Need some ideas!

Jo_R_2

Hi guys

Found out yesterday that we are getting one of the Sure Start Maternity Grants paid into my account on Tuesday. It's £500 for buying baby stuff (DD#2 now early two weeks old!)

We have pretty much everything we need so I've been thinking what to do with the money... I desperately need some clothes, as does OH, which I was going to finance from selling my maternity stuff on ebay anyway, so have been thinking about maybe putting a little aside for either contents or car insurance, or similar.

Any thoughts? I'm off on maternity leave until January if that's relevant.

Thanks!:T

lynzpower

great news about the maternity grant!

I used to help people when I worked in SS get the best out of the mat grant and heres a few tips

If you have got *everything* for now what about using some of it for things for *later*

Some ideas
*reusable fabric nappies if you havent got those already
*trip to primark to buy clothes for 1 year plus so they are sat there ready for the little one to grow into?
*one of my clients got everything so under budget ( she begged and borrowed too, so she had money left over- very savvy teenage mum :T) she used the rest for buying things like a blender for making HM baby food, and used the change on shed loads of baby bath wipes etc. So that she didnt need to buy those later on.
*have you got the paraphenalia, like breast pumps etc, bottle warmers, changing mat etc?

I personally would veer away from using this for insurances, I know its easy to say, but these things need to be budgeted for from your living costs. It might make it easier if little one has all they need stashed away.

Also , big congrats! I must have missed you bringing your little one into the world, I hope that parenthood is everything you hope for and more.

Love Lynz
xx

Jo_R_2

Hi Lynz, thanks, some great ideas there, good feedback about what to use it for and NOT to use it for :T

We have cloth nappies already for birth upwards, and ones from DD#1 for when baby is a little older (we started using cloth first when DD#1 was about six months old.) So follwoing on, we actually have all of DD#1's hand-me-downs for DD#2 (she won't be bothered, she'll not be old enough to be LOL!)

Spot on with the other stuff though, I do need a decent breast pump for when I go back to work. I had a manual one last time which was okay but have been thinking about an electric one. Had some trouble last time with expressing enough for when I first went back to work and know that an electric one would be better for larger amounts and frequent pumping so I might search for a bargainous one.

I'm fairly sure we have pretty much everything else from DD#1, there's a couple of odd bits and bobs we do need like another changing bag and a huge stash of cotton wool, we don't really use wipes as we are using cotton wool at the mo then will move onto washable wipes ( well I will be, boyfy doesn't like them so may stil have to buy wipes!)

Anyway baby is waking up so got to go, thanks again!

tammyfshr

hi how did you get your grant?do you have to be on income support?
how about puting the money in a savings account.so it earns you interest and it can be for any emergencys.

Jo_R_2

Hiya

No am not on income support ourselves, for us it was because we get higher than the child element of child tax credit. There are other qualifying benefits of which income support is one, if you go to http://www.surestart.gov.uk/surestartservices/support/helpwithchildcarecosts/maternitygrant/ it tells you how you may qualify.

You can also get a postpaid envelope from the Job Centre Plus to post the form off. We did ours this week and after posting it on Wednesday, we got our confirmation letter on Saturday!

There is a time limit though, so do be quick if you have had baby.

loobyloo1980

We got the maternity grant too as we are on higher than basic level of child tax credit. It came in really handy. We stocked up on wipes, nappies, pushchair with car seat attached, new cot bedding (my #1 son still uses the cot quilt himself), etc. We used the rest to pay off some of the overdraft as I had everything else equipment wise left over from babies #1 and #2.