Ta Da!!!

TerminallyShortOfCash

Well folks!!

My DH and I have been together for 61/2 years and have been married for nearly 18th months and have now decided that it would be rather nice to hear the pittter patter of small feet!! :j To this end, I have begun a small saving fund - I've just come off the pill and so should leave it for 3 months anyway before trying. :rolleyes: I've worked it out that I can put £50 a week into this fund and have bought a terrymindi (sp?) pot so that we can't dip into it. Any paper money that comes into the house goes into the pot and if we withdraw cash from an ATM, we withdraw an extra £10 to go into the pot. Am hoping that this will end random spending on 'nothing' whilst boosting the coffers! :T I also have a pound coin jar where all gold coins go and a silver and copper jar respectively. I guess what I really want to know is how much money does a new baby cost? I know that it's a fairly ridiculous question - how long is a piece of string type thing, but I was just curious to know what the immidiate expenditure is - am hoping to save around 5k from now until birth so that I can be off work comfortably for about 6 months.

Becles

Congrats!

I was never told about 3 months when I came off the pill, and told I could start trying as soon as I felt ready, but nothing has happened - yet!

You can have a baby on budget. Firstly ignore everything the Mothercare catalogue says is essential. Also baby doesn't care if everything is colour co-ordinated from the same range

You need somewhere to sleep. To save costs, don't bother with moses baskets, cribs etc., as they don't last very long. Mine were both in a standard cot from birth. To save on sheets, if you are handy with a sewing machine, buy supermarket "value" sheets, cut them down and hem them.

Breast feeding is very moneysaving as it's almost free! You'll only need to buy nursing bra's and a supply of breast pads (either disposables or washable ones). If it's not for you, you'll need about half a dozen bottles and teats, plus a sterliser. A steam or microwave one will work out cheaper in the long run, as it runs on water so you don't need to buy sterilising fluid/tablets.

You can bath baby in the sink/bath to save buying a baby bath. They don't get really dirty, so plain warm water is enough if you don't want to buy toiletries.

There's been umpteen threads on disposable v washable nappies. Do a search for tips on that. Wipes are expensive, so I used cotton wool damped with either water or baby lotion in the house. Some people use "value" flannels and wash them which I thought was a good idea. I did buy wipes for going out with for convenience.

Car seats - a basic one is enough if you are just doing short journeys. Make sure you buy a new one. In an accident they can become cracked inside and be dangerous in a second accident. You don't know the history when buying a second hand seat and it could be dangerous.

Pushchair - forget all the designer brands. All you need is one that is easy to push, easy to fold up and fits in the back of the car (if you'll be using it with a car!).

Clothes - most will end up with baby sick, leaky nappies and other delightful stains on! Best to buy cheap babygros etc., from Ethel Austin, supermarkets, Primark etc., for everyday use and a couple of nice outfits "for best".

As an "not essential but extra" item, I would recommend a large travel cot. I found mine invaluable and had a lot of use from it. I used to put my babies in it when they were playing while I was busy. They could still see me from it, and I could talk to them, and if they fell asleep I would just remove the toys and chuck a blanket over them. It was handy to plonk them in if you needed to nip up to the loo or answer the door or phone etc., too, so you didn't have to drag baby with you.

That's all I can think of for now, but I'm sure others will add to it!

TerminallyShortOfCash

Thank you so much - it all seems much more reasonable now!! My mum dragged me into Mothercare a couple of weeks ago for a gift for her friends' grand-daughter and it was just this vast array of STUFF - I wasn't even sure what half of it was for! :rotfl:

I was told about the three months by the nurse I saw at my surgery. Apparently, it gives your body time to get rid of the artificial hormones and by having three 'normal' periods it gives a better idea for dates and things. Or something

How long have you been trying? Have you bothered with any of these ovulation kits or anything? *nosey*

Jen

Becles

I stopped taking the pill in April as I got married then, and we started trying right away!

I haven't bought ovulation kits as they are very expensive IMO. I've been looking for the egg white like mucus which means you are ovulating.

The first couple of cycles I didn't get that, but I got it for the first time last month. Unfortunately at that time, I had a heavy cold and he was off work having fallen over while carrying a sack of post, so he was all bruised with pullled muscles. Therefore neither of us felt like getting jiggy with it!

I've just finished a period, so I'm currently waiting to spot the mucus again!

black-saturn

If your planning a pregnancy you could start taking folic acid. It is possible to have a baby on a budget with the help of hand me downs, cahrity shops, boot sales and ebay.

nej

My wife came off in Jan and was pregnant in Feb so it can be quick!

Don't forget to ask around friends/family who have kids. Some of them will have stashes of clothes. We got TONS of clothes for free, some of which we've since passed on again.

Charity shops are also good for clothes. Remember they will outgrown them in about 10 minutes.

Don't buy "baby" furniture. I remember "baby" wardrobes costing a fortune, so we just got a normal one from Argos for about £60. Same with cots. All you need are an easy drop side, teething rails and adjustable base. You could spend £300 or you could spend £80.

seven-day-weekend

Agree with Becles, although it's 26 years soince I had a baby!

My son's cot was second hand from the next-door-neighbours who also had it second hand. So, it served at least one baby when it was new, then their two boys, then my son, then our friend's three, then one more baby.

MSEs thirty years ago, hey?

pandas66

Best Wishes to you TerminallyShortofCash (and to Becles), theres many ways of reducing escalating costs that seem to go hand in hand with having a newborn.
Say Yes to any offers of clothes or accessories that come your way, at a later date you can filter what you want and if your really lucky what you'd like.
I did invest in a moses basket with totally matching bed set, curtains and pram set but as I got given the material and made it all in my own time it was a labour of love. The moses basket went on to have 5 new babies in it. As your planning well head with a possible 2years to go, based on your savings scheme target of £5000, good luck.

shirlyn

Me and my partner got married early last month and we are trying for a baby. I was on the pill till then, I went to see the doctor and she gave me folic acids and said I could stop taking the pill and start trying straight away.

If you want Ovulation kits you can get them off ebay. 7 sticks for £12.50 inc p&p

Where putting away £100.00 per month to help with baby things but we also have items in storage from our 1st born.

Good Luck to all trying!!!

car25

Try your local freecycle groups, there is often baby stuff offered for free.

The ovulation kit worked fast for us (2nd month), apparently if I remember right there are only a couple of fertile days a month.

shirlyn

Yes it point out the 2 days when you are most fertile