The cost of going to work

[Bathsheba]

I've posted this list in another thread but I'd like some further thoughts on this issue. Can anyone think of any other costs associated with working outside the home?

* Childcare (factor in extra nappies/extra prepackaged snacks/transport to and from and late collection fees)
* Work appropriate clothing, shoes, accessories.
* Work appropriate make up, hair products, other grooming costs.
* Transport to and from work... petrol, tickets, wear and tear on the car, parking.
* Meals at restuarants and/or take away/convenient food (because you will be too tired to cook from scratch every evening.
* Lunches and socializing (drinks and other expenses of attending work functions that you would rather not attend but have to)
* Stationery (maintaining a filofax etc)
* Other miscellaneous expenses like drycleaning work suits etc.

These are some of the costs I incurred last time I worked outside the home... but as I have been a SAHM for 4 years now I might have forgotten a few.

[Bathsheba]

Yep, that's a huge issue/expense Shannon.

I was a casual worker at my last job and whenever my DD was sick I'd ask my DH to stay at home with her because his employer had paid family leave entitlements and mine didn't. Also, if I fell ill of course I wasn't paid I guess more people are having to deal with this since the new IR laws... one reason I'm glad my vote with go (preferentially) to Labor... I sure hope they do away with them (new IR laws).

It seems that most women can't really afford to go to work unless they are earning a professional wage... or am I wrong? How do women afford it? The maths just doesn't add up for me... until my boys are at school anyhow. I just don't understand how a lot mums I know say "I can't afford not to work..." and I know they are only earning a casual wage, in say, retail, that is hardly a professional wage.... I just don't get it?

[Bathsheba]

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

[Melbo]

I have wondered that many times myself. Whether it is worth your while probably depends on several factors. I suppose for a lot of people mortgages are so high that they feel they must be back in the workforce because every cent counts. Even so it is hard to see what would be left when you factor in all the other expenses.

For me, I'm going back part time for a few reasons but I am under no illusion that I will be financially better off for doing so.

[Pandora]

Also daycare fees need to be paid in holidays also - albeit usually at half rate if notice is given.

Shannon, do you mean if your family goes on holidays, or holidays where the centre is closed (like christmas/easter etc)

I do not get half price even with notice, if I wanted to go on a holiday and take Milo out of creche for 2 weeks etc. I get the minimum amt for the childcare rebate, which for me is about $17/8 a week.

After the rebate we pay $159.35/wk for 3 days care (Milo is with family 2 days). you can choose to have it taken out each week/ftnight or get it in a lump sum at the end of the year.

There is also the other childcare 30% rebate which is a tax reduction and is done the next financial year after you've paid for childcare.

I agree, unless you are on a professional wage is can be more cost effective to stay home than go to work, when you add up the rest of the costs of working.

there is also the emotional cost to the working mum and her family. If I didn't have to go to work, I would stay home for this reason.

PS. I don't have a cleaner, but my house is clean (well its messy a lot, but not dirty)

[Bathsheba]

My DH says that if it wasn't for me being at home and helping our lives run relatively smoothly then he wouldn't be able to work as hard as he does in his job. He says that other men in his office have to take time off to help with the kids (when they are sick etc) because their wives are working. So my DH's earning capacity is increased as he achieves targets more easily than those men do... and my DH gets the bonus... $17,000 last year alone. He also has less time away from the office because of illness compared to when we were both working. Anyhow, DH considers it a definate "asset" for me to be at home while the kids are young... thankfully he reminds me daily that half his income is "mine". I've heard of a lot of men pressuring their wives to re-enter the workforce even though their children are very young... despite it not really helping financially... I think those men are just kidding themselves... maybe they should consider doing home duties themselves then they would realise us SAHMs don't have the easy ride that they think we do!

[Pandora]

I agree with you Bath, except in our situation, out of necessity, it would be DH who stayed home. If/when we have more kids that may well be what will happen.

[Lucy]

I have just this week started back at work part-time, outside the home.

I will take your list (which is pretty comprehensive BTW!) and add my very recent observations!

Childcare (factor in extra nappies/extra prepackaged snacks/transport to and from and late collection fees) For my childcare centre, they provide all nappies and all meals, so that is not an extra expense, but centainly the cost of childcare is the greatest expense.
* Work appropriate clothing, shoes, accessories. I was reticent to go out and spend much money on any of this type of thing, so I went through all my old "pre-children" corporate wardrobe to see what can be used. (I left the corporate world a little over 3 years ago) It is all still 100% servicable.
* Work appropriate make up, hair products, other grooming costs. I haven't had to expend any extra money. I get my hair coloured every 3 months or so, and all the other costs for me remain the same.
* Transport to and from work... petrol, tickets, wear and tear on the car, parking. I am working on the outskirts of the city (a 20 min drive from home) but I kind of figure that I would be using more petrol with being out and about with the kids?* Meals at restuarants and/or take away/convenient food (because you will be too tired to cook from scratch every evening. Thus far I have taken my own lunchbox (as I am trying to eat healthily and I find that I do that better if I take my own) but I agree that this would add up if you were to buy your lunch every day. For the odd cafe lunch though, again, I figure I have the odd cafe lunch as a SAHM, so its about the same?

* Lunches and socializing (drinks and other expenses of attending work functions that you would rather not attend but have to) I figure it is swings and roundabouts.....for what I may have to expend in small costs like this, I more than lifely get a lot more in perks such as training/discounts etc.
* Stationery (maintaining a filofax etc) Ummmm, I haven't used my filofax for a good few years....I have a work laptop which is provided, and all my stationary needs are provided for.
* Other miscellaneous expenses like drycleaning work suits etc. Yeah, agree. My plan is to slap my stuff in with DH's........only a small additional cost.

All that said, I still walk away with more money in our bank account than if I hadn't worked. It is most defiantely worth my while financially. I have not gone back to a huge high salry, adn it is part time, but it is still worth it.

$$ aside, for me, I am overjoyed to be back at work, and DH is thrilled for me too. I suppose I can see your DH's point about having you at home. That was just not an option for me anymore.....I needed to go back to work for me. It will not impact on DH's work at all. It may impact on the house a bit, or the ironing or whatever, but my sanity is worth a lot more to me than that, LOL!

[~Debbie~]

unless you are in a 'profession" or at least reasonably high up in the corporate world, i agree, i dont know how peoples can afford to have a couple of kids in child care, and work as well.
Me, i work full time, take home about between $600 to $650. I could continue to do that with 1 child in child care, but, i think that if i had 2 in childcare, perhaps not really worth it.
Even taking into account the hours that i do, i have little time to keep up with the jobs around the house, be worse with kids - more stuff to do.
And lots cheaper to make yourself a quick sandwich and peice of fruit for lunch at home, then to buy lunch, and a coffee.

[Bathsheba]

You're doing really well there Lucy Maybe I just get sucked into the whole competitiveness thing, especially in an office environment where other women can look you up and down and notice if you have worn the same suit every second day for months on end... I just can't resist buying a new outfit every so often just to show I can present as well as anyone. It'd be a huge change from shopping for clothes at Op Shops like I have been for the past 4 years... oh and I don't wear makeup when I'm at home... so even the cost of going out and buying mascara/foundation/lippy every so often would add up for me.

[Roryrory]

My DH says that if it wasn't for me being at home and helping our lives run relatively smoothly then he wouldn't be able to work as hard as he does in his job..... So my DH's earning capacity is increased as he achieves targets more easily than those men do

Bath, I reckon this is one of the biggest hurdles facing women who return to work, especially those in professional type jobs. A woman with kids who works in a male domainted field is competing with men who have wives at home, but the working mum has to go home and be a "wife" as well, most of the time. I'm sterotyping for sure, but I think you all get my general drift.

[Bathsheba]

Rory: oh for sure! I'm kind of wondering what will happen when I end up in the professional role as fulltime teacher... will DH start doing some of the home duties that he hasn't had to worry about for years? Somehow I don't think so... I am going to be expected to somehow juggle my new responsibilities with maintaining the house as well As it is every weekend DH and I bicker because he needs so much sleep because the demands of his job are so great during the week... so what about me catching up on all the sleep I've lost dealing with the boys at all hours of the night during the week? Actually, sometimes I get a bit of a sleep in too... but more times than not it's me out mowing the lawn while he's asleep on the couch while he "looks after" the kids!

I predict, when I also take on a professional role, a huge tug-of-war between my DH and I in terms of finding time for ourselves.... and him expecting me to still do all those little things in life that make his life/job easier. I like your quote about every family needing a "wife" Rory... it's had me thinking a lot about that lately... all those things like Christmas Shopping (for example) that require huge investments of time and energy that most husbands just take for granted.... they wake up and it's all there for them on a plate.... *sigh* who's gonna do that for me when I return to work?

ETA: there's also things like accompaning the kids to doctors/dental/hair appointments... and making those appointments for DH too... I just have to tell him what day and where... he just goes without even thinking about it... he just trusts that I have everything organised.

[Cherie]

Another expense, whilst it sounds silly, is chipping in for people's birthday/baby pressies/cakes etc, if your workplace is the kind of place that does things like that, or team afternoon teas etc. It's not much, but I'd probably usually end up spending about $20/month on that sort of thing.

Depending on your profession, there may also be professional membership fees. Since going on maternity leave, I'm maintaining my health professional registration (about $180/year), but have let membership of my professional body lapse (which is about $400/year), so when I return to work, that is an expense that I will need to take into consideration. Thankfully these are tax deductible.

[Bathsheba]

Yep, I did think of that one as my last workplace was really big on chipping in for everyone's major life celebrations: babies/weddings/birthdays etc.... and with about 15 staff members whom this policy applied it WAS expensive.... we were a pretty close-knit group though... I guess I didn't think it applied to most other people's jobs as DH doesn't seem to "chip in" as much as I used to have to. It's nice of course when your turn rolls around... but it did feel like every week I had my hand in my purse... oh and interesting to compare with my DH's job too: he has a corporate card that he is allowed to put a lot of social expenditure on which is cleared by his employer... even birthday gifts for his asisstant! Would love one of those!!!

[Cherie]

I'd love one too!
The whole chipping-in thing has been pretty normal at the last 2 places I've worked at (one public sector, one private sector), but I know what you mean - I don't think my DH does it very often. They're more likely to go out for a drink or two after work to celebrate (although shouting a round of beers probably ends up being more expensive than chipping in $5 for a pressie lol).

[Karina]

I cant think of any other expenses relating to going back to work, other than those listed...definately childcare fees and travel costs are the two biggies for us.

I find the idea of going back to work while my baby is in care quite frightening, financial-wise. I was working full time up until 2 weeks before my daughter was born, and I have sussed out the local childcare centres to find they are charging an average of $80 per day for children under 2.. some places even charging $110/day. Who can afford this, on top of all the other expenses relating to work as well as just general living costs.

[Aranah]

Where I used to live, there wasn't much competition with daycare and the costs were extraordinary.

When I was a single mum, I didn't have a car or license or much else. I looked at getting a job and actually had one lined up. BUT I would have been $60 worse off a week!! That cost was just with the out of pocket daycare for two children and then taxi fees to the daycare centre and then to work as there was no public transport in the area.

I couldn't believe it, and I had no choice but to stay on the single mother's pension which believe me doesn't cover alot at all once you take out rent and bills and feeding two children.

Gave me a new appreciation for single mums and stopped me judging the ones I thought had babies so they could 'bludge' of the government, the money no where near covered things.

I went back to work when both children were in school and that was obviously much more cost effective. My partner and I started a business and therefore I only had to work in school hours and took days off if the kids' were sick and also took most of their holidays off (they came to work with us a few days a week). Then I had to leave due to pregnancy complications at 16 weeks as it was a high manual labour job. For me, being a SAHM is very important and the right thing for me, so I will be doing this till this baby is in school. Although I will look at doing something from home as well, and as it stands, I do all business paperwork and phonecalling and quotes. I also will probably rotate parenting with DP when the baby gets older and I will do days at work while he stays home, perhaps once a week.

I count myself very lucky to have that flexibility and I really feel badly for some people that don't even have the choice to work, or work for only such a little bit more.

[Bathsheba]

Yep Tara...I don't judge single mums either... I take my hat off to them.... how they do it I'll never know.

Oh and another thought: it took me 2 hours yesterday to find shoes for my DD at the shops... nothing would fit and the shoes that did fit her she didn't like... arrrgh! How many men do we know would traipse around the shops doing THAT? Especially whilst looking after two other littlies at the same time. Kids need shoes... they can't buy them themselves and it takes TIME and ENERGY... one of hundreds of "little" errands that a little wife does that goes largely unacknowledged....grrrr.