new mum loads going on..

Maybeanotherday

hello guys,
Just wondering if you can help? Someone who read another one of my posts a while ago told me to come over here so now I think the time is about right

The situation:
Two adults two child aged 5years and 6weeks
Mortgage £700 per month
Husband was made redundant recently,has luckily got a new job we are expecting next pay in three weeks? New job less money and costs £30 per week to get there.
My mother in law was suppose to be looking after the kids one day a week when I went back to work for 4days totalling in just 3days childcare to pay,but she also lost her job so cannot commit to this now due to new working hours.

Right I don't go back to work untill the first week of september and the 4days a week still stands as Im planning on using my annual leave for the friday off.

Cheapest childcare quote for the two of then is £740 per month (ouch)

Ive worked out bills we cannot avoid paying along with the mortgage and the childcare and it will leave us with £540 per month left over, this is for 4weeks of shopping,nappies and petrol. Does anyone think we can do it?

Im panicing because I think we can BUT there will not be one penny spare for outings,car breakdowns,boiler breakdowns,kids clothes etc...

I have these debts that are on minimum payments:
credit card £455
Catalouge: £343
Tax credits: £714
Insulation on the house: £149
Eon: £359
Personal debt to mother in law (fathers side): £600

My plan:

Meal planner for the week

? I was thinking about getting used to the money we are not going to have come spetember using the "spare" cash to pay debts up thus reducing our outgoings when we are on the lower money due to childcare.

Tesco clubcard deals for "special" outings once a month?

Look at cheaper nappies for little man (nursery won't use my washable ones,hygiene issues?).

Carboots for clothes?

Credit card stashed for emergencys?

Keep catalouge in case there are any buys we need etc school uniform and cannot cover?

Friends advice: she said I would probably be better off with tax credits if I gave in one day a week or two instead of using annual leave...anyone agree?

Can anyone help?? maybe you can see something I have missed or give me a little extra help? I had a look at the debt free diaries but wasn't sure what to do.

Please please I know there is one person who tends to say don't have children if you can't afford them but to be honest on 42k combined per year we should be able to! ALSO our situation has changed a hell of a lot after I got pregnant. Please be friendly and constructive this is hard enough for me! thankyou in advance

mrstheking

Hi...can't help much but here we go...

Look out for local NCT nearly new sales - things have to meet certain standards to be sold here so generally better deals on clothes that you get at car boots, also lot's of designer things tend to pop up.

Does your employer use childcare vouchers? Does the nursery you're using offer sibling discount - is it the cheapest around? Also find your local real nappy network for advice re nursery not using your washable nappies - most nurseries where I am will use them (like them to be made up & ready to use) but just dump them all in a bag for you to sort out the nasties (so treat them like a disposable, just wrap it up, bag it).

There are lot's of cheap days out to be had that won't need your clubcard vouchers - my two (4 & 5) like to go to the woods and pick up sticks, play in the park, we have a fab one near us with a play trail going through the woods so it's a little walk then something fun to play on.
Even a picnic in a different park than you usually go to is a day out for a child - why spend when you really don't need to? Leaves your vouchers free to save up for bigger treats or to cover xmas food shopping

Like I said, can't help much but hop that helped a little x

kindofagilr

You can also go on the tax credit website and they can give you an estimate of what you would get, so you could work out what you would get putting the children in the nursery the max amount of days you want

And then work it out using the reduced days in (if you were to drop another day)

Sorry I dont have much advice

But I think yes you can do it, I def think £540 is enough a month for groceries and petrol etc

Debtoxing

Yes, you can do it! I have an 8-month-old baby and a nearly-five-year-old, and we are existing on £300 a month for all shopping, nappies, baby milk and petrol. (Actually it's been about £250 for the last couple of months as I overspent in March and have been trying to make up for it ever since!)

Our biggest savings have come from eating value food instead of branded stuff; giving up takeaway food, sweets, biscuits and Coke etc.; religiously noting down absolutely everything we buy in a spending diary and comparing prices in different shops before buying; and only buying what we put on our shopping list!

(If you buy lots of baby stuff in Boots, remember to print off the 200-points-when-you-spend-£25 voucher from the Advantage Card machine before you pay. I've also had lots of vouchers through from Boots for 350 points or 500 points, with the result that I've now got £200 saved up which is going to pay for all my Christmas presents this year!)

If you aim for £300, you'll still have £240 a month that you could put away for unexpected emergencies or outings. Don't panic!


Laura.
x

TotallyBroke

Do your children have to go to a nursery, have you looked into childminder's. They can be a lot cheaper and will use the nappies of your choosing, if you are lucky.
My CTC and childcare element of WTC almost pays for all of my childcare per month (I do not qualify for WTC itself) so worth checking out as someone previous mentioned.

penguine

Also worth checking your local Freecycle group for any baby items you need -- you can posted a "wanted" notice or just look for what other people are offering. Mine often has lots of baby / toddler gear coming and going.

kj*daisy

Can't help with debts but my nursery used washables - the hygeine reason is rubbish - supply the nappies and tell them to use them. I just used to provide a bag and they'd bag them up for me and I took them home each day. Sent them in all ready folded etc and inside wraps. But mine was a council nursery so it would have looked bad if they'd refused seeing as Coucnil is always on about reducing land fill.

LilacPixie

its do-able. I have a 10 month old and a 30 month old (yes I am mad) and we run two cars plus food and two in nappies on less. Meal plan. Bulk cook. and look for the 1/3 off nappy deals in sainsburys and morrisons and stock up when you can.

ANother option would be look for a local childminder rather than a nursery, they tend to be cheaper, most would use reusables and more one on one time for baby

Maybeanotherday

Debtoxing wrote: »

Yes, you can do it! I have an 8-month-old baby and a nearly-five-year-old, and we are existing on £300 a month for all shopping, nappies, baby milk and petrol. (Actually it's been about £250 for the last couple of months as I overspent in March and have been trying to make up for it ever since!)

Our biggest savings have come from eating value food instead of branded stuff; giving up takeaway food, sweets, biscuits and Coke etc.; religiously noting down absolutely everything we buy in a spending diary and comparing prices in different shops before buying; and only buying what we put on our shopping list!

(If you buy lots of baby stuff in Boots, remember to print off the 200-points-when-you-spend-£25 voucher from the Advantage Card machine before you pay. I've also had lots of vouchers through from Boots for 350 points or 500 points, with the result that I've now got £200 saved up which is going to pay for all my Christmas presents this year!)

If you aim for £300, you'll still have £240 a month that you could put away for unexpected emergencies or outings. Don't panic!


Laura.
x

Thankyou laura I did consider that, we have a retail park with free parking that has a home bargains that do toilet paper for £2.99 for 16 rolls,then next door there is boots and pets at home for a bulk bag of rabbit food...might work out well lol

Maybeanotherday

TotallyBroke wrote: »

Do your children have to go to a nursery, have you looked into childminder's. They can be a lot cheaper and will use the nappies of your choosing, if you are lucky.
My CTC and childcare element of WTC almost pays for all of my childcare per month (I do not qualify for WTC itself) so worth checking out as someone previous mentioned.

Hope you don't mind me asking but do you work full time? Ive looked for childminders and unfortunatly there is only one with a space for a baby but my daughter (who is currently going under tests for autism) is desperate for her brother to stay with her...

TotallyBroke

skellett wrote: »

Hope you don't mind me asking but do you work full time? Ive looked for childminders and unfortunatly there is only one with a space for a baby but my daughter (who is currently going under tests for autism) is desperate for her brother to stay with her...

Yes I do work full time. I work from 8am until 4pm so drop off ds at 7am in his pyjamas. CM washes, dresses and gives breakfast. She has him all day until I pick him up between 4.30 and 5pm. I pay her £25 per day so £2.50 per hour. He is the only child she has all day (except holidays) so he has her full attention and they go every day to Mum's and Toddlers groups so he mixes with other children. Then in the afternoon she picks up older children from the local school for a few hours.

Go into your local surestart they usually have a list of childminders in the area. You can also google 'childminders' and I used the ChildcareLink search to find minder's in the area. I live in West London and between £2.50-3.50 is the average price of a minder.

If you put your youngest with a childminder all day you could get a sibling discount on the price for your 5yo, especially as s/he will be in fulltime school soon. Do you go to any Mum & Toddler groups at the moment. Ask there if anyone knows of any childminders. Some are only contactable by word of mouth and don't always advertise spaces. We are almost finishing the school year so now is a good time to look as some children will be moving up to High school so may not need childcare services and then spaces will become available.

Good Luck