The Real Number · Companion tool

Is going full-time actually worth it?

For parents weighing up whether more working days would leave their household better off each month.

See the extra cash after childcare, tax, commuting and benefit changes.

What's your situation?

Pick the number of days you work now. We’ll scale the pay if you change it.

Your annual salary £/YR — gross, for 3 days/week
What lands in your bank each month? £ — optional

Use your normal take-home amount, after pension and workplace-benefit deductions. It makes the estimate more personal.

Partner's annual income £/YR — used for benefit checks

This is not added to the comparison — it only checks Child Benefit and childcare eligibility.

Your monthly childcare bill £/MO — what you pay now

The amount that actually leaves your account. We’ll scale it if the number of working days changes.

I know my nursery quotes (optional)

Enter only the patterns your nursery has quoted for. Leave a box blank and we’ll estimate it from the figures you do know.

Monthly commuting / work costs £/MO — what you pay now
How many children do you have?

Your numbers at a glance

Each option is compared with where you are now—not your household’s full combined income.

Tap an option to see your monthly money breakdown. ↓

What’s driving your number?

Want to see the full monthly workings?Open

The line-by-line figures behind the 3, 4 and 5-day comparison.

How is childcare paid for? optional personal view

This changes only your personal cash view below — never the household result.

Check your nursery fees and payslips before making a decision. Childcare support and take-home pay can vary by family.

Make your number better

A few places to look before deciding that more days are—or are not—worth it.

Reduce childcare costsAsk your nursery for quotes by pattern and check every childcare-support option you qualify for.
Reduce work costsLook at travel, parking, lunches and whether a different work pattern cuts the expensive days.
Make the change safelyTest the household budget for a few months before you commit to a permanent contract change.
Plan aheadSet a reminder to revisit this when childcare, salary or working arrangements change.

Keep exploring

More Real Number tools will help turn this result into a wider household plan.

Put this into my Life SheetSee how work choices fit alongside your household’s bills, savings and goals.
What can our household afford?Use this monthly change in a fuller affordability check.
Rough planning estimate only — not tax or financial advice. Uses 2026/27 UK income tax and NI bands and the High Income Child Benefit Charge rules (withdrawn between £60k–£80k for the higher earner). If you enter your actual take-home, the calculator carries the difference from its tax estimate forward proportionally; this is still an estimate, not a payslip forecast.