We'd like to remind Forumites to please avoid political debate on the Forum. This is to keep it a safe and useful space for MoneySaving discussions. Threads that are - or become - political in nature may be removed in line with the Forum’s rules. Thank you for your understanding.

MoneySaving mums

A place for mums with kids of all ages to discuss parent MoneySaving matters.

Saving for maternity leave - SOA feedback pls
Hi All, me & DH are currently trying for our second baby. If we are lucky enough to conceive after a blighted ovum in December, I am hoping to take 9 months maternity leave and my employer only pays full pay for 6 weeks, 12 weeks at half pay then SMP only so I will need around £5-6k in savings to see us through. I have set…
What we spent on baby before he was born
Hello MSE :) I thought I'll post this, as a lot of people ask about how much they need to save before committing on starting a family. I might update this thread with post-pregancy expenditures. Firstly a bit about us: Mr & Mrs Natureboss got married in 2015 and found out we were pregnant around June 2017 Baby's due date…
What discounts are in NCT Members Club
Does anybody know where you can get discounts with NCT Members Club as it only states you can get discounts but not where and wondered if it was worth joining TIA
How much did you save before having a child?
So tonight my partner and I were talking about when the right time for children etc would be (a whole long way in the future most likely!) Our biggest worry is financial, and by our calculations to live at our current standard, buy all the recommended items and cover expenses, we would need to save £15k just to see us…
Cloth nappies advice please!!
Hi all, I'm currently 26 weeks pregnant and looking to use cloth nappies on my baby boy when he arrives. I'm finding the whole area of reusable problems a bit of a minefield! I'm looking for recommendations for birth to potty nappies. At the mo, I'm tempted with Wonderoos, they seem to have good reviews online. I'm after…
Problems with hand made item
Posting here, because it is mums’ related in a way. I saw a handmade furniture advertised by a mum on my local group. She didn’t have the size I wanted, but offered she can do one for me. I did not argue about the price, albeit she quoted me higher than her usual price. She requested a deposit (half of the full price)…
Tax free childcare and unemployment
Looking for advice. I receive childcare vouchers while my husband has recently started a new job, after the cutoff for applying for vouchers, and currently has a 6 month contract. We have 2 pre-schoolers, one starting school in September. The tax free childcare scheme should suit us a lot better, but if we move over to…
School Holiday Fines
Sorry, theres probably been hundreds of posts but only just joined!! My ex partner is thinking of taking the kids on holiday in the UK, in term time, but been trying to find the answer but can I also be fined the £60 as were not together? and vice versa if I take the kids on holiday in term time, can he be fined? Also, my…
gifts from mothers do you tell the tax man
Hi there, my mother made an investment and it paid off, she is 84, and we filled in her self assessment tax returns for the 3 years the investment payed off, and she paid her taxs to the Government. She now has bought me a car, as I was the one who talked her into the investment, its for me, my mother and father, really,…
Child Maintenance Payment Protection???
I'm interested in finding out if there is any kind of insurance I can buy to protect my incoming Child Maintenance payments? I have read about getting life insurance against my ex, however I really want insurance against him intentionally defaulting too? Any information welcome! Thanks.
Top Ten Products that you DON'T need (Babies!)
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2621011/Top-ten-products-baby-DOESNT-need-Parents-reveal-useful-items-bid-save-275.html I don't see a thread discussing this. I didn't know what items we needed/didn't need for our baby (she is 5 months). There was a couple of items that I know that we didn't need like the nappy…
at what point did you start buying cot, pushchair etc?
How far into your pregnancy did you buy a cot, and other necessities? I'd like to take advantage of the sales, but it seems a bit early
Do I pay stamp duty if divorced and buying?
Hi, I am divorcing and signing over my share of family house to ex-husband, in line with the agreed consent order issued by court. In the meantime I am looking for a house in London. I have read somewhere (on a few websites) that if a house purchase is due to a divorce, there is exempt from paying stamp duty. These seems…
Can't afford a baby :'-(
My partner and I would love to start a family of our own within the next 12 months but our financial situation is looking bleak: I earn 21K salary and can get 52 weeks maternity pay at standard rate (£140pw) Partner earns 20K....but.... he pays the mortgage on his ex wife's house (£250pcm) and pays child support for their…
Child care vouchers AND tax free scheme??
Hi everyone, Looking for some advice please. Currently on maternity leave with first child. Husband started collecting childcare vouchers through his employer this February (higher rate tax payer) Unfortunately I have missed the deadline so I am unable to claim and only option now is government tax free scheme for me. My…
Relationship spilt- ownership of caravan
Myself and my ex-partner have recently spilt. During the time of our relationship we had the chance to buy a caravan. We didn't have the funds so my parents bought it for us. They paid £3k-£1800 for the caravan and £1200 for ground rent, this was a deal so couldn't have paid one without the other. A month later my partner…
Childcare vouchers vs TFC
I am currently on maternity leave with my first child. so have never used the childcare voucher scheme offered by my employer. However, my husband is self employed, so I am wondering if it would be more beneficial for us both to join the TFC offered by the government, rather than just me join the scheme offered by my…
Pregnancy and Mortgage
Hello In need of advice/guidance. My partner and I live in a 1 bed maisonette, unfortunately I miscarried a few weeks ago and it got us to thinking that we would like to try again but we will need a bigger place. We went to see a mortgage advisor the other day and he said we could afford to buy a house/flat (I have…
Discount Vouchers Websites
Why don’t you try to create your own coupons/discount voucher website? As a MUM, It’s really wise idea if you have planned to create a business model which includes coupons then surely your business will become the most famous in this e-commerce business platform. Confusing you? Where & how to create a coupon business…
Holiday
Hi fellow moneysavers :-) I am currently looking at booking a cheapish family holiday. My LG is 5 so she is now in school. I have looked at holidays in the half terms etc and they are all extortionate! We used to travel during term time whilst LO was in nursery. I have done the sun 9.50 before so thats the best I have come…

★ ★ ★ Meet your Ambassadors

Popular Tags

MSE News

Tuition fees and maintenance loans to rise in Wales – here's what it means for you
Universities in Wales will be able to charge full-time undergraduate students up to £9,535 a year from 2025/26, the Welsh Government has announced today (Wednesday 4 December). Student living support – also known as maintenance loans and grants – will also rise by 1.6%. Here's what you need to know.
Nationwide hikes FlexPlus packaged account fee by £60 a year – should you ditch and switch?
Nationwide has raised the fee on its popular FlexPlus packaged bank account from £13 to £18 a month – a £60 a year increase. So now's a good time to check if you're still getting value from the perks or whether you should ditch and switch.
'I got a £430 refund for my son's faulty PlayStation after following Martin Lewis' tips' – here's how to enforce your consumer rights
A MoneySaver who'd initially been fobbed off by Argos after her son's PlayStation 5 broke has now secured a partial refund worth £430 after following tips in a social media post from Martin Lewis. The MoneySavingExpert.com (MSE) founder had highlighted that your legal rights when goods are faulty are with the shop you purchased from, NOT the manufacturer.
TV licence fee to rise by £5 a year to £174.50 from April 2025 – how to delay the hike
The annual cost of a standard colour TV licence will rise to £174.50 from 1 April 2025 – an increase of £5 on the current price of £169.50 a year – the Government has announced.
Tesco shopper? It's your last chance to use £18 million worth of Clubcard vouchers – or extend them with our trick
If you've got a Tesco Clubcard, check if you have any vouchers close to expiring, as £18 million-worth are due to run out on Saturday 30 November. Don't want to spend your vouchers yet? We've got a trick to extend their validity.
Homeowners set to wait even longer for leasehold reform – here's what's happening
Homeowners will have to wait even longer for major leasehold reform after the Government described the previous attempt at overhauling the sector as "flawed". Here's what you need to know.
NS&I to cut Premium Bond prize rate to 4% – are they still worth it?
NS&I will cut its Premium Bond prize-fund rate to 4% from 4.15% for the January 2025 draw and beyond. But this rate was already lagging behind interest rates on standard savings accounts – so if you're a bondholder, you may want to consider moving your cash to an interest-paying account.
Mortgage holder? You may have less time to lock in a new rate before your current deal expires
NatWest is the latest major lender to reduce the amount of time its mortgage customers have to lock in a new rate ahead of their current deal ending, joining five other high street banks. The changes mean you've less time to insure yourself against rates rising before your existing mortgage comes to an end.
Tesco shopper? You've just DAYS left to use £18 million worth of Clubcard vouchers – or extend them with our trick
If you've got a Tesco Clubcard, check if you have any vouchers close to expiring, as £18 million-worth are due to run out on Saturday 30 November. Don't want to spend your vouchers yet? We've got a trick to extend their validity.

View All

MoneySaving mums

Categories

Popular Tags

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free

MoneySaving mums

Discussion List

Categories

Popular Tags

Is this how you want to be seen?

Get our FREE Weekly email full of deals & guides - and it’s spam-free