I think I'm having our lightbulb moment...

hotdiggerdy

a few years ago i started to put away in a jar all my loose change 1p 2p and 5p, you know the shrapnel, and at the beginning of december each year i would empty it and bag them up and take it into the bank. my best year i "saved" £38 my worst was £27 not a lot i know but every little helps espescially before xmas so if you start now who knows?
still doing this now and it always comes as a nice surprise as to how much i have saved.

suzieq

Wrigley - thanks for that link, I have signed up to this, but rarely look at it, which I will start doing!

MS - I do shop online with Tesco's, and I use voucher codes, extra points codes, but have only recently started doing this. I am seeing a benefit already, but I still have to remember not to buy things that aren't necessities. Maybe if OH and I did it together we'd be stricter. And you're absolutely right, it is SO much easier than taking my baby to a supermarket!

Serena - I went to NCT antenatal claasses, and am currently a member, and I do go to alot of their events, nearly new sales, etc, it's a fantastic charity! I've also started buying alot of Elise's clothes on eBay, as they're all almost perfect condition, for a fraction of the shop price!

And I think I will join the £2 club, it sounds like an easy way of saving a small amount at a time! Also, I have invested Elise's CTF voucher, so that's one less thing to worry about. I also think the spending diary is a very good idea - I do have a spare diary at home, so I could put that to very good use!

How do I go about posting my SOA on here? I've just filled out the one on the TMF site, as well as having done the budget planner - can I copy it, or attach it or something?

hotdiggerdy - We do this already, and it's great to see the bottle filling up. We've had it around the house for ages, and I emptied it out just before Xmas and there was £50 in there, lovely! So we're a bit more likely to put our shrapnel in there now.

Thanks so much to everyone for your help so far, this site is fantastic! :T

hotdiggerdy

good for you, :T i think you are on the right track and remind me of us a few years ago, sorry it does take a while to sort out, little bits at a time.
having a baby does more than put a strain on your finances as you say but it is important that you and your partner pull together and be supportive of one another. dont forget you can treat yourselves every now and again its good for morale, affordable little luxuries that are'nt going to break the bank and help keep you on the right side of sanity

serena

At last, I have found the post I wanted to suggest that you took a look at!

http://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/showthread.html?t=107280

This explains how to do the SOA.

Actually,when I read through the whole thread again, you sound as if you are feeling better, in that you want to get to grips with your life and finances. Go for it girl!

Coincidence that I mentioned the NCT, and you are already a member! Do you join in any of their online forums?