Money difficulties getting me down

I’ve come to the realisation recently that unless you are incredibly fortunate and can afford to not work at all, pay for childcare if/when you need a break.. or have family who can do so, still have plenty of money to buy them everything you want them to have AND go on day trips, holidays and do classes with them…. You’re not going to be happy in some way or another during these few years when they’re not at school I’m just going to continue entering competitions and lotteries and hope for the best 😅

Same. I teach 3 days a week and my partner works full time. We have no family around and need a minimum of 10 hours a day childcare when I work - teaching is definitely not family friendly! The cost of childcare is horrific at over £600 a month for 2.5 days a week even after the funded hours; we certainly couldn't afford a second child :( We 'holiday' by visiting relatives. I have no disposable income each month and have to save for haircuts, new clothes etc. I know I will never own my own home. It's gutting to see so little reward when I think how hard I have worked over the years.

You're definitely not on your own. I work 3 days a week, with risk of redundancy atm, and partner is full time hgv driver. Every day seems that we need bits and bobs from the shops for little one and it adds up massively on top of the monthly shop. That's dragging us into overdrafts every month. Doesn't help that we've had car issues start of the year and bills and rent have gone up past few months. 18 month old is in childmiders 2 days a week. We've never had a holiday as a family and couple. And I'm currently 36 pregnant. Doing the lottery every week, but we've come to realisation that we'll never have a mortgage. But recently we feel everything is against us financially.

I feel like this is the current state of most people these days. We are all living to pay bills and aren’t enjoying life yet we’re working day and night, robbing Peter to pay Paul and it’s never enough. Being a teacher would you consider relocating abroad? I know it’s easier said than done but could it be an option? I say this to say you aren’t alone. Sending hugs

Thank you everyone. It’s so sad that there’s so many of us in the same boat. We are all working so hard and it feels like we get nothing in return! I guess we just have to focus on the positive things. We’ve got this ❤️

Definitely. I work shifts so I don’t see my boy every morning or evening and I don’t have any regular days off every week.. not even a guaranteed weekend off. So being able to spend 4 days a week with him and see him every morning and evening like you may do would be so incredible for me. There’s always something to be grateful for that you just don’t appreciate when you feel sad about missing out on other things. I’m really struggling with it too x

For us it was cheaper for one of us to not work! I make more so I work full time and my partner is a stay at home dad. Childcare would be destroyed our income and made his pointless.

We are in the same position. I work as a therapist and my partners in IT sector - we don't have bad paying jobs but we are STRUGGLING following increases in rent, water, food and gas/ electric. Nursery fees going up in April means our bills have risen about 300 pounds each month in the last year. I get upset every month thinking how ate we going to afford this we might lose our home if we can't afford it and not be able to get anything the same size cause rents just gone up everywhere 🥲 feel for everyone in the same position x

I’m in a very similar situation - doing 3 days a week at my normal office job but we were still racking up credit card bills, I’ve managed to get a second job at Sainsbury’s in the morning from 4-8 3 days a week, at least this way no extra childcare involved but just feel like I’m at a point of burnout 🙃

I’m in a very similar situation although I’m not working solely because childcare would literally take my entire salary and I’m pregnant with baby #2. I do tutor some afternoons (also a qualified teacher) and my husband is able to look after our little girl and then work back the time in the evening as he works from home. We have no family near by so it’s tough. We are also living month to month as the expenses are honestly just never ending - we have sat down and worked out a proper budget of what we can spend on what and that has helped a little bit to try and keep track of our outgoings. But it’s difficult not being able to do all the things that I would love to do for our girl and our home 🥰