How much do you net with a p/t job after paying childcare costs?

[chicaguapa]

I have an interview next week for a part-time position doing the same type of job I left 7 years ago to be a sahm. I have been asked a) to think about how many hours I would like to work and b) what sort of salary I'm looking for!

Obviously the cost of childcare depends on when I would work and how the hours are spread out over the week. So my main question is how much should I be looking to clear after paying for childcare? I am not going back through a particular desire to work again just a desire to make a difference to our monthly income so will need a financial incentive. But what I have worked out seems so little so I was wondering what was the 'norm'.

DD is at school all day and DS will be in nursery 5 mornings a week from Jan for free but will have to pay for it until then.

Sorry, but that's completely a piece of string question. Salaries vary hugely. So do childcare costs, depending on the number of children and type of provision. And would you be paying all the childcare costs out of your own wage, or would you be paying a proportion in conjunction with a partner?

Absolutely is piece of string. Also depends on ages of children and how many. My childcare hit a high of £940 pcm! So yes, I earn more than that. Now pay about £250pcm.

There is no "norm"

AND it depends on whether you or your partner would qualify for any childcare support.

Plus what area you are in - as that affects the childcare fees

BTW - you will be unlikely to have fully funded sessions in Jan unless it is for the very short session (2.25 - 2.75 hrs) which would be difficult to find a job to fit (iyswim)

Sorry, I probably haven't been too clear with my first posting. I realise that I will have to pay for the wrap-around care from Jan but the actual childcare costs will decrease by £200 when that happens so I am looking at 2 sets of figures...

If I tell you the figures could you tell me if it's worth the bother of getting myself in a position of having to sort out extra childcare/ school holidays cover etc which the thought of I find daunting.

Before DS starts his free sessions I would net (after childcare and petrol) £105 per month. That then increases to £311 when I get the 2.5hr sessions for free.

I live in Bolton. My sister lives in Surrey and has a part-time job in a mechanics. She nets £600 a month after childcare which made me feel that this wasn't very much money.

Should add that that's for 20 hrs a week.

So (if my maths is right......[blush)

That is about £3.59 an hour after childcare or £x amount that your childcare costs (can't work that out)

How much more childcare do you have to pay then if you don't work?

£100 is £100, to some people it would make a massive difference, to others is peanuts. I think it is more relevant to look at the market rate for that type of job - and whether it is worthwhile in the longer-term. It might be that you accept a lower paid job to get back in the job market after 7 years, but then consider whether you could earn more after, say 6mo or a year.

I see the point as it would get harder and harder to get back in work in general. Having separated out the various bits of childcare costs we could save about £150 a month on before school/ nursery clubs if DH is able to take DC to school every morning so I need to investigate that option. The strange thing is that it's a reasonably well paid job so I am astounded that it nets so little. Unfortunately there's no-one else to help out but at least we get the free nursery sessions soon. Thanks.

i work 19.5 hours a week 9.30 till 4.30 and come out with approximately £680 but then childcare is 1 day with grandparents and two days at nursery which costs £270 per month! We are lucky enough that our employers do the childcare vouchers which helps out too. My little one will be three next March so planning number two to come along when we get nursery vouchers as we cannot afford two in nursery for two days a week. Hope this helps a little