illness from nursery and never see my child. I am still paying in to a pension, keeping my job prospects open.

B, Don’t go back to work. Financially it will be the same for our household pot 💰

Either way I bring no money into this house and my husband would have to cover everything. I have read about the 30 hours of funding coming in 2025. I realise that it is not going to work out as 30 hours per week, for various reasons including the fact that it is 38 weeks per year. I think it will reduce the childcare bill so that is something I guess.

What have other people done who earn a similar amount to me?

Thanks

OP posts:
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Unexpectedlysinglemum · 29/01/2025 23:03

You can also take the full year off plus parental leave of four weeks plus accrued annual leave of 4/5 weeks so wait until baby is 14 months to go to nursery, then go back to work part time - put baby in nursery for two days and husband does one day (he's self employed so should be flexible) one of these days will be funded so nursery bill should be just about £400 a month

Unexpectedlysinglemum · 29/01/2025 23:04

Worldtravels · 27/01/2025 19:13

I am not sure what entitlements we would get towards childcare? I was just reading about the 30 hours. Everything I read seemed to make out that it’s not actually 30 hours, as it is term time only, and then the nursery charges fees on top for supplies. Obviously that’s something I will enquire about in the future. I think it would still work out at a good discount price but I wonder if it is truly 30 hrs. Someone else mentioned tax free childcare, I will read up on this too.

I wasn’t saying I don’t want to work, you don’t know me at all (of course because this is an online forum) or you wouldn’t think that, I am really hard working and good with my money. I am trying to understand if staying home for a few years might work out better, if the financial side is not beneficial to us as a couple. I would rather not stay home all day with the baby, I like having my independence too.

Also the thought of not being able to contribute what I currently do to our mortgage and bills, makes me feel awful. I am just wondering that’s all, what others have done. I was fully expecting us to have to pay the full fee, and then maybe get some money off after the 30 hours is included, I am not quite sure how much that’s would leave the bill at.

Thank you all, a lot to think about. Perhaps with the 30 hours it wouldn’t be a total loss… I fully plan to save up, I have already cut down on my spending in preparation hopefully to conceive within the next couple of months 🤞husband is always good with money too. Had a very expensive year as we just bought a house, and have had to spend a lot inside, so no savings at the moment.

It's more like 22 hours funded

Ponderingwindow · 29/01/2025 23:05

is your role available for evening or weekend shifts?

Yellowtulipsdancing · 29/01/2025 23:16

So as not need your salary to live off, start saving the 1,600 a month now. Try that totally for 3 months. Did you manage it? If so, keep saving that until you stop work about 8 months pregnant. That will give you 11 x £1,600. If you can’t manage it, as always an expense, how much did you save in 3 months? Then re evaluate. You have no current savings, so how will you pay for baby things?

then you can take 12 months maternity leave, 4 weeks annual leave and then 4 weeks parental leave.

14 months off work.

cam you progress to band 3 before you have a child? Can you work 1 day a week when your DH does not reduce childcare?

Notgivenuphope · 29/01/2025 23:20

Ponderingwindow · 29/01/2025 23:05

is your role available for evening or weekend shifts?

This is what I was thinking
Make it work somehow but don’t quit work. There is too much to lose.

Fupoffyagrasshole · 29/01/2025 23:21

With the funded hours it would be much less - I get around 800£ off my bill at the moment with 15 hours for a baby - that’s spread over the full year! I pay around £950 a month for 4 days.

if it was 30 hours funding it would be even less

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