Would you work if you OH earned £60k?

[hihosilverlining87]

My OH earns £60k. Mortgage is around £570. I'm due a baby in October - would that be enough to live off? Would you give up work if your partner was on £60k or would you say it's not enough?

[Rainbowshit]

No. I've seen too many friends and acquaintances shafted when their marriage fails and they struggle to get back into work. I always worked part time.

[Passionfruitpizza]

No, not with a mortgage that tiny. I'd take advantage and retrain for a job I enjoyed.

[Namenic]

Depends on how much I’m paying out in childcare, other outgoings, what my pension is like.

I’d be much more likely to go part time than stop altogether because:

1. Pension pot would be decreased and (depending on age of kids), may not have as many NI contributing years.
   
2. Me earning a small amount would be able to use tax free allowance (get to keep more of my pay than if DH increased his salary)
   
3. Easier to keep up CV and get a full time job if necessary.

[firstimemamma]

I'm a sahm, similar mortgage to yours and dh earns roughly half of what yours does. I don't see what the issue is.

[user16395699]

@hihosilverlining87

My name is on the mortgage though and will stay on even if I'm not contributing. I'm 33. OH says he's happy with whatever I'm happy doing but financially going back to dental nursing doesn't make much sense x

Why does earning money not make financial sense?

[Tal45]

My OH earns just under that and I have only ever worked very part time since my DS was born (now a teen). We've always had a couple of holidays abroad a year, eat out etc but I spend very little on clothes/shoes and nothing on hair/make up/nails as I'm not into those things. I'd say it's plenty but it depends what your out goings are.

[notacooldad]

I worked when the kids were little and Dh earned that.
Things can go wrong at a moment's notice. I'm not talking about affairs or him leaving but job security can go, business fail through know fault of the owner. Partners can become too Ill to work or die.
Theres also the bigger picture about having your own financial security and paying into your own pension.

[RestingStitchFace]

I think it depends where you live - what is your rent/mortgage like. I live in SE. DH was on about 60k when our son was born. It was doable but things were tight. I have carried on working part-time just so we can cover the one-off expenses that push our budget (things like car maintenance, Christmas, getting new specs etc.)

[Chelyanne]

That's a lot to live off as a single income household.

Hubby earns a lot less than that, we have 5 kids and another due very soon. I've been a sahm since finishing maternity with our 2nd child. Works better for us as dh works away from home most of the time so not able to share childcare.

[Lazypuppy]

I would never give up work completely regardless of partners income.

[ShepherdessBoink]

Interesting thread.. came to it because I was wondering how parents can afford to not work at all (aside for a shorter period when children are very young and the ones with inherited wealth or partner on a lot - still precarious and no guarantees)

If outgoings were low enough to make this affordable, family fun would be restricted and finances will be poor e.g. saving for university or in debt longer, pensions less, inflation etc.

[PanicBuyingSprouts]

Just wondering what you decided @hihosilverlining87? Is baby here yet? Did you decide to carry on at work abs are there any plans to marry yet?

[Rosebel]

That would be loads for us and there are 5 of us. We live on a lot less than that.
I would give up work in a heartbeat if I could or at least go part time to maximise the time with my son while he's young.

[sweetkitty]

Not read the full thread but I think DH was on about that or maybe less when I stopped work and became a SAHM for 11 years, the reasons:

• I had 4 DC in less than 6 years so would have hardly been at work anyway
  
• my job involved a lot of foreign travel and often weeks away from home not good with a baby
  
• we moved to the other side of the country away from London therefore affording a house on one salary
  
• it would have broke my heart to leave my DC with anyone else, we had no family to help, I have anxiety and would have probably spent the whole time stressing
  

DH focused on his career then once DC4 was at school I went back to uni and retrained and now do a job I love. I don’t regret it for a moment but having said that we have been very lucky it all worked out for us I totally get that. At no point did DH ever make me feel like a kept woman or that it was his money, he said the only reason he could do what he did was because I was at home. I do love earning my own money now and as we had years on one salary anything I do earn is extra money for luxuries which is nice.

However, I wouldn’t recommend it to my daughters, it’s too risky.

[qualitygirl]

My dh earns 60k...we have no mortgage and I work. So yes I would...it's not that it's not enough, I love my job, I love contributing to the family and I love having something other than being a mum to define me. It's not JUST about finances @hihosilverlining87.

Does he want to be the only earner?
What do you both expect from you being a sahm?
Is he ok with providing for YOU as well as the baby? Do you have needs such as hair appointments, nail appointments etc etc that you would like to/need to continue?
Is he expecting you to cook EVERY day or is he ok with cooking and cleaning too?
Talk about all situations, expectations and possibilities. You'll be surprised what he expects and with what you yourself will expect with you being at home!

[catscatscatseverywhere]

"Talk about all situations, expectations and possibilities. You'll be surprised what he expects and with what you yourself will expect with you being at home!"

I agree 100%.

[thebeespyjamas]

Do you WANT to do the work?

You're having a baby, concentrate on that?

Unless you want to do what work you were doing?

Sounds like you probably don't.