Active discussions

Meet the Other Phone. Flexible and made to last.

Meet the Other Phone.
Flexible and made to last.

Buy now

Please or to access all these features

Talk
Work

Chat with other users about all things related to working life on our Work forum.

Original poster

How do you survive on one wage!!

34 replies

hayleylou · 15/02/2005 13:32

I am thinking about going back to work after having two children ds who is 2 and dd who is 7 momnths and I just wondered how easy it is to get a job with flexible hours. If not how do people live on one wage??? (envy) and is there alot of help for working parents and childcare!!

OP posts:
hercules · 15/02/2005 13:34

We cant so dh works nights and I work days. No childcare costs.

morningpaper · 15/02/2005 13:35

There is virtually no help with childcare costs.

However, I have not found too much difficulty finding part-time work. I also work from home on a self-employed basis. However, I still have to put my daughter into a nursery for the hours I work during the day!

nailpolish · 15/02/2005 13:35

what kind of work do you do hayley?

Tinker · 15/02/2005 13:35

Well, lots of single parents manage on one/no wage. If your income drops you'll get more tax credits I assume. Civil service/local authorities very good for flexible work arrangements.

Lucycat · 15/02/2005 13:36

I suppose it depends just how much the one wage is? a footballers's ONE wage should be livable on!! but we manage. dh is a teacher ( a head of Dept tho') and we have 2 dd's, we never have any monet left at the end of the month, then again, we didn't when I was working either. I think you have to accept that if you decide to stay at home then your spending habits are different, but it's a difficult choice. I really disliked my job (as a secondary school teacher in a tough school!) so having dd was a godsend!

Lucycat · 15/02/2005 13:38

God that was rather garbled! what sort of work do you want to do? do you have any family who could help you out?

tarantula · 15/02/2005 13:41

With great difficulty and very careful budgetting. It can be done but no it is not easy and every cost no matter how small needs to be taken into account. Simple things become great luxuries and you learn when to shop to get the bargains.

Original poster
hayleylou · 15/02/2005 13:42

Nailpolish...I have trained as a Nanny but before I fell pregnant with ds I was working for a mobilephone company in Wiltshire I went back part time and then fell pregnant with dd and I left completly.

OP posts:
elliott · 15/02/2005 13:42

hang on a minute... there are the tax credits...upper earnings threshold for child tax credit is about £56000. I think there is some help with childcare (WFTC?), but the threshold is much lower and I don't know much about it - others may be able to advise.
And there is money back for preschool nursery places once a child reaches 3.

nailpolish · 15/02/2005 13:45

i work as a nurse and the shifts are ever so flexible. im sure you could get work in nursing, although its not very well paid.

dh works 9-5 mon to fri and i work nights. i only need childcare in the mornings so i can get a kip, none if i work the weekend

Miaou · 15/02/2005 13:58

We manage on one wage of less than £15k - we do without a lot but it suits us. And yes, you will almost certainly Working Families Tax Credit which has made a huge difference to us.

littlerach · 15/02/2005 14:05

We manage on one wage, you just spend it differently!! No help with childcare as DH earns too much.

Hayleylou, are you in Wilts??

noddyholder · 15/02/2005 14:07

as others have said it can be done but you can't be reckless with spending but we only have 1 wage and very little has changed so i assume we used to spend all my wages on rubbish

Twiglett · 15/02/2005 14:09

we're lucky enough to be able to survive on one wage, but we budget on a monthly basis and give up holidays, don't buy new clothes for self or go out much ..but for us (me) its worth it and its only for a few short years)

Original poster
hayleylou · 15/02/2005 14:10

littlerach I will be soon....... I am currentlt in Germany but hoping to come back really soon

OP posts:
Original poster
hayleylou · 15/02/2005 14:49

.

OP posts:
lucy5 · 15/02/2005 15:00

We just about manage on one wage, mine, unfortunately at the mo. I have come to realise pre dd how much money we wasted. We still do lovely things, although something like christmas puts us back for a couple of months. If you can afford to stay at home and want to that's fine, make the most of it. I have had to go back to work and hate it.

Chandra · 15/02/2005 15:02

Budgeting is the key.

lucy5 · 15/02/2005 15:04

You are so right, chandra. I never thought i'd be so sensible.

sweetkitty · 15/02/2005 22:43

we're moving areas and downsizing so reducing our mortgage

I agree I used to waste money left right and centre.

Chandra · 16/02/2005 04:54

Thanks Lucy, my pleasure

brambles · 16/02/2005 20:51

sorry for butting in i have the same the problem
so what would you say is a good figure for a week left for food ,children and weekly living.(not including bills etc)

helsi · 16/02/2005 20:53

Civil service not recruiting though - in fact they are finishing a lot of us over the next few months.

Skribble · 25/02/2005 22:34

Once you have baby nights out are few, no smart work clothes, no meals out, no fancy holidays, no new shoes where do I stop. Basiclly you start shopping in pound shops and a trip to McDonalds is a big day out .

biglips · 25/02/2005 22:37

im not going back to work (as was planned in 2 weeks time) as its not worth it as im getting benefits and DP is on a low wage too.

Swipe left for the next trending thread