Notice Given

After 3 1/2 years, we’ve given notice to our nursery that we want the Little Lady to leave at the end of June.

It’ll be the end of an era and an end of an experiment that cost us £80,000 pounds.

I used to think that people who moved back home after having kids were laughed mum after having kids were losers.

That they couldn’t imagine a life any different from what they were born into.

And when they move back home, they can’t provide the same standard of living for their kids that they once had growing up. A poisonous mixture of rampant house price inflation, poor career choicesand earnings, and far too much avocado toast.

Except I was wrong about one thing. Having Granny and Grandad on call to look after the kids and provide and provide free, safe, convenient childcare is worth its weight in gold.

Or approximately £2,000+ a month for 2 kids at its peak! Plus, the immeasurable benefit of having a babysitter so you can get sloshed on a night out without having to worry about the kids.

It would have made my job as a travelling salesman a few years ago so much easier!

GFF Childcare Choices

Better or worse, when the Master came along and the Lady needed to go back to work, I brought in a nanny to look after him at home. She was more expensive than nursery but I but I felt 1 on 1 care was more important than anything else. Having her at home meant the logistics were a lot simpler, too. We are in an LCOL area, so it was doable.

Fast forward a bit, the nanny left, and we put the kids in the nursery. At first the nursery was great. The staff were highly motivated and experienced, and we were totally happy.

Many of our friends have kids who went to nursery with the master. Due to covid, we played in the play park after nursery with the kids (when allowed) and got to know them, the parents.

Time Passes

Over time, the Naster left the nursery for school, and the Little Lady stayed. Overall fees dropped, but so did the standards. And over time, the fees per child increased ahead of inflation. And while the government’s free hours came in, it was a 4 figure bill each month until recently. This is for 5 days a week full timeby the way – currently about £800 a month after funding.

We did use a combination of tax-free childcare and childcare vouchers to keep costs down, but the monthly bills kept rolling in. We could afford it. That’s not the problem, but it was a monthly bleed.

Notice

A few weeks ago our favorite staff member Nursery left. At that point I realised there was hardly anybody left that we knew well or liked. The nursery had trouble keeping staff and turnover was getting higher and higher.

Luckily for us, We only have until the end of June, so we put in our notice that we were leaving.

The total cost for both kids for childcare to date will add up to about £80,000 pounds. Money well spent maybe since it’s kept the Lady in employment and she hasn’t become a stayed on mum. And the service they provided has been overall very good. It’s just the fact that we have to pay so much for it that annoys me so much. Other countries have a high quality childcare for much lower cost.

We could afford it, but for millions, childcare is a very painful Experience with huge bills. If the cost of childcare keeps mothers out of the workforce.

My mother once said about childcare that it can cost as much as your mortgage for 2 kids in nursery. I told her that our nursery costs were over £2,000 pounds a month and are mortgage only £700.

The reality is that the child care system is broken. Who can afford children?

We could, but I know that our family situation is pretty unique. We didn’t have any family support in looking after our kids, but we did have deep pockets.

School after Nursery

With the little lady going to school in August, Our child care costs will drop substantially.

We’ll probably have her in after-school club at £11 a day along with the Master. Plus the usual middle class after school extra quickly the school extra critical activities.

Remind me to check how much a second-hand pony cost these days.

But it feels a bit sad to have said to the nursery that this is it. This is the end. Thank you for everything.

It’s not really about the money. If you have the money, then it’s not about the money. The bean countering me count the pennies. What’s more important is the care your children get. We could afford the best.

Of course, now, with an extra £700 a month in our pockets, we will be able to afford so much more!

FIRE with Kids?

A lot of people ask whether you can actually Retire early or become Financially Independent when you have kids.

I think that objectively, without kids, we would be able to retire without kids we would be able to retire by now. That’s because we wouldn’t have had to shell out £80,000 on childcare that money would have been invested, and it would have grown.

We’d also be more flexible in where we live, and we wouldn’t have so much capital tied up in our property.

The cost of everything and the value of nothing

I’m no cynic – sometimes. So I have to say that I don’t mind if we’re not fully financially independent financially independent and are still working. Even rit who may or may not have kids is still worth if have kids is still working and there’s nothing wrong with it if it’s your choice.

And we chose kids, and I stand by that decision. Our kids are great – £80,000 or not.

Thanks, GFF

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