The response to the survey has been fantastic, highlighting to me that spending on food is a big issue for families. The survey has provided some base data for comparisons, for families to see what like sized families are spending to feed their family. It does however have limitations:

• Not all respondents new exactly what they were spending in total.
• Not all respondents new the break down into grocery, fruit and veg and meat.
• From the comments it appears respondents have used their total from the supermarket. So would include toiletries, cleaning products etc. I know this is what I did!
• Those who have smaller weekly food bills could be eating out more.
• Those who have a smaller weekly food bill may be using the canteen for kids’ lunches.
• Some food choices are more expensive than others. For example I have started making my own breakfast cereal consisting of nuts and seeds. It would be triple the price of the processed cereal I was buying, but I am happy with that choice. (Thanks Theresa for reminding me of that!)

But it has certainly made me think about how much I spend and where I can save money. I will share some of this next week.

Budgeting

53% of respondents said they set a family budget. The data highlighted that those who budgeted did spend less per week on food by about 5%:

Tracking

51% of families are tracking what they spend on food on a regular basis uses a variety of tools. As with budget setting, those who tracked their expenditure spent on average 5% less than those who didn’t.

Menu planning

94% of readers are menu planning some capacity, 56% doing so on a regular basis. And it was this data that surprised me the most. Those who did not menu plan at all were spending a massive 18% less per week on food:

The sample size for those who did not menu plan was 39, so relatively small at 6%. It would be interesting to have asked additional questions as pointed out by readers in the comments of the first results post and on the Planning With Kids facebook page about additional expenditure on food like school lunches, snacks, take away meals and eating out. Snacks, take away meals and eating out is something we categorise in our budget as miscellaneous – not that we have much expenditure on these though!

The key finding for me is that tracking what you spend and where is powerful. You can compare your expenditure to this data to get an idea of how you are going, but if you are doing your own tracking and know exactly how you categorise expenditure on feeding your family, you have significant information to make budgetary decisions on.

How do you track spending on things like school lunches, snacks, take away meals and eating out?

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Feeding The Family – Budgeting, Planning and Tracking is a post from: Planning With Kids

I am writing about the more practical side of things, while Maxabella is showing how she is returning to study and undertaking a Digital Photography Course . Kelly Exeter is sharing inspiring interviews with Australian women who are following their passion.

Here is a quick summary of the latest from me of achieving your goals and managing your time:

The best goal tracking tools to help you stay accountable

Simple goal tracking tools, online, apps and old school recording that can help you with your goal setting. Read more….

The real 3 Rs – routine, routine, routine

Family routines work as the give you a solid foundation to work from, here are three family routines that will help get your family sorted. Read more….

How to keep going and achieve your dreams

Pursuing your goals, like returning to work or study takes hard work. Here are some tips to help you get to it! Read more….

Helping the family manage change

Tips on how to plan and manage change with the family when you return to work. Read more….

Check-in time. Are you meeting your goals?

One quarter of the way through the year, time to check in and see how you are traveling. Look at what is working, what isn’t and what needs to change. Read more….

How to get out of the house on time

Whether it be to head to work or head to your lecture, here are 4 tips to get you organised and out of the house on time. Read more….

Time management: Fitting it all in

Fitting it all in? Of course not, well at least not all at the same time. Assess where you are spending your time and work out what you can prune to slow the pace down. Read more….

Making the most of your time

Feel time racing away while the to do list remains undone? Some simple tips to help you make the most of your time. Read more….

What about me?

What about me? Why time for you is important, how to plan to so it happens. Read more….

The evening rush

Tips on how to implement strategies into your weekly life to ensure the evening rush has a sense of organised chaos as opposed to complete madness! Read more….

Win with SEEK Learning and Kidspot

Kidspot and SEEK Learning have a fab competition going at the moment (Australian residents only sorry) where you can choose from  a $2000 shopping spree, a $2000 gourmet temptation, a $2000 adventure experience and $2000 endless pampering.  To enter you need to head here  and in 30 words or less, let them know  “Who is your biggest supporter, and why?” Entries close 15:00pm AEST on 8 July 2013.

Have you returned to work or study recently – if so how are you going with it?

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Goal Setting and Time Management Tips is a post from: Planning With Kids

Claire has very kindly offered readers of Planning With Kids a free 15 minute consultation.  Simply email Claire at  claireberry@claireberryconsulting.com.au to organise a time.

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When considering the financial impact of returning to work, it is important to look at the reasons that are driving your decision. Each motivation comes with its advantages and disadvantages and as a family you need to weigh these up and decide what is best for your family.

The Actual Costs

Consider all the costs that returning to work can involve. Will you use childcare, a nanny or ask family members to mind your children and what will this cost? How many children are at school, and do they have after-school care? What will your costs for transport, lunch, work clothes and other expenses be?

These can be big issues for both couples and single parents, especially if you are seeking part-time or job share roles as these often don’t pay as well, particularly if it’s not the private sector. Will your working make the family better or worse-off financially? I know many mothers who just scrape even when budgeting for childcare. Once you have worked out an approximate budget of costs, it is vital to consider the following questions.

Why Do You Want To Go Back To Work? Is It For Sanity, Stimulation or Something Else?

Sanity, a change of scenery and adult interaction are often the main reasons listed by first-time mothers contemplating a return to work. “I felt lonely and a bit bored after having my first child, and working two days a week helped to make me feel useful,” said an audiologist I spoke to recently. “My motivations changed after having my second child, and I felt I had to return to work to maintain my career as I was already pregnant with number three.”

When parents are initially returning to work for these reasons, you may find it worthwhile to be open to new careers or a broader range of roles, even if they are more junior than the roles you have previously held. For some women, their former working lives (pre-children) would not provide the flexibility and work/life balance they might now be seeking. Even where your main driver is stimulation, taking a more junior role is not necessarily a step backwards, especially if you have been out of the job market for a significant time. It’s often best to consider the first role back as a stepping stone to the perfect role.

How Many Children Do You Have?

Obviously, the number of children you have plays a key role in the financial impact of returning to work. One mother in the medical field commented that with her first baby her reasons for returning to work were “Stimulation and money, in that order. With my second child, I’d say money and stimulation, in that order!”
Is this your first child or your fourth? How old are your children? For some mothers, full-time or part-time work may not be financially viable at this point. As a mother of four recently commented to me, “Full-time work would only be viable once the children were all older, and the reality is that my income would not be worth it from a financial or emotional point of view at this time.”

Flexibility and hours are important to consider as overtime can blow the childcare budget. A scientist said “My first job when baby one was 11 months was an evening shift which worked really well at the time. The second baby required flexible day work with a start and finish time that accommodated school hours so I didn’t have to also pay after-care.”

Is It For The Money?

Often parents returning to part-time work will say that salary was relevant to the extent it had to cover childcare costs. A speech pathologist noted, “I call my wage ‘shoe money’ as it doesn’t make a huge difference financially but takes the pressure off and lets us buy a few nice things without guilt.” Other mothers say the income they earn is a nice addition and helps to pay the groceries but not the mortgage.

Others may be returning to work full-time to make a significant contribution to the mortgage or to pay off debt. One female doctor I spoke to recently commented, “When I increased to full-time hours for financial reasons I looked around and went into a role I was doing 10 years ago purely because the money was good (even though the role was not stimulating at all!).” Whilst full-time work may be exactly what you are looking for, it is important to factor in the hours and any toll this may have on your personal health. Using a nearby gym at lunchtime or even going for a half hour walk can do wonders for the mind and body (or at least keep you awake when 3:30pm fatigue hits!).

If you run your own business, the money is often not the only consideration. As a beauty therapist with two children recently commented, “When it is your own business, you’re willing to (and often have to) work unpaid and long hours. I don’t mind this however as I have a strong emotional investment in my business and want to do what it takes to make it work.” If you are considering starting your own business, you need to think about whether you have these extra hours.

Is it To Keep Your Skills Up To Date?

Many parents make the decision to return to work to keep their skills up in view of long-term career. For some this means “taking the pain now with little financial return for the sake of longevity.” For a Paediatrician this meant returning to work to “keep my hand in” but that instead of going back to the demanding hours of a practice, she did some review work for the hospital on a part-time basis to suit her family requirements.

Do You Have Family Support?

Sit down and discuss the logistics with your partner or other relevant people. Who will take care of dinner and other responsibilities while you’re working? Can your partner or helpers do some drop-offs at childcare? “A potential downside of working part-time is that that the full-time home duties can still be yours,” said one mum recently. “You may end up having to juggle a lot more, however the adult interaction, stimulation and extra pocket money are a worthwhile trade off.” An early discussion of practicalities is essential to making a transition back to work successful.

Does Your Workplace Promote A Family Friendly Culture?

Do your childcare hours suit the hours of your role? Will your boss understand that sometimes you will be required to take days off when your children are sick? A journalist recently commented, “My boss is very understanding about taking leave when my kids are sick, however I am reluctant to use sick leave on myself even when I really need it, and I know other mothers whose bosses are not so sympathetic. Better flexibility around this would be terrific.”

Ensure that the workload of your part-time role is what you’ve actually agreed to, and that you’re not actually taking on another days’ work. Be firm that three days really means three days, and not four! Working from home can be an ideal set-up for some, but household jobs and/or children can also make it difficult to concentrate.

Should You Look At New Roles? How Do I Look For A Job?

Finding the perfect job can come in a variety of ways, including through online searches (seek.com, mycareer.com, and industry specific job websites) and in weekly advertisements such as The Australian on Wednesday and My Career in Saturday’s Age, and also through networking.
Set alerts for roles that match your unique skills to be sent directly to your email from recruitment or job search websites to save time. You will be notified of the jobs you are interested in without constantly doing the legwork to seek them out.

Talk to your previous employer. It may be the case that returning to your old role but limiting the hours takes away the pressure of starting a new job and provides the stimulation that many mothers crave.

If possible, take control so that you are actively researching roles before the need arises to return to work. Mothers are great networkers and talking to others in your field is an effective start. Let people know you are thinking of returning to work soon and starting to research different roles. They might recommend that you talk to a friend or tell you when a role comes up at their work.

Conclusion

Ultimately when returning to work, the reasons are key. After weighing up all the pros and cons, it may not be emotionally or financially feasible for you and your family to return to work at this time, or conversely you may find that the stimulation, financial support and/or interaction are worth their weight in gold. Whatever your motivations, I hope you can find it all!

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If you are after more information, you can find more at claireberryconsulting.com.au. Claire also has a great newsletter you can sign up to here to find out about upcoming seminars from Claire, news about your industry and tips and tricks. You can find Claire on facebook as well!

Are you contemplating returning to work?

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The Financial Impact Of Returning To Work is a post from: Planning With Kids