I recall having to wait all year for the childcare rebate to be refunded... is that still the case?

Y'know people could say "well, you've got to have lunch at home so that shouldn't be included in the list"... but I know from experience that making time to prepare something at home and then eating your measly sandwich when everyone else in the office is going out to eat at a cafe is very tough.... or avoiding buying something at the nearest bakery for example! Eating outside the home is ALWAYS more expensive... and then there are the cups of coffee.... meanwhile, here at home I 'make do' with an instant cuppa and a toasted sandwich... and fruit... for somereason I always found it hard to eat enough fruit when I was working outside the home.... actually eating healthily in general was a lot more difficult.

Oh and another expense for a lot of fulltime working mums I know is a cleaner. We've never had one... but we lived in chaos... infact nothing has changed LOL and even though I'm a SAHM I'm considering hiring a Mother's Assistant because as all SAHMs know this is the hardest job of all and I don't have any one to leave the kids with while I zip around once a week... so that's on the cards for us... DH has thankfully given it the nod