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Any one taken a part time evening or weekend job due to childcare costs?

11 replies

dueanamechange · 17/08/2013 13:03

Hi, I am about to have a 2nd interview at Waitrose this week, I would work on a Thursday evening for 3 hours and a 7.5 hour shift on a Saturday if I get the job, pay is less than £7 per hour.

I was earning £30k before I had kids in London, working in a job I didn't like.

I figure I am losing one family day at the weekend, but will be taking home around £300 which is at least as much as I would after childcare (a 1 year old and a 4 year old about to start reception), transport and other costs, and I won't have the stress of working 5 days a week, rushing to pick kids up and worrying about what to do if they are sick. We have no family support.

Has anyone done anything like this and how have you got on? I told a couple of friends last night I have a job interview at Waitrose and they both looked a bit funny like they didn't know what to say, I am not in a circle of friends where people work in a supermarket. At the moment it is feeling like the best compromise for us as a family but don't know how it will work in practice.

OP posts:
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helgavonrausling · 17/08/2013 13:08

Seriously, stuff what your friends think. Do they have kids?

It's far better to work in a way that fits with your family than to slog your guts our 50 hours a week to spend everything you earn on childcare - then be too tired to really enjoy your time off with the DC anyway.

I spent 5 years earning a professional degree and seriously considered chucking it all in and becoming a CM. In the end I was lucky to find a PT role in my current industry but you know there's nothing wrong with doing something different if it works.

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Babyroobs · 17/08/2013 15:21

I have worked weekends/ evenings/ nights for 14 years since ds was born to avoid childcare costs .It does mean we don't get much family time but on the plus side I don't have to worry too much about school picks and children being ill and we get to have the benefit of my wage. If we didn't work around each other, we could never afford childcare for 4 dc's. Once all my dc are at secondary school , I will look for a 9-5 job and try to progress in my career, but for now out situation works for us.

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IndigoCat · 20/08/2013 21:37

Watching this thread with interest as I have been considering jacking in full time work for a part time role to minimise childcare cost and drama. My main worry is DH is self employed so can be famine or feast.

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RhinestoneCowgirl · 20/08/2013 21:43

I'm doing a fairly basic pt admin job that I wouldn't be doing if I didn't have children. But I do it because my hours fit within school hours during term time, meaning we only have to cover childcare costs during the school hols (and we've been lucky to have family help for part of the time).

Plenty of people do a job to earn money and that's it, I wouldn't worry too much about what your friends think.

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Wallison · 20/08/2013 21:47

I have a couple of friends who have gone part-time in the week and got bar/waitressing work for this very reason, despite having had 'professional' jobs before. It seems to work well for them although they do get tired.

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Wallison · 20/08/2013 21:49

Oops sorry just re-read your OP and it looks like that would be your only job which is different to the friends I have who have two jobs - in that case, definitely do it. If you don't like/wouldn't want to do the job you were doing before, then you're not giving anything up really, are you?

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pizzaqueen · 20/08/2013 21:58

I work 9-5 (7:30-6 with commute) three days a week.

My DP works 3pm-11pm every week night.

we do not see each other during the week and dp is knackered all the time as he had ds from 7am until he goes to work then gets home at midnight and does it all again the next day. I'm really lonely in every night by myself.

But it's the only way we can both work and eat and pay the mortgage as it minimises our childcare bill.

Ships in the night. But hopefully it's only until ds (and sibling if we are lucky enough to have one) are at school and childcare is less.

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Xmasbaby11 · 24/08/2013 19:58

I would think seriously before giving up a career job, even if you don't particularly like it. It seems very drastic. No, you wouldn't have the stress, but you may have other problems with working in a job that isn't stimulating. Are there any other work possibilities? Could you go part time? Financially, it will be difficult now, but once your older one starts school, surely the childcare costs won't be so much?

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loollabel · 25/08/2013 11:20

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PattieOfurniture · 25/08/2013 11:39

After ds1 was born I went back to my job but reduced my hours to p/t. It was 9-5.30, it was ok until ds was ill or when he started school, because of school hols. Then ds2 came along, I decided not to go back after mat leave and got an evening job making deserts in a pub restaurant. I love it. If dc are ill I'm at home til dh gets home, I don't have to worry about school hols and to top it all off, I love my job.
Go for it Op

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jetsetlil · 26/08/2013 21:23

I worked evenings in a restaurant for years - best thing I ever did. I saved on nursery and child minder fees, I didn't need to find childcare during the school holidays. The job was quite flexable and the money was good too. We had a meal at work and a glass of wine after and I met some amazing people. I would highly recommend it, We must have saved a fortune

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