Worried about how we are going to survive once we take our Family Leave

SO stressed about money right now. I am pregnant and we are looking at our mat leave/pat leave options.

The good news: Living in Canada means that I am automatically guaranteed a full year's worth of paid job protected Family leave that my husband and I can choose to split however we want. However it's only 55% of your pay that you get - so not fully pay.

My husband and I had agreed that we were going to split our leave.

I work as a teacher in a private school and he works at the head office for Goodlife Fitness which is a huge fitness chain in Canada.

I am due Feb 8th and my exams at the school end the 2nd. So I am already worried that if I go early I won't get paid for the time I lose from the school. Yes, I know EI will pay me, but that is not full salary and I am already worried about surviving on just 55% of my pay.

I should point out that because it's a private school I don't get prescription drug/eye/dental benefits, and I get "laid off" in the summer, so no pay during the summer months. I get paid barely more than minimum wage, so I make almost nothing to start with.

I was going to take the second semester and summer off as that would actually benefit me, given that I technically wouldn't have a job then anyway....it would be money coming in when I wouldn't otherwise have money coming in. My husband was going to go off in September when I go back to work.

Going back is important for me because being a private school they are not the most trustworthy and although I know it is illegal to "fire me", technically my contract ends at the end of June so they could just decide not to re hire me if I don't come back by September.

Problem is, my husband just found out that his benefits (which come out of his pay) will need to be prepaid in full for the 5 months that he is off which is like 5 cheques worth about $1100. That's money we DON'T have and benefits we sorely need (the price of which is going up due to the baby).

I don't know what we are going to do.

Somebody might have to forgo not working. Your husband might have to stay at his job come September. Either that or forgo benefits. You might have to find somebody in-home daycare.

Somebody might have to forgo not working. Your husband might have to stay at his job come September. Either that or forgo benefits. You might have to find somebody in-home daycare.

We can't afford for one of us to be off work and not getting anything and we definitely can't afford any daycare. It's an average of about $1200/month. If I don't go back in September I might never work there again so we would be in real trouble for a couple of reasons. The one GOOD thing about the school I work at is that their elementary campus has a daycare that they will provide us with when the baby is a year old the following year for $250/month. If I don't keep that job, then we can't afford daycare at all and we definitely can't afford to live only on one salary. If he stays in September, I risk losing my job, and the cheap daycare for February.

As for the benefits, I suffer from chronic migraines which cost about $200 for 6 pills. I am also an athsmatic and inhalers are expensive. If anything happens to the baby and we can't cover the meds we are in real trouble.

I feel like the only option is to keep the benefits, but I don't know how we will pay for them for the 5 months he is off.

You will be fine. Life has a tendency to work itself out.

Good things happen to good people.

You will figure it out. Right now, focus on your future child, this means, letting go of what you once thought were important things.......and focusing on your child.

You might not be able to get a car every few years.....or new clothes etc, or coffee every day etc, don't worry all of it will change once this child is born. You will look at EVERYTHING in a completely different way.

It will fall into place.

TIME is what you WILL value the most. I would strongly recommend that one of you raise this child vs daycare, after all, that's why you are having it right? To raise them proper?

Be positive and optimistic. Stop worrying, that accomplishes NOTHING.

I get that. I am asthmatic and have migraines as well.

It sounds like he needs a second job right now to make up the money.

Is it $1100 total, or $1100 x 5?

You will be fine. Life has a tendency to work itself out.

 

Good things happen to good people.

 

You will figure it out. Right now, focus on your future child, this means, letting go of what you once thought were important things.......and focusing on your child.

 

You might not be able to get a car every few years.....or new clothes etc, or coffee every day etc, don't worry all of it will change once this child is born. You will look at EVERYTHING in a completely different way.

 

It will fall into place.

 

TIME is what you WILL value the most. I would strongly recommend that one of you raise this child vs daycare, after all, that's why you are having it right? To raise them proper?

 

Be positive and optimistic. Stop worrying, that accomplishes NOTHING.

 

 

 

In a perfect world one of us could stay home and raise the child, but sadly this is not an option for us. We are just simply NOT in a position to be able to pay our rent, my student loans, our life insurance, food, bills, etc. on one salary. It's not a matter of wanting to vs. not wanting to, it's just not financially possible.

I get that. I am asthmatic and have migraines as well.

 

It sounds like he needs a second job right now to make up the money.

Yeah or me when I am off. I am thinking of maybe selling Avon or something on the side while I am off work. I dunno. Something to bring in extra cash.

Is it $1100 total, or $1100 x 5?

$1100 total which might not seem like a lot, but all at once is money we don't have. Somehow we have to get it on reduced pay (while being able to pay for all the other things a baby needs) before he goes on leave.

He could get a second job right now and start banking that money. It would pay the difference in the benefits. Don't forget if you make earnings you have to report them as well and that might come off your EI benefits.

$1100 total which might not seem like a lot, but all at once is money we don't have. Somehow we have to get it on reduced pay (while being able to pay for all the other things a baby needs) before he goes on leave.

Well, a couple of thoughts:

1. What's the due date for this? Because you should try asking if you can break it up into weekly/monthly payments leading up to that date.

2. Do you have a lot of debt? Because you may want to consider putting it on a credit card.

He could get a second job right now and start banking that money. It would pay the difference in the benefits. Don't forget if you make earnings you have to report them as well and that might come off your EI benefits.

What do you mean come off the EI benefits? I thought it was 55% of your pay for family leave....does that mean if he makes any more, EI will give him less??

Well, a couple of thoughts:

 

1. What's the due date for this? Because you should try asking if you can break it up into weekly/monthly payments leading up to that date.

 

2. Do you have a lot of debt? Because you may want to consider putting it on a credit card.

He will have to give the prepaid cheques before he goes off in September, so I guess that is the due date.

I have $50 000 in student debt that I owe to OSAP. That's the biggest debt we have. I owe about $300-400 in credit cards and he owes about $1100 or so. Putting more money on the card is likely not a good idea, though we DO have a $10 000 line of credit which we might have to resort to if we have no other choice.

I'm in Ontario too. Go to your pharmacy and ask about the Trillium health care plan that is run thru OHIP. It provides prescription coverage for those who do not have a company health plan, so you may well qualify for it. It's based on your income at income tax time. We are self employed and have had it for about 20 yrs! Saves a ton on prescriptions! You do pay a quarterly deductible based on income.

You can work out deals with OSAP. Both of my kids have/had OSAP payments and they will work with you to some degree. Call them and ask.

Well, we don't have " family leave" it is maternity and paternity benefits paid through unemployment insurance.

I believe it's like every other kind of unemployment insurance anytime you're on it if you make a certain amount of money they take it off. So he better work his Hiney off now to make as much money he can so when he goes on to parental it won't be such a big kick in the pants.

I'm in Ontario too. Go to your pharmacy and ask about the Trillium health care plan that is run thru OHIP. It provides prescription coverage for those who do not have a company health plan, so you may well qualify for it. It's based on your income at income tax time. We are self employed and have had it for about 20 yrs! Saves a ton on prescriptions! You do pay a quarterly deductible based on income.

I was on Trillium before he got his job with Goodlife. Since his benefits cover both of us, I don't qualify for Trillium.

Well, we don't have " family leave" it is maternity and paternity benefits paid through unemployment insurance.

 

 

I believe it's like every other kind of unemployment insurance anytime you're on it if you make a certain amount of money they take it off. So he better work his Hiney off now to make as much money he can so when he goes on to parental it won't be such a big kick in the pants.

Yeah.....just not sure how/where he will be able to do that, but we certainly need to start looking. Just so stressful with a baby coming.

You can work out deals with OSAP. Both of my kids have/had OSAP payments and they will work with you to some degree. Call them and ask.

I am already on repayment assistance - have been for too long. At first I didn't have to pay anything for the repayment period, then they wanted $92/month and then $370/month. My income didn't change - just the length of time I was on repayment assistance. Eventually I won't get any leeway and I will have to pay the full $550/month that they want.

People have already started hiring for Christmas help so I guess he better get on it.

He will have to give the prepaid cheques before he goes off in September, so I guess that is the due date.

 

I have $50 000 in student debt that I owe to OSAP. That's the biggest debt we have. I owe about $300-400 in credit cards and he owes about $1100 or so. Putting more money on the card is likely not a good idea, though we DO have a $10 000 line of credit which we might have to resort to if we have no other choice.

So you have almost a year to pay the $1100? That seems like more than enough time to squirrel away a little money every week.

And if you only have about $1500 on credit cards (not counting the student loans), then I'd say using credit to pay $1100 for peace of mind is a pretty good idea. You can't go without benefits when you have a baby.

So you have almost a year to pay the $1100? That seems like more than enough time to squirrel away a little money every week.

 

And if you only have about $1500 on credit cards (not counting the student loans), then I'd say using credit to pay $1100 for peace of mind is a pretty good idea. You can't go without benefits when you have a baby.

Well no, technically we have 4 months. Once I am off work, my income drops to half because of mat leave. We also have a ton of stuff to buy (as this is our first child) and nobody to really help us so we have to do it all on our own. The student loan in and of itself is a huge financial burden as I am paying almost $500/month right now. Putting money on credit cards would really only make the problem much much worse.

I know we have to find some other way of making money, but the job market here is not great and we don't have much time. *sigh*.

Even if he works at Walmart stocking shelves or McDonald's or who cares wherever... You are going to need that second income. Pride really sometimes really goes out the window when you have a little person that is 100% reliant on you.

Well no, technically we have 4 months. Once I am off work, my income drops to half because of mat leave. We also have a ton of stuff to buy (as this is our first child) and nobody to really help us so we have to do it all on our own. The student loan in and of itself is a huge financial burden as I am paying almost $500/month right now. Putting money on credit cards would really only make the problem much much worse.

 

I know we have to find some other way of making money, but the job market here is not great and we don't have much time. *sigh*.

You're a teacher - why not try to be a tutor during your mat leave? You could do it in your own home.

At the risk of sounding heartless, this sounds like one of those "good problems."

"How am I going to survive a year of paid leave??"

You can definitely do it.

First of all, in the US, women can get a forbearance on their student loans during maternity leave. Generally speaking, Canada is a lot more progressive economically speaking so I can't imagine there not being a similar option for you. I'd research the option. You'd still accrue interest but it'd be a big help in the meantime.

I'd start putting tutoring ads out on Craigslist now. Can you get additional part time work now while you're still physically able? Even if it's just for a month or two at McDonalds or Walmart for minimum wage, it sounds like it'd be worth it.

Unlike many of the posters here, I live in the US, where 1) only the woman is guaranteed leave and 2) it's only guaranteed for 12 weeks AND 3) there's absolutely no guarantee of any pay. We manage here. I promise you'll be able to as well.