Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP is full of excuses.

+1. You should teach of you are that desperate. I know it’s a tough career but your kids in elem should have before/after care and what is up with preschool? It’s free but not the same school as your older kid? If you’re paying for preschool then the answer right there is pull your kid out

This is my impression, too. For us, preschool hours were MORE flexible than school hours.

Then there's the fact that OP either has a stupidly expensive engagement ring that can pay for an au pair or is so financially impaired that she thinks her normal engagement ring can pay for an au pair. Red flag either way. This isn't just a matter of budgeting better. OP and her DH need an epiphany.

Anonymous wrote:Substitute teach. If you can commit to that even maybe 2 days a week, the same days, I bet a school would be thrilled to have that reliability

Depending on where she is after taxes it may be like $150 a week. It’s not nothing but not enough to make a dent. She needs a full time job and to accept there will be sacrifices and hard times.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:OP here - my kids are in different schools bc I have preschool and elementary aged kids. 2 more years until they’re all in elementary. Pre kids I was a public school teacher in a different city. I have a masters degree. I have no interest in returning to teaching. I will do anything work wise but I’m reluctant to take a job with strict hours. My husband has zero leave left after our year from h3ll. Happy to do some household repairs myself (like painting) but can’t replace the two broken windows on my own.

Substitute teaching at one of your kids' schools would be a good option. I know you don't want to return to teaching, but it's a bridge that allows you to earn some money until your kids are all in the same school and you can use aftercare for all of them.

I signed up to sub this fall. But can’t do full days bc of preschool pick up.

Find a new pre school that has extended hours. This is what most people do. You need to change your mind set.

1) go back to work (everyone else does it)
2) consider teaching again
3) make adjustments to kids schooling & child care to accommodate your new job
4) get started ASAP

Substitute teach. If you can commit to that even maybe 2 days a week, the same days, I bet a school would be thrilled to have that reliability

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a background in education why not tutor kids after school?

What do I do with my own kids after school in that scenario?

Tutor at your home and keep them occupied with tv. When I was in high school my SAT tutor had kids and it wasn’t a big deal. You seem incapable of coming up with any solution and just have tons of excuses.

The problem is not that you are broke, it’s that you are lazy. You can teach but you choose not to do so. You don’t have to sub for full days…. As a teacher, you know this though. You could also be a paraprofessional or an aide. Cut the after school activities. Cut outside therapy because school has it all. You are trying to live a life that you are not capable of.

Is you child in private preschool that you are paying for?
Can you pull them out mid year and keep them home to save some cash?

Engagement rings are not worth much on the resale market, which is why it's a good idea not to splurge on them in the first place. You could gather up and gold jewelry and sell it for the price of gold.

I would try to find a remote part time job while the kids are in school. Or compare selling your money pit house and how much it would cost to rent a townhouse. If only one of you is working, consider you don't need to be super close to the one job.

Have you joined your local "buy nothing" group on Facebook, so you can take advantage of stuff others are giving away? Lots of children's stuff on those groups.

I would also join some non consumer and frugal groups on Facebook to see if there are any changes you could make to save any more money during the month.

Drive for Uber or Doordash whenever you or DH have free time. For example, I'd guess kids are just about in bed by now. One of you should be driving Uber. It's Friday night, prime time for people who need rides and you can make $20-30/hour. Every free moment counts.

OP. I don't know how much debt you have and how much you'd have to cut back to break even every month, but you are in some very expensive years. I think you said your kids will be in the same school in 2 years. Maybe you just don't travel until the kids are in school and you can sub full time at their school. Also, especially since you are an ES teacher, you could teach your kids preschool and not have to pay for that. Find local moms groups for play dates for the socialization. Sign them up for some county rec classes so they're familiar with being in a class setting and following a teacher's instructions. Preschool isn't necessary. It is $$$.

Anonymous wrote:

Anonymous wrote:If you have a background in education why not tutor kids after school?

What do I do with my own kids after school in that scenario?

What about night time or weekend tutoring when your husband is around?

Anonymous wrote:OP is full of excuses.

+1. You should teach of you are that desperate. I know it’s a tough career but your kids in elem should have before/after care and what is up with preschool? It’s free but not the same school as your older kid? If you’re paying for preschool then the answer right there is pull your kid out

OP is full of excuses.

It's a tough situation. I think the easiest option would be to sub half-days and maybe work part-time in the evenings at any retail place hiring for the holidays.

Can you move? DC is not the place to be on one income.