Mind finally made up

While I was pregnant with Josh I had decided that I was going to get a full time job and bith him and Andrew were going into fulltime daycare from when Josh was about 3-5 months old. DH was fully surportive of the idea as it would lead to more money coming into the house and we would be able to get the rest of the house fixed up etc.

Once Josh was here and was feeding really well I had this feeling of not wanting to go back to work for a little while yet as I wanted to feed him for as long as Josh's wants to .

Then my job that I wanted got advertised and I applied for it. DH did a small budget up with our 2 incomes (that we would get if I was working) and what we are currently getting. If I was to go back to work we would be getting about $100 to play with a week - a good amount but wasn't really enough to get the kitchen done.

He worked out that if I stay at home and go back to fulltime study we would be about $300 better off, and that way I can continue to feed Josh, and work my way towards getting my degree. So last night I had a look at my Massey books chose 4 papers for next semester and am going to enrol in them on Monday. I am going to sort out with the daycare for Josh to start there later in the year so that next year I will be able to do some internal papers. Both me and DH are happy with the result we have made.

I turned down the job that I got, i'm a little sad but know that we are far better off me not working at the moment.

I'm also very tempted to take our budget into my local MP and ask him how working for families is meant to make you better off as I don't think it was going to make us better off if I worked.

way to go...can i ask tho doesnt it cost you to study?

Yeah a student loan, and I get an allowance so it will only cost the course fees.

I think working for families really works well if you have 1 child and both parents work (it did for us last year and the year before) but both of us working and 2 children we get nothing.

Great that you have made the decision! What are you studying?

We will get nothing from working for families even with me not working, jsut because i will have worked enough of this year to push us over the edge. i don't mind as I know we are prety lucky that DH earns a decent amount. What I do mind is that stupid add that shows those people in that house with the daughter texting - there is no way you would qualify for working for families and have a house like that, and toys like the kids have. No way at all!

The repayments are about $50 a week we don't really notice them coming out of DH's pay. Have a look at www.studylink.govt.nz for the loan info.

Miss i'll be studying a BA  with an Education Major. Next semester i'll be doing 2 education papers, an ethics and a sociology paper. After I have completed the BA i'll go on and do the grad dip primary to become a primary teacher.

Fun Becks! You will really enjoy it. And if I can help in any way let me know - it is ages since I did education at Uni, but i can do whatever I can for the teaching side of things - I love helping out people training to teach!

Yay Becks, congrats on going back to study! I was in danger of becoming a perpetual student, I was doing 1-2 papers a semester towards a Postgrad Dip, but I finally admitted defeat and gave it away last year coz the work experience I have now kind of negates the need for it.

Working for Families is great for us, we get more than 3 times what we used to get from them before the gremlins arrived.

Good on you , and congrats on your decision, they are so hard to make, when you have kids! Have fun studying and still being pretty much a full time mummy .

woohoo! And have to ask, is Josh going to the Massey childcare? if so, my friend works up there and I've visited several times. Great facilities and lovely atmosphere up there! Pity about the wait list huh!

haven't read through all the posts, but hell yeah.. when both me and mike were working and paying full time daycare.. we were poor. it was basically as if it was only my income cos hello, mike got $800 in the hand a fortnight and we were paying out $600 a fortnight in daycare.

Now he is back at study.. a decision made because he wanted to go back and has wanted to for a long time.. the better income was merely a perk.

We have things based on my income cos i am the only one working, this includes IRD. however we get the living costs from his loan (which will bump things up i know, but it's just till we get this year over and done with with all it's expense!) far more family assitance, far more assistance with accomodation costs, and daycare is paid for.      

working for families does not work for middle income families with both parents working... and the free daycare thing is a croc cos most daycares would have to seriously compromise on their quality of care to be able to provide care for the rates they are wanting to subsidise the 3 & 4 yrs olds for.

good on you for going back to study, it does make feeding a bit more easier than going back to work i think.