I agree with Lockets ..... it is not just "high" earners who find the life/work balance difficult to achieve.
Our household income is not high - at all, and we find the life/work balance impossible, never mind difficult to achieve.
DP leaves at 6.30am, gets back 8pm at the earliest (he is "expected" to stay later if required, yet gets no overtime). He spends £400 a month commuting, because we cannot possibly afford to buy a large enough home any where nearer to work. He earns £35k.
As soon as he gets back, and we've eaten, I then start work. I work evenings, and weekends, from home, earning a bloody pittance for a job which required you to have a degree ( I have a 1st BTW). In theory, it is possible to earn the grand sum of £9 per hour but it averages out to £3 an hour - less than the fecking minimum wage, and because I am self-employed there's sod all I can do about it.
During the day I am SAHM to 2 yr old DD, you know, all the housework, knowing she's being looked after by probably the best person to do so, but NEVER a second to myself. I could not, financially, have gone back to my previous job as once the travel & childcare was paid I would have cleared £200pm and we need more than that. There are no equivalent jobs - in either skills or pay anywhere near to where we live. Stupid, naiive me had no idea that once DD was born we'd qualify for zilch towards childcare (as I had done as a single mum). So ..... I work a FULL TIME job during anti-social hours for a fecking awful rate because in our circumstances it is the only way to scarpe the £400 pm extra we need.
I could go on ..... and on ..... and on ....
Savings ? .... you're having a laugh. Pension for me ? Ha ha ha.
We have NO couple time and our relationship is falling apart. We have NO time TOGETHER with our daughter, and the only ME time I ever snatch is a 10 minute shower. Our work pattern is completely destroying us. I feel shattered the whole time as I have so little time to relax.
Please, someone, tell me what I can do ? I am convinced we can't be the only family in this situation, yet as we are not high earners, we have absolutely no scope for more "flexible" working, negotiating a reduction in hours, or whatever. We have already moved as far out as we can to be able to afford a mortgage - compared to some our mortgage may be small but it is crippling us - yet we haven't been extravagant when we bought. In fact, my son now has to travel a round 30 mile trip back to his old school, so we actually made a hell of a lot of compromises. As I said, we wouldn't qualify for any meaningful tax credits as on paper we earn "too much" (irrespective of a large mortgage, large commuting costs and the Child Maintenance Dp pays to his ex). Like me, there are no equivalent jobs round here for DP anywhere near his current salary an/or even in his skill area.
Sorry .... I know I have gone off topic a bit, but it does bemuse me when much, much higher earners grumble about the difficulties they find in achieving life/work balance. If you have more money those difficulties can be more effectively assuaged (affording the welcome break of holidays for a start) ..... for some of us we work just as hard, over just as long hours, maybe even longer ..... FFS, could I work any harder ? I work F/T and every bloody single hour I work is during times which would qualify for overtime/anti-social payments with most employers.
I totally accept that 100s of 1000s of others also work hard ..... but hard work is NOT the sole domain of the high earners, who, when they eventually retire can at least usually look forward to a worthwhile pension and a fun-filled opportunistic retirement.
Yes - I know I sound bitter and that's not nice. Just so damned frustrated.