Childcare costs
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Topic: Childcare costs
Posted By: MamaT
Subject: Childcare costs
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 3:29pm
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I am trying to show to DH that we wouldn't be much better off financially if I were to go back to fulltime work, so need to work out the budgets as much as I can.
Can you please tell me what your hourly cost is for daycare, so I can give him a rough idea?? Thanks -------------  
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Replies:
Posted By: tishy
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:11pm
| Don't know about hourly costs but in Wellington it's probably on avg $60 per day regardless of whether they provide meals/nappies/etc... |
Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:11pm
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We are in ak, so probably a bit more expensive --- but we are way out west so alot cheaper than town (where 350-400 a week would be more normal!). Anyway - I don't know hourly but we pay either 260/wk or 66/day for under 3yr olds. For over 3yrs it is 140/wk I think or 40/day (until a max of 140/wk). That includes food, and nappies are charged at about 1.60/day on top if needed. Shorter days are a little cheaper, ie they do a school day of 9-3.30 but I can't remember the exact costs.
With the 2nd child discount we basically pay 100/day for 2 kids as I work part time. My kindy is a private one and they charge 3.55/hr for over 3yrs and take a few kids from 2.5yrs which is about 8/hr (no food). Hope that helps! ETA: its 160 not 140 full time for over 3s sorry, checked it out today. ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: pudgy
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:17pm
Good idea Don'tforget to remind him he'd have to pick up the housework slack , washing cleaning, cooking as well :-)
Plus if C is sick you'd have to take time off, all the bugs he'll pick up etc I can't believe how much daycare costs  ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Nikki
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:24pm
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Why don't you just ring the local daycares and ask for their prices? May be more accurate!
And yes, I pay a cleaner now too! As we were arguing about the cleaning once I went back to work, hehe. You could also mention 18-20/hr for a nanny .... ------------- DS (5yrs) and DD (3yrs) |
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:28pm
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Thanks, I have emailed a few local places, average seems $6.90 per day so far, but I'm really just wanting an average.
Good idea, thanks pudgy. I've also factored in petrol and it would mean we would have to buy a second car, as I just bus or walk anywhere as it is, so that would be a huge expense. Anything else I might be missing? -------------
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 4:59pm
Don't know the hourly rate, but Jacob's is about $50 a day. Remember most people are eligible for some kind of subsidy, as well  -------------   
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Posted By: pudgy
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 5:36pm
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Work wardrobe. With added expense cause you'll needpreggy gear. So in reality 2 work wardrobes ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Nothing
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 5:48pm
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You wont get maternity leave, only the parental tax credit as you wont be working long enough.
www.familybudgeting.org.nz/documents/Budget%20Worksheet.xls - This is a really good budget worksheet. I would make one up for now to show your costs and one up for if you were working to compare. You will be lucky to find somewhere to employ you if you are pregnant, you would probably only find somewhere on the minimum wage. Also factor in the cost of buying another car, plus the rego and warrent and maintenance costs. ------------- 
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Posted By: monkey33
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 7:18pm
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We pay $216 for 3 days (usually $240 but we get a discount as we know the manager) - to put DS in for 5 days is only about $60 extra in total.
For us, even though we pay more per day to send DS to daycare, than 5 days, we are still quite a bit better off financially than if I wasn't working. But I get free parking in the city, food when I'm working, drycleaning and my car is really cheap to run. I'm sure you could inflate some costs here & there to show your DH that it isn't worth going back! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Plushie
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 7:36pm
| I would perhaps be tempted to 'forget' the subsidy or 'discover' you wouldnt be eligible for it. One i looked at wanted you to pay for public holidays - days they arent even open for. And if you go on holiday you'd have to pay to hold his place. And if he's sick and you have to take a day of work you lose your wage and still have to pay for his day in kindy. Doesnt make much sense esp when you will just be finishing work again soon anyway! |
Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:00pm
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Would you be working full time at your current work place?
How would you get on finding a full time job with currently being preggers? ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow">   [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:09pm
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I looked up a couple. One was about $250-300 a week and another was $5 an hour but min 6 hours a day so would be like $150 a week. Guess it really depends. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: T_Rex
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:22pm
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I pay almost $60/day for 4 days per week. I probably take sick leave at least one day in eight.
Not all daycares take cloth nappies, so you might have to fork out for sposies. I find the biggest cost of working (especially when pregnant) is that we spend more on convenience foods/items because we are too tired/busy to make things from scratch like I used to do before DD. Also the work lunches, work clothes, travel. not to mention how tired and cranky DD was in the evenings for the first year or so. She's much more able to handle it now, but boy coming home after a 5pm daycare pickup used to be hard work! (And just in case he was hoping it might, sending them to daycare won't stop C BF or co-sleeping!) ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Lucky apple
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:23pm
| $5.20 per hour. Home based care through an agency. |
Posted By: Isabella
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:33pm
| Pfft. |
Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:38pm
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It isn't about "avoiding work", it is about what I believe is best for my son. Working fulltime and having your child in daycare is obviously what is right for you and your family, but I wholeheartedly believe it isn't what is right for my son, or my family. -------------
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Posted By: clover
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 8:39pm
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Isabella I guess it is just each to their own. I don't understand having a baby and putting it in daycare and you don't understand not working, different strokes and all that. Neither is right or wrong so long as it is right for the family concerned.
Hope you have a better day tomorrow! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 10:37pm
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maybe look at workingforfamilies.govt.nz and look at what you get if you only go on DH wage
http://www.workingforfamilies.govt.nz/childcare-assistance/ http://www.ird.govt.nz/wff-tax-credits/entitlement/ remember you can claim money back from IRD rebate up to $310 per year http://www.ird.govt.nz/resources/3/c/3cdfa7804bbe593a83a6d3bc87554a30/ir526.pdf Our girls go to a community based not for profit centre and its far cheaper (and more homely nicer) than a profitable business style daycare, they dont charge for teachers only days or public holidays for example. Have REAL free 20hours for 3-4year olds, my DD's do 9-3 x 2 & 9-1 x 2 days (total 20hr) and no bill /charges at all. if they were at one of the other centres in town it would cost me $160 a week for both them crazy!! |
Posted By: NovemberMum
Date Posted: 12 September 2011 at 10:55pm
you do have to take into account the MamaT is pregnant so even if she were to find a job now she would have to leave in another 5-6 months time and what employer wants to employ someone have to train them up only to have them leave 6 months later. we as parents make sacrifices. with MamaT that is with her staying home which means having less money but it means she gets to spend more time at home with her child(and children when her 2nd arrives) for you it is going out to work so you can have extra money but you sacrifice giving up that time with your child. neither is wrong...we each do what works for us. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Isabella wrote:Posted By: InthemiddleMummy
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 9:14am
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It also depends on how much you can earn, If you work at a supermarket/retail store for example you might get $14.50 - $16.50 before tax and then to pay $6.50 per hour in childcare just doesnt stack up by time you count all the petrol/lunches/etc
Id be staying at home if I was in your situation MAMA T when pregnant and just making do, get the WFF if entitled and have a big sell up on trademe to help ends meet. Thats what I did when I got made redundant whilst on maternity leave with DD2 Why are mums so "ashamed" to stay at home whilst there kids are under 5? In america its done a turn around and if you can afford to be a SAHM its looked as fantastic but then everyone's financial situations are different so that can mean back to work very early on after baby.....so yes each to there own but be proud of what you choose Mamma T and dont feel presured to do something you dont want to do, You are pregnant and have a toddler, that is a 24/7 "job" in itself |
Posted By: becky
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 11:38am
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I had DS is day care for the last year while I worked full time have to admit I liked the extra money as we paid 170 for four days care however we were not entitled to any subsidies from the government.
My work were pretty good about time off if DS was sick however he was not often sick. This time around we are having twins and will have 3 under 5 I am not paying for three children to go to day care what a waste of time working it would be most of one of our wages on day care so we will see what happens after the twins are a year and I will either do part time or my DF will do part time and I will go back full time as I earn more than him at this stage. Or I may just decide to be a SAHM or DF a SAHD who knows they are only little for such a short time! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: deodora
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 1:37pm
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Gosh we really do all carry our own perceptions don't we.
Girls Rock says why are mums so ashamed to stay at home. I see things as being the opposite. I am 28 weeks pregnant and have a 2.5 year old and work full time. People feel free to regularly make comments about the fact that I work. Only 3 out of 12 of us from my coffee group returned to work full time and we 3 feel constantly judeged by all and sundry including lots of SAHM about our working. On a daily basis we hear comments like - " I don't understand why people have children if they can't look after them themselves" and lots of people who think they are being 'subtle' or sensitive with ones like "I am sure it is fine for your family but I would never let my xxx old be looked after by strangers - nobody can ever do as good a job as the mother" etc etc. Which are the opposite of subtle and extremely rude. I don't think any of my friends who are SAHM's are ashamed and I am sorry if anyone is because it's great if this is what they want to do. Re Childcare costs - As said above it all depens on how much you would earn in relation to the costs. However I hope that you can make your decision based on more than just what makes sense financially. Hopefully your finances allow you to consider what is going to make you, your DH and baby happiest - good luck. |
Posted By: High9
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 1:44pm
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Returning to work was a hard decision because neither DP or I wanted DD in daycare so I've now returned to work part time but in a supermarket so pretty flexible hours if need be but I was able to pick times to fit around DPs hours and where I couldn't she stays with family.
Not everyone has family support to help out should they return to work and quite frankly I don't see the point in two parents working if almost all of one income will be going on day care! I think it has it's place - sure but that's just my 2c worth! I don't think it's about avoiding working either. If I had my way I'd stay home and be paid for it because it's a damn hard job but so rewarding! I hope to study to be a nurse starting next year and then work as a nurse but I had to go back to work for financial reasons and that's fine but ideally it would have been nice to stay home until I start my studies next year. Just lucky that I have family available to look after DD so that I'm not wasting my income on day care. ------------- http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: Bky
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 2:29pm
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Mine is in daycare 3 days a week and we pay something like 155 per week? I'm quite happy to work although I don't technically need to, but if it wasn't for my job and work conditions it wouldn't be feasible (or happy) for us. I love my job, and the people I work with. They really make the job for me. I'm also quite happy to have my DD in daycare as she gets such great social interaction from it that I wouldn't necessarily be giving her otherwise.
Nearly everyone at work has children of school age or younger and my boss is a dedicated grandma so time off for sick babies and/or flexible working hours are not an issue at all. I've financially figured I can have 3 kids before I'm in essence paying to go to work, but if I had twins (or eek more) next time, or if I lost my job for whatever reason I'd have a serious rethink. ------------- 7/2010, 10/2012 and 1/2015 |
Posted By: Isabella
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 3:23pm
| Rant deleted.. |
Posted By: HuntersMama
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 4:44pm
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DS goes to a staff daycare so it is subsidised and for the under 3's its $40 per day or $170 per week. Waaaay better than the $80 per day place I was looking at!
I guess it does depend on how much you earn, whether you could work part time etc. I work 30ish hours a week and DS is in daycare 3 1/2 days a week and it works for us. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: sem
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 7:15pm
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We pay $5.30 per hour through a home based childcare provider.
I have recently gone back to work 2 days per week for a total of about 10 hours a week. I love the work life balance I have at the moment. ------------- Here we go again, another baby on it's way! 
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Posted By: blossombaby
Date Posted: 13 September 2011 at 9:16pm
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kind of off topic but have you sat down and talked to dh about why he wnats you to return to work??
See i had the oppersite reason i wanted to return dp didn't want me to we sat down and I gave my reasons and he gave his - turns out he was totally jealous I got to stay home and watch her grown up while he worked, Also he didnt want me to go back fulltime nor back to my old job which was long hours, a lot of responsibilty etc and we both decided we didn't want DD is fulltime day care or eitehr of us to work weekends. We both had to meet in the middle - I found a new job - fulltime but less stress however it did equal a paycut - dd is in daycare 3 days and cared for my family the other 2. Maybe you could find out why he thinks you should work?? for me my reasons were i am not old fashion were as mum stays home dad works - i personally think what every situation works for the family, I like working i like spending therefore i like working knowing i get to spend what i earn haha .. DD LOVES daycare .. and based on what you said so i went abit off topic - We dont get WFF or CC Sub so we pay $200 for 3 days ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: MamaT
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 11:30am
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His reasoning is purely financial. Although after sitting down, doing some sums and discussing it in depth, it looks as though we would only be about $100-150 a week better off than we are now, which for me, really isn't worth the stress of it all.
Thanks for all the replies ladies. I can't get over just how expensive daycare can cost, and the variance from centre to centre and across the country. -------------
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Posted By: Hopes
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 12:07pm
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I guess that's what it comes down to - you'll have to nut out between yourselves whether it's worth it for the extra $150ish or less a week. I agree, in my point of view it totally wouldn't be worth it if you didn't want it yourself and could cope without the money, that much extra pocket money wouldn't be that important to me if it would make me unhappy. But I guess that's something that only you guys can decide / reach an agreement on.
On the 'bigger picture' stuff, I think the reason so many people feel guilty over whatever decision they make is that it's this huge decision that will affect your and your baby's life a lot, and there's really good pros and cons both ways. So it's easy to second-guess yourself. I think there's no 'right' way of doing it, and that everyone should just do what is right for their family and tell anyone who criticises them where to go (easier said than done, I find, but I still believe it even if it's somewhat harder in practice!) -------------
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Posted By: caliandjack
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 3:14pm
I'm not ashamed I feel remarkably privaleged to be able to do so. ------------- http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> [/url] Angel June 2012 |
Posted By: Isabella
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 8:32pm
Well said caliandjack - I think privileged is the bang on word for it 
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Posted By: RachelBerry
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 9:38pm
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My centre charges $300/week for under 3's - that's full time, and including all food (Inc hot lunch). You have to provide nappies and that's it. This is inner Auckland too.
I hope you find a balance OP :) |
Posted By: minik8e
Date Posted: 14 September 2011 at 9:57pm
| I have just gone back to almost full-time work. I pay $157 a week (per child) for full-time care (40 hours per week) which includes food, but not nappies. I get a (very good) subsidy however so it works out that I myself pay around $60 a week for both girls. I feel privileged that I was able to stay at home with my girls most of the time (I worked Fri-Mon, and they are at their dads for 2/3 of those days) but for myself, I could never get anywhere financially as I was, nor did I have security of hours at my job. I have just started working 9am-3.30pm Mon-Fri which works out excellent, although I miss my time with the girls something chronic - but for me, I need to be able to offer them a chance at life, and I was struggling as I was. |
Posted By: chickadeedoo
Date Posted: 15 September 2011 at 11:18am
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Tara - I used to work in a daycare and most charge daily for under 2's around $50 - $60 and I think it is more likely $230 - $310 for weekly. Now bearing in mind that this price may not include food (as some centres charge extra for that) and nappies.
Also, in my mind I think a creche or daycare benefits a child but that is just my view as I had my daughter in daycare at 6 mths and she is much more of a social kid than some that I have seen that didn't go to daycare or kindy until at least 3. Maybe it is just the difference in children or whatever reason...but unless you can actually find a job that pays really well I wouldn't bother with putting Cooper into daycare until such time. You would be worse off hun. ------------- 
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Posted By: jaz
Date Posted: 22 September 2011 at 8:01pm
My centre charges $280 pw under 3 yo so you would be looking at $560 pw for your two (if you went back to work straight after having no.2) It sounds like you've made the best choice for you and your family. Relax and enjoy your toddler now. You'll be busy with a new baby soon enough and will look back on this time you are having now. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 23 September 2011 at 7:02am
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Your hubby sounds a bit like mine with the financial thing. I managed to convince Matt that me going back to work really wasnt going to equal out with daycare bla bla. Although we pay the cheapest where we are because we dont go to a chain brand, we go to a community pre-school ($20 a day for each child with NO other funding. Husband earns too much).
They go 4 days a week and yea, I should probably be out working.. but you know what? I dont wanna :D I wanna be at home baking and cooking and keeping my house awesome and being there for when they're sick so I dont have to have time off work and generally be more relaxed overall. LUCKLY, we can do this at the moment. Once they get older, I wont be able to. I say if you can stay at home, do it! Take advantage of it now and spend time with your bubba til the new one comes and then reassess and see where you're at! ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Raspberryjam
Date Posted: 23 September 2011 at 10:59pm
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I have 2 little ones at private daycare - one for 18 hours one of 12 hours. The big one gets ECE and I pay $33 a week after that - the little one is $40 a day!
If they were both at kindy I would pay $461 a week - for fulltime care. For the little one it would be 262 alone - I could only work in the city so after gas - probably $100 a week as we are out of town - plus $50 parking - then coffee or lucnhes etc which I say I wont buy but I would come out with naff all. depends on what you do - if your getting a grand in the hand go for it - but jeepers being pregnant starting a new job and then dealing with bubba and husband when you get home - sounds like exhaustion to me - you would also loose any benefits (like wff) etc and then there is the simple fact that youd miss all that special time you would rather be spending with your baby / babies I think hubby is being a bit of a meanie, sorry ------------- http://lilypie.com] 
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