Money Matters
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Our tech team has launched updates to The Nest today. As a result of these updates, members of the Nest Community will need to change their password in order to continue participating in the community. In addition, The Nest community member's avatars will be replaced with generic default avatars. If you wish to revert to your original avatar, you will need to re-upload it via The Nest.
If you have questions about this, please email help@theknot.com.
Thank you.
Note: This only affects The Nest's community members and will not affect members on The Bump or The Knot.
Unemployment question
I usually never post but I have a question hopefully someone might be able to help with.
My h and I have been looking at daycare options in out area (I'm due in about a month) and we just really can't see a way we can afford it.
We live about 2 hours away from my family who could watch the baby for free.
My question is if I leave my job and we move closer to home during my maternity leave and I can't find another job right away could I collect unemployment while I'm looking? (my H wouldn't have to leave his cause he would still be in driving distance)
My h and I have been looking at daycare options in out area (I'm due in about a month) and we just really can't see a way we can afford it.
We live about 2 hours away from my family who could watch the baby for free.
My question is if I leave my job and we move closer to home during my maternity leave and I can't find another job right away could I collect unemployment while I'm looking? (my H wouldn't have to leave his cause he would still be in driving distance)
Re: Unemployment question
I have started looking and applying for jobs. Even went on a couple interviews. No luck though since people either don't want someone to start and then take a leave right away or they don't want to wait till my maternity leave is over to have me start.
My plan is to interview during my maternity leave and find something during those 2 months. I was just hoping we could start the moving process (we are going to have to rent out our current house and find another house to rent in the meantime). I was just worried if we did that and I couldn't fins another job right away then what would we do.
Thanks for the responses.
Have you actually talked with family members about them doing child care --- for free? That is a BIG commitment on their part - so please, do not assume based on casual conversations made in the past.
You will not qualify for unemployment.
Did you not plan for this baby? Check out day care costs ahead of time? Save for maternity leave?
Yes my mom is retired and my sister works part time and they would gladly babysit. This was not just a casual conversation.
This baby was planned. My H lost his job and the only thing he could find was a commission job that is way less than half of what he use to make, so things have been harder than we anticipated. We had looked at the cost of daycare and making what he use to make we would not have had a problem with affording but unfortunaltely things change sometimes out of your control. And maternity leave is not a problem we have plently of money for that time off.
Have you considered posting your budget here to see if people could find ways to save you the money you need?
Moving might be your best bet but it seems to involve a lot of risk -- what if you can't find work? What if you don't like having family watch the baby?
The plan as of now is to stay and look for a job during my leave. But once I found something we be rusing to find renters for our house and move before I would start the new job. That's the only reason I was asking if whether we just up and moved if I could collect unemplyoment if I couldn't find anything.
Here is our current budget. My H's salary is so hard to figure out since he is commission. I usually just estimate the lowest month he's ever had to try and play it safe.
I do have paid maternity leave and short term disability during my leave. The STD is only 4 weeks at 60% all the other time will be covered by my vacation and sick hours. So really it's my own time I've saved. i do not believe there are any obligations to repay back my own time accured but that is something I would have to make sure on. Thanks to making me think about that.
How much would daycare cost?
At any rate your larger issue is that this is a very lean budget. I feel like there is a lot missing. There are no co-pays for medical stuff (and you go a lot in the first year after birth 2 days, 1 month, 2 month, 4, months, 6 months are all standard well checks). Also what about diapers, wipes and misc other baby stuff? Is that in groceries?
How long before the car is paid off? That is a really big expense given your take home.
How much savings do you have? It sounds like you can't move until you have a job because you just couldn't swing a few months w/o pay. Would you mom be willing to live with you during the week and do childcare until you can move?
Other baby stuff is included in groceries/household stuff. And the copays for dr's, etc would come out of misc. for the mth. That is usually just random stops for coffee or lunch out every once in a while.
The car is new so unfortunately there is 4 years left on that.
We have about $10k in savings right now. We had to use some while H was out of work and haven't been able to replenish since he isn't really making enough yet.
My mom watches my sister's baby a couple days a week so those days she couldn't come up but both her and my sister said they would come on the other days to babysit.
I was assuming we would have to wait till I found another job to move. I'm just anxious to get back home (and out of my current job!).
Thanks for the help.