August is, at our nursery, another five week month. I don't really understand how they decide on these things - I do know that I can't just pay the same every month.
We have a Nanny three days a week. Her hours are flexible, but we pay her the same every week because it works out around the same - but some weeks she wants to go early, and some weeks we need her to work longer, so over a month it all balances out.
We send the boys to nursery two days a week. For august that is going to cost us over £800. The Nanny will, as always, cost us £500.
So August is going to cost me £1,300 in childcare.
I know my job is a good job, and I am well paid for what I do - but seriously - I am not THAT well paid. Once I have paid that I am going to need to borrow money for petrol before the money runs out. I'll borrow it from my husband's bank account, but since he pays all our other bills there isn't going to be a lot there to raid.
So August is going to be pretty tight.
The amount we earn means that we aren't entitled to any benefits or tax credits. We are, on paper, comfortable financially. We don't borrow or have any credit cards. We are paying some debts off from when we did have credit cards, but aren't borrowing more - so that's good.
It means that everything we have, we pay cash for.
That includes the childcare which, for two children, is comfortably over £1,000 every month. A cheap month is just £1,000. This month is not going to be a cheap month.
I think this is a SERIOUS flaw in a system that claims to be in support of families, and helping people get back into work after having children.
I am on a good salary. Considerably more than minimum wage. I have two children, which is average. I should be able to go to work and, even on minimum wage, afford to do so. It should give us a better life. If I didn't work, and was on benefits, I would have more money each month than I do now, working full time, on a good salary.
For the future we're working towards I chose another path - one which barely covers its own costs. I pay my entire salary out in childcare and fuel. Most months my husband tops my petrol up because I've run out of money early from trying to do something CRAZY like eat lunch, or buy shoes for the boys.
I knew when I took my job that it would be this way - I chose to do it anyway because it would be a fabulous job opportunity, it could lead to more work (and very much has) it would boost my CV and it would stop me going INSANE. It has given us all of those benefits.
I also knew that it would be the least I would earn if I stuck with it, and that childcare would get cheaper once the children hit school age.
In september Jellybean will get 15 hours a week free pre-school. That will be, quite literally, lifechanging for us - it will save me a lot of money.
In september I will also be dropping to just two days a week working.
Losing three days a week work should mean I'll have less money - but because Jellybean will be free in childcare for those days it actually makes no difference. I will have the same amount left over each month as I do working full time.
That's broken. That isn't how it should be.
Someone who earns minimum wage should be able to afford to live, even with childcare costs.
Someone who earns more than minimum wage should be able to afford more. Some luxuries. The occasional trip away. Shoes. Meat in the weekly shop. More than the minimum. I can't.
How did this system go so wrong? What can we do to challenge it, so that women in the UK aren't priced out of going back to work, to jobs they love, to careers that give them self worth and fulfilment? How can we be living in a world where you're better off NOT working? How are we being priced OUT of work? It makes NO SENSE.
I know I'm lucky, compared to many, because I CAN go back to work and pay the childcare on two children. I have a pittance left over - but it's there. This makes me considerably richer than a huge proportion of people.
What's your situation? Can you afford to go back to work? What do you think about the cost of childcare?
I worked in a bookshop. I loved it. I have not gone back because a days nursery fees for one child was higher than I earned in a day.And that's before school holiday Childcare for my 8 year old. When Syd is entitled to his 15 free hrs I hope to go back, I like working. I am good at my job too. But I am not willing to pay to work!
ReplyDeleteI used to work in a bookshop. Retail definitely doesn't pay well enough to return to it after children!
DeleteI'm lucky. My OH has taken a promotion he didn't feel ready for and with longer hours so I don't have to go back to work. I want to work but financially it's not viable. We both worked weekends. Child care is not available then. We have no family locally to help out so that's not an option. My company also wouldn't allow me to work weekdays only as they are big fat meanies. Ideally I'd like to work 3 days a week but with my meagre salary, child care and the cost of purchasing a second car, as decent nurseries are not on the bus route to my place of work, I can't afford to work. I'd barely break even. It's not worth it for a job that is just that. A job. It's not a career. So we will struggle on one salary that is too great for government help but barely enough to get by on. Hopefully I will be able to do adhoc work around my OH shifts. Waitressing or care work. Anything to give me a little independence and freedom. It's a shame our country makes it so hard for those of us that actually want to work.
ReplyDeleteIt's insane isn't it. I admire you and your husband taking that leap though - it's just crazy that when we WANT to work, to provide for our families, it's made harder for us. That should be the sensible option.
DeleteMy goodness how much do we all agree with this! I have been having the same arguement (with myself) why can't we pay every 4 weeks?! Be so much easier! Well I only have just established that the childcare funding (15 hour free a week) is a no go during the summer holidays..... So for August my bill is £905 for two children 2.5 days a week. This is £65 more than I earn for my 3 day a week job. I'm earning to pay childcare......
ReplyDeleteThat is a seriously messed up situation - I feel your pain completely - it should NOT be this way. It isn't right, it isn't fair and it makes no sense.
DeleteI work full-time but am very lucky in that my mother-in-law looks after my two children when my husband and I are at work. The only child care expense we will have is from September when we increase our daughter's hours at Pre-School to start getting ready for 'big' school (it will take her over the free 15 hours that the Government provides). However, I don't enjoy working full-time and I find it exhausting. I totted up the hours my other-in-law spends with my children compared with the time I get with them. The result was depressing (for me). I always feel like I'm missing out. It's tough being a working mum and trying to balance all these things
ReplyDeleteI enjoy my work and I know I'm lucky in that - I miss the children but I think they get more out of their time in nursery than they would with me, because when I was here full time I worked from home so they didn't get the life they deserved.
DeleteFinding the balance that makes everyone happy is so, so hard.
GREAT POST! Both my old job and my OH's job require travel, night events and all that. We have no family around to offer free childcare and when I was made redundant after Miss G I was actually slightly relieved somewhat because at least I did not have to find a solution for childcare. Due to the demands of our jobs I could only really have a full time nanny who could do extra hours when needed. Miss G suffers from asthma and her doctor recommended to avoid nursery, if possible, until she is at least 2. To be honest, I would have paid for tons of days when she would have been too ill to attend. Now I'm considering going back only to realise that the only local nurseries to us are private and don't take kids till they are 2 and a half, they only open 9-12 and, wait for it....don't offer the 15 free government hours! WTF! Right? I'm not built to be a SAHM, I am starting to really hate it at times, but if I go back to my old high flying job I'd end up needing a nanny at all hours. If I have to instead make do with a 'career regression'...well, what would be the point in that? When i find a solution, I'll let you know x
ReplyDeleteYour post was BRILLIANT lovely, really really good - and true for so many of us; you know when you have children that things will change - but there are walls that are so hard to leap in order to have the life you want and have always worked towards.
DeleteThe day the Government stops financial helps for Childcare (for families with low income), the price of Nursery will go down. This is obvious. Nurery know they can charge a lot because Government helps financially families. I lived in Spain for years: Full time Nursery is around £250 a month. And..do they get worst childcare? Don't think so!
ReplyDeleteWe have 3 young children( the oldest is nearly 4 and we have twins 2) and thanks we works from home.I think Nursery is a rip off and also I think it is important to be with your babies because they are babies only once and I don't want to miss anything!
I just indulged in a delicious fantasy about a world where childcare was £250 a month. Even if that was each I would still be swimming in the cash I don't have to spend on their childcare - amazing!
DeleteGreat post. I've blogged about our situation a lot recently. We can't afford to live at the moment. We aren't meeting all of our bills, and the overdraft is growing every month. OH earns around 27k (more if he's making good sales, but for the past year it's been 27k), so we don't qualify for any benefits. And yet, we can't afford to pay our basic utility bills and mortgage. We will be in trouble soon if we don't manage to make more money. It's just not right. Cheaper childcare is the solution for me, I could then afford to get a full time job myself.
ReplyDeleteI hope you find a solution - it just seems to get harder and harder!
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