money money money

[bumps_a_daisy]

Is any one else pooping them selfs about money????
maybe we could all share some advice about how to save and make our money last longer.

my oh keeps telling me we have more than enough money but i dont feel that at all. also worried about my career.



any advice or similar stories would be awesome

 

[05wilkesm]

i feel the same, no advice though
stupid boyfriend got some extra work this week so guess what he intends to buy at the end of the week; a bloody xbox!!! drives me maaad! xx

 

[Seity]

We've saved money by getting everything the baby needs second hand from friends and family. We've only needed to buy diapers and wipes and I keep my eye out for sales on those.

 

[bumps_a_daisy]

Lol a xbox, sounds like my OH who is buying a moterbike this week...........i want to rip my hair out and heres me trying to save. xxx

 

[Tashry]

I cut back a lot with my son - I found that most things people were buying were just a waste of money. Examples: I never bought a change table. Instead I bought a low dresser (second hand) and put a change pad on top. I used one drawer for diapers and wipes and such and the other drawers for his clothes.
Another waste for me was a diaper genie or similar contraption. I found that they didn't keep the smell out as much as I would have thought and quite frankly it wasn't that hard to just chuck the diapers in the garbage can outside if they were smelly. Mine ended up breaking anyways, and I don't plan on replacing it for this baby.
I try to stock up on diapers and wipes when they are on sale. Here in Canada I buy my wipes at Costco because they are good and extremely cheap.
I also save a lot on clothes. We have a lot of family so my son gets lots of clothes for his birthday and Christmas, plus there were lots of hand me downs from cousins. When he was first born I wanted to buy him so much, but I learned quickly that the young babies in particular out grow their clothes so fast that quite frankly it is a waste to buy too much. It is so tempting at first to buy all the cute stuff and dress them up, but all those clothes add up and it just isn't worth it. Once they get older things last longer size wise so you need to have lots more, but when they are little you can get away with not buying much.
One more tip: regarding gifts - when it comes to Christmas and birthday gifts, when they are one or two they really don't understand what's going on. We all want to spoil our kids and buy them lots of stuff, but my advice is to hold back the first couple years if money is tight. Honestly, this past Christmas was my son's 3rd Christmas and I spent about $100 total on him this year. He got a couple big toys he had really wanted and a few small ones. It was more than enough to put a smile on his face and make it a happy day. Sure I could have spend $500 and spoiled him, but if you give them too much they are overwhelmed and won't play with everything anyways. This way I saved money that I can use during the rest of the year for things like swimming lessons, soccer, and trips to the zoo and other places.

Those are just a few of the things I have learned. When we first had out son we were pretty broke and had to get creative. Now we are much better off financially, but I've learned not to waste money.

 

[sophieee18]

I worry alot. FOB had a great job, brilliant pay and we both lived off that. He had more than enough to support both me and him and our baby. But since splitting up with him I have been forced to rely on benefits and not have the luxurys that I used to have.
I can't wait untill LO is older and I can get back to work! x

 

[bump_wanted]

to be honest i think we will all manage fine because we have to get on with it you can only spend what you have and as long as the baby is clean and safe and fed it will all work itself out...ive not really thought about worrying about money im too busy thinking OMG what if this or that goes wrong...tho saying that we are used to survivng on one wage now my DH has a not bad paid job with overtime readily avaliable if he wants or we need it xxx

 

[Lauraxamy]

I sometimes feel the same but both me and OH work and have alright jobs and my maternity pay isn't brill but its pretty decent so we'll manage. It just all seems like alot of money, we've already spent quite a bit a bit and then getting a bigger place and more stuff for baby for the rest of it's life seems like such alot

 

[minichicky]

im not worried about money whilst i am on mat leave its more what happens after that! I dont have a well paid job so to put the baby into childcare will cost more than I am paid but hub has a good job so we wont get help. However he will have to cover all the household bills plus debt repayment and CM for his other child so dosnt take home enough to cover all that! But have at least another 13 months before we have to think about that

 

[jess_smurf]

I love my bargains, I get a lot in the sale and also things like a changing table i got 2nd hand for £10 my pram i got 2nd hand for £80 and is like brand new

The clothes are that cheap new I didnt bother 2nd hand but also dont know anyone who has had a girl x

 

[starbucks101]

I cut back a lot with my son - I found that most things people were buying were just a waste of money. Examples: I never bought a change table. Instead I bought a low dresser (second hand) and put a change pad on top. I used one drawer for diapers and wipes and such and the other drawers for his clothes.
Another waste for me was a diaper genie or similar contraption. I found that they didn't keep the smell out as much as I would have thought and quite frankly it wasn't that hard to just chuck the diapers in the garbage can outside if they were smelly. Mine ended up breaking anyways, and I don't plan on replacing it for this baby.
I try to stock up on diapers and wipes when they are on sale. Here in Canada I buy my wipes at Costco because they are good and extremely cheap.
I also save a lot on clothes. We have a lot of family so my son gets lots of clothes for his birthday and Christmas, plus there were lots of hand me downs from cousins. When he was first born I wanted to buy him so much, but I learned quickly that the young babies in particular out grow their clothes so fast that quite frankly it is a waste to buy too much. It is so tempting at first to buy all the cute stuff and dress them up, but all those clothes add up and it just isn't worth it. Once they get older things last longer size wise so you need to have lots more, but when they are little you can get away with not buying much.
One more tip: regarding gifts - when it comes to Christmas and birthday gifts, when they are one or two they really don't understand what's going on. We all want to spoil our kids and buy them lots of stuff, but my advice is to hold back the first couple years if money is tight. Honestly, this past Christmas was my son's 3rd Christmas and I spent about $100 total on him this year. He got a couple big toys he had really wanted and a few small ones. It was more than enough to put a smile on his face and make it a happy day. Sure I could have spend $500 and spoiled him, but if you give them too much they are overwhelmed and won't play with everything anyways. This way I saved money that I can use during the rest of the year for things like swimming lessons, soccer, and trips to the zoo and other places.

Those are just a few of the things I have learned. When we first had out son we were pretty broke and had to get creative. Now we are much better off financially, but I've learned not to waste money.

Completley agree with you!!

Almost all our stuff has been second hand or if its new its been in the sales or clearence stuff... Its all very tempting to spend so much money but it all ends geting messed up anyway!

Luckily its a girl so all Em's clothes have come down from the loft and been washed, yes we've brought a few bits in the sales and from Charity Shops but its all been "cheap"

We got my Mum to buy us a moses basket & stand rather than buying silly things like teddies or clothes.

I spent £13 on clothes from a charity shop in town and got 2 carrier bags full, most of the stuff is from next & H&M. I could never afford to go and buy that brand new!


Ive recently spent £40 and got over £120 worth of body shop products & another £40 with lloyds pharmacy clearence and got over £160 worth of gifts. That is all the women in my family sorted for presents up till christmas, plus some peppa pig colouring sets for all Emily's friends when she gets invited to parties! All for just over £80 had i have brought that over the year i would of easily spent £150+

Once the kids are here your attitudes towards money are completley flipped upside down!

 

[Tashry]

You can learn to be very thrifty, whether you need to or not. You may have all the money you need to take care of baby's needs, but it's nice to save up for some extra "wants" as well. I have saved here and there so I can afford to put my son in activities such as sports.

The big change we made this time around was to move to a new place (which we are doing next week.) We got a house that has a basement suite so my hubby's parents can live with us. They are paying rent which cuts our monthly housing costs, but the best part is that my mother in law, who doesn't work, is going to provide free daycare for my kids. That is a huge savings since every month half of my income went to daycare. With two kids I may as well stay home since my pay would just go to daycare. It's a bit of an adjustment to make living with the in-laws, but this will allow us to not only have more kids, but provide more for them.