50p a day til christmas, healthily?!-Weezl's next challenge (part 2)

ceridwen

Good on ya Weezl for planning to use the "real thing" nappywise! As you say - both cheaper and greener...a win/win situation.

Errr...dont forget - those real nappies will still be available if you decide to have a 2nd child later on the one hand. On t'other hand....I'm told they are also good cleaning cloths.

"How to have your cake and eat it" methinks.:T

(I find it difficult to understand why people are saying how hard-up they are on the one hand - but clearly make a habit of using disposable nappies on the other hand <confused>).

cw18

Re: nappies.

DD was in disposables from birth until she was 4.5 months old (when we moved in with my parents). My parents refused to let me use disposables -- their bin, so their choice of what went into it! -- so I had to change to terries with her. But after a couple of shopping trips with her (which meant a bus ride each way) I insisted on disposables for those..... a couple of terries (with heaven knows what) in a bag soon start to scent the surrounding area -- and you're suddenly not very popular with other shoppers/shop staff/other bus passengers.

I don't know of any child-care (nursery or childminder) who will take a child in terries -- they all insist on disposables for 'hygiene' reasons.


And this discussion has made me realise that if/when I look at getting registered as a child-minder I'll have to ask if there any rules about this. If it's down to personal choice of child-minders I'll then have to think whether I'm prepared to cope with terries -- as this may give me an edge on filling a place over the other local minders.


On the topic of 'minding', I'm about to have my younger GD several hours a week. The primary school her big sister goes to have changed their admission policy, so having a sibling there won't help her get a place in reception class next September -- unless there are spaces left after all those in pre-school who want a place have been dealt with.

The hours DD work mean she can't get GD to/from pre-school, so was having to take a gamble on this. So I've been and asked this week, and there are still some places - which means I can help out now I don't have a job to juggle it around.

The 'every morning' attendance would be too much for me to have her the rest of the day, but they also have a slot that covers Monday morning and 'all day' Tues and Wed. That means I'll have both GDs before school (depending on who drops them with me that could be any time from 7:30 until 8:45) up until drop off at 9am. Then I have to pick up the younger one at 11am on Monday and 2pm on Tues/Wed, and keep hold of her until 5:15-5:45 depending on who picks up or whether I drop off with DD (if I dropped off I'd collect the elder one from after-school and take them both). Her current nursery have said they'll keep her place for Thur/Fri and full-time during school hols, which was the main stumbling block

DD is also hinting this would mean I could have the elder one on those three days from 3:15pm, but I'm not 100% sure about this just now. If it reduces what she pays for after-school (and she gives me her 20% share of the saving, and it's at least enough to cover making tea for elder GD) then I may try it after the younger one and I have settled into a routine, but only if having her around doesn't prove too much for DH.

DD has to give the nursery a couple of weeks notice of change of hours, which takes us almost up to the October half-term. So I'm taking the form back to school on Monday and asking if they can keep the place until they go back after that. We reckon 1 or 2 weeks at pre-school, then a week at nursery, then back to pre-school may be a tad unsettling for her......


Wow! Just realised how I've rambled. Sorrrrry!

weezl74

ceridwen wrote: »

Good on ya Weezl for planning to use the "real thing" nappywise! As you say - both cheaper and greener...a win/win situation.

Errr...dont forget - those real nappies will still be available if you decide to have a 2nd child later on the one hand. On t'other hand....I'm told they are also good cleaning cloths.

"How to have your cake and eat it" methinks.:T

(I find it difficult to understand why people are saying how hard-up they are on the one hand - but clearly make a habit of using disposable nappies on the other hand <confused>).

I wonder if it's the age old trouble with being skint = having no savings, therefore £250 start up costs seems apalling and impossible to find, whereas a tenner for a pack of nappies is more palatable, despite the real cost being higher?

I think it's a bit like those 'split into 3 easy, affordable monthly payments of £20' QVC type claims, that stops folk from realising they're paying £60 for sommat they could get for £50:D

Fortunately, thanks to the grocery challenge, we're going to have some cash behind us to afford the initial outlay, so that's really good!

Yep, cleaning cloths or baby number 2, good plan ceridwen! I just inherited a cleaning cloth from my Gran that my Mum says was one of my brother's nappies. He's 32.....;)

MRSMCAWBER

Morning all

My niece (17 now) was in terry nappies -howwwww cute did she look with that great big wiggly bum :rotfl: .... she used to have a lot of those soft padded all in one suits when she was toddling -which just emphasised the shape :T ...

Forgot that when I was out yesterday I picked up a red guzgog (gooseberry) shrub and a black chokeberry -which i had never even heard of :rotfl: but I checked the back and as it was edible I had 1 -not bad at €1.99 /£1.60 each..
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chokeberry

Just need to get them in the tubs later... hoping for a bit more "free food" next year ...
Im going to put them in 2 tubs -1 either side of an arch incase they decide to scrabmle -then when we are due to move back to the UK in a couple of years i will just cut them right down and bring them back with me :T . I was hoping to get a couple of blackberries but they were gone..so i will keep an eye out for when they get them in again

right I had better get off and get my meal plans finished..
have a great day everyone

shaz_mum_of__2

Morning

Weezl poundland sell the nappy wraps which as far as i cn gather are the modern version of plastic pants(i think) also on a few blogs i visit i have seen people knit wool pants i forget the techie details but its something to do with evapouration

will look for more info


Edited in later:

http://www.tinybirdsorganics.com/soakers/pattern/

http://www.nappycino.com.au/modules.php?name=Content&file=viewarticle&id=17

http://thetinhouse.blogspot.com/search/label/nappies

Shaz

ps don't apologise for being baby orientated this thread is a reflection of your life so we want to know ........................god i sound like a stalker!!!

BigMummaF

My poor old brain is struggling to remember the joys of nappy-hood this morning But the eldest two were terries with the rare venture into disposables, like Cheryl said, with day trips & such. No3 started in them but developed an awful allergy to that only cleared by using disps....Bearing in mind this was over twenty years ago, I tried various pharmacy chains till I found UniChem to be--out & out winners--the best price & very best absorbancy. Not sure if they still do them or how costs etc compare now, but might be worth getting a pack or two in, for those times when you can't keep up with the laundry.

I also used Boots own version of nappy cleanser & bottle sterilizing solution--I wasn't able to breast-feed & TBH was rather relieved cuz it meant daddy/granma/grangrad could take a turn while I was in the bath...oooh the decadence

I do miss seeing the lines of nappies blowing in the wind though...they look almost like flags of righteous indignation; it doesn't matter what you do with your base rates or inflation percentages--I'm here & I'm gunna be around for quite some time, so you'd better get used to the idea buddy :rotfl:

Lesley_Gaye

Weezl, you could prob get reusables even cheaper from EBay, I have seen them on there several times at good prices, or you might want nice new ones for your nice new little one.

How did you work out that your washing machine uses 5.5p per wash? I have been thinking about fuel costs for a while now, but don't know how to work out how much, for example, using the cooker for 20 minutes uses. This is because it isn't using power for the whole time it is on, and I don't know how to find out how much power it actually does use

weezl74

Lesley_Gaye wrote: »

Weezl, you could prob get reusables even cheaper from EBay, I have seen them on there several times at good prices, or you might want nice new ones for your nice new little one.

How did you work out that your washing machine uses 5.5p per wash? I have been thinking about fuel costs for a while now, but don't know how to work out how much, for example, using the cooker for 20 minutes uses. This is because it isn't using power for the whole time it is on, and I don't know how to find out how much power it actually does use

hiya lesley, ebay's a good idea! Thanks, I also think lovely ISOM and her sewing machine may be knocking me up some too...:T

energy-wise, I looked up the make and model of my washing machine to see what it used in kilowathrs and then divided that down to the length of my wash cycle. I looked at my latest 'leccie bill for the price of a kilowatthr and took in from there!

Post again if that's all Greek to you, and I'll be a bit more step by step.

There is an OSer called kittie who is superb at working these things out, perhaps Pming her and asking her to join in our discussion might be fruitful too!

Bunny200

Some companies offer a sample pack to try out reusuable nappies, as you said £250 is a lot of money to spend and then find out that you don't get on with them! With DD1 I had a small number of reusable nappies, she also went to nursery full time which used the same reusable napies ( they don't have any restrictions on which nappies you use, one way or another but obviously I can't speak for other childcare providers. Interestingly they have now switched to biodegradable disposibles). I found reusable nappies to be more of a faff than anything else. As other people have said carrying around a wet/smelly nappy is not always a feasible thing. You will often be out all day and have 3/4 nappies collected, remember they get heavier as well. The first few weeks especially the nappies will be highly unpleasant and you might prefer to use newborn disposibles as you will have enough on your plate without worrying about nappies too. Eventually I abandoned reusables, sold them on ebay and used mainly biodegrable disposibles for DD1, funnily enough DD2 had bog standard naughty Tesco nappies as by the time she had come along finances had changed and I couldn't afford to be so ethical!!!!!!! Shes now potty trained and only uses pull-ups overnight

There are many arguements for and against, earlier potty training with reusable nappies etc but my advice would be to experiement before you jump in feet first (generally my life philosphy! Never commit!) as its a lot of money to get wrong. Maybe if you have friends who use them you could borrow some and try them out for a week or so to see if they work for you.

I know that our mothers all used reuseable nappies but remember that disaposilbes became the norm for a reason they are more convienent and when you have a new born anything which simplifies your life is a godsend. That said this is just my experience and opinion, you do what is best for you and your family. Talk to your friends who use them today and see how they manage them.

longhill

hi i have been looking at your recipes for bread can you tell me what size bowl you use for usig 1.5kgs of flour many thanks