how consistent is your wage?

[2lovelygirls]

Hey ladies (and gents)
I totally get that a childminders salary is completely dependent on the demand / how many mindees you can or want to take on but i was just wondering how consistent throughout the year (or each year) your wage is.

I am really looking forward to working with children (as well as being at home with my own girls) but like most families we do need me to be earning and need my wage to be approx 500 - 600 a month. I get that this amount is achievable and I know there's no guarentees but just wondering whether your wage fluctuates throughout the year or whether it stays fairly consistent.

thanks

[jax clinch]

My tends to fluctuate around £1000 a month and I'm not full so I think your amount is achievable.

[AdeleMarie88]

I'm in London, I have 5 children on my register, they all do 3-4 days a week, and I earn about £1500 per month, after tax. Out of that comes my bills and expenses. Occasionally I earn more but that's my basic for 55hours peer week. Doesn't sound a lot when I type it out!

[Zoomie]

About 300 a week, slightly less in school holidays.

I have 3 0-5 spaces and 2 5-8 spaces, and am not full, but do work about 45 hours a week.

[2lovelygirls]

thanks for the quick responses

I guess what im trying to gauge is whether one month you earn 'x' amount and then the next it suddenly halves. I understand it could happen but do you seem to replace mindees quick enough to keep a fairly consistent wage - sorry if this doesn't make sense

[bindy]

thanks for the quick responses

I guess what im trying to gauge is whether one month you earn 'x' amount and then the next it suddenly halves. I understand it could happen but do you seem to replace mindees quick enough to keep a fairly consistent wage - sorry if this doesn't make sense

Where you live, makes a difference on how much you can earn. I guess if you get signed contracts, with at least a months notice to terminate, you will know exactly what you will be earning. Most of my school kids only come term time, I do not charge.

[Bluebell]

mine fluctuates hugely because I don't charge for my own holidays so if there is a month that I have a week off then I lose a 1/4 of my income.

I also have 2 term time only children that don't pay for the school holidays. I have always done this because I could easily fill the space with school children but having my own children I have found that I dont want to and therefore I lose money and for 6 weeks over the summer this is a lot.

I'm usually quite good at managing money but I have to be honest I've found with childminding its hard because even on the times when there is good money it just all seems to go on costs and my own bills so there is no room for saving or putting a bit aside.

Also as you say children leave and it depends on if you have a waiting list, if demand is high in your area, if you advertise effectively - it will all have an impact on whether you can fill the space quickly. If you have 3 full timers and 2 leave for school you will have a big gap to fill. I have lots of children that come for 1 day or half days - the most children come is 2 days so if I lose a child it is not as big an impact on my income.

If you can't afford to have holidays or lose income then consider charging for holidays - a lot of childminders do and I am moving toward charging 50% for my holidays to at least keep some income!

[AdeleMarie88]

thanks for the quick responses

I guess what im trying to gauge is whether one month you earn 'x' amount and then the next it suddenly halves. I understand it could happen but do you seem to replace mindees quick enough to keep a fairly consistent wage - sorry if this doesn't make sense

I only have toddlers at the moment and will likely have them for another yr and then go to nursery for free 15hrs, so for me I have that constant wage, its unlikley I will lose any before then. I also have two month notice period, so if they did leave it would give me long enough to find replacements! There is such a high Demand near me, I don't even advertise!
If you are concerned about keeping constant wage I would go for younger ones as opposed to schoolies! X

[muffins]

thanks for the quick responses

I guess what im trying to gauge is whether one month you earn 'x' amount and then the next it suddenly halves. I understand it could happen but do you seem to replace mindees quick enough to keep a fairly consistent wage - sorry if this doesn't make sense

I always manage to fill vacancies within a mth or so, but then there is quite a lot of demand in my area, I live in a smallish town, plus have been minding for 8yrs and my name is fairly well circulated. I think it also helps that I am the only one with a website in my town which is well advertised, there are 30(ish) minders in my area but a lack of nurseries with only 1 that take children under 2yrs.

It helps your income to have part timers as if one leaves you dont loose as much income as if a full timer left, however this causes you to have more paperwork

[samb]

I would say mine fluctuates too. Term time only contracts, my no fee holidays, how many actual working days are in that month (I charge for actual hours used per month not an average so if for example I have a full house on a Wednesday and that month there are 5 in a month I will be better off than a month with 4 and also I don't work Fridays so no benefit when 5 Fridays fall in a month), I can end up earning more in holidays when families book extra hours but much less if no one books and I'm off for a week in the sand month.

[bindy]

Where you live, makes a difference on how much you can earn. I guess if you get signed contracts, with at least a months notice to terminate, you will know exactly what you will be earning. Most of my school kids only come term time, I do not charge.

Sorry some text were missing. What I meant to say was, my wages change in the school holidays because the school kids do not attend and I do not charge. But I am full with little ones so look at the school children as a bonus

[bunyip]

How consistent is my wage?

How dry is the rain?

How cool is the centre of the sun?

How warm is Liz Truss's heart?

.................................................. ...........

[MessybutHappy]

I can answer the last one... I'm 99.99% sure that it's made of stone, so probably ambient temperature;-)

[tulip0803]

I am mainly consistent but there are times that things happen beyond my control just as it is quiet in the area. It depends on demend in the area at the time. I have registered twice, the first time I had children lined up to start the second time I spent 9 month working 6 hours a week.

I now prefer to have lots of part timers rather than fulltimers - after I was doing really well with full-time siblings (1 pre-school, 1 at school), Siblings 4 days a week (1 pre school, 1 at school), I took a difficult one on - pre-schooler, one week 5 days for 2.5 hours at lunch next week 5 days for 30 mins at lunch as parents were shift workers. Both sets of siblings gave notice in the same month, one parent made redundant other decided that after a year she would rather be at home with them. Leaving me with the awkward one. I took a job in a pub doing evenings to bring money in, doing evenings meant DH was home for our children and if I had any enquiries I could accept them and still work in the pub until I was busy again. Part-timers mean less drop in money if something happens.

I now have one full timer (39 hours over 4 days), 1 x 24 hours over 4 days, 2 x 19 hours (over 2 days different days), 1 x 6 hours 1 day, and 1 after schooler 3 days (including holidays). I have 1 pre-school vacancy on 3 days and am not worried about after school as I have 2 children going up in age groups next year. I also have a couple of children who come to me ad-hoc if I have space. Last month I cleared £1200 after expenses and should stay constant until feb/march next year when I have children going to school/playschool so will have some more spaces. I have a baby lined up to start Feb for a couple of days a week so should cover the first one going.

I look at my income term-time at the moment as I have a schoolie and it will increase during hols but most of the year it is lower for that one child. If I can manage on my term-time income then holidays are a bonus

[clairer]

I earn an average of £1000 a month although lately that has risen to £1300 that's working a 32 hour week. It may drop again if a child leaves. x

[scottishlass]

I have been childminding for a year now as except for my holiday times which I don't charge for it has been fairly consistent which has been great xx