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Money Saving Tips from Full-time Mums

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Hello,

I've recently become a full-time Mum to my new Baby & I'd really appreciate any money saving tips. I'm already breastfeeding & it's going really well but I'm at a loss when it comes to food shopping. Are the own brand nappies & Baby wipes any good in your experience? I've never really cooked having previous worked 60+ hours in management just opted for supermarket trash & takeaways, so I'm pretty nervous about cooking but willing to give it a go. We spent about £200-£250 per month before baby came along - is there any scope to reduce this ? I hope so!!

Any advice on low-cost activites/trips to keep me & my Baby busy in the worse weather- I'd like to avoid the temptation of shopping centres! Most of my friends have young babies but they've all gone back to work full-time when their babies are 5 months old, so calling round at theirs & enabling the babies to mix together during the day is sadly not an option. So I'm feeling pretty isolated & a bit old-fashioned if that makes sense but I know it's the right decision for us. My friends all seem to have much for energy than me, although I guess they get a lunch & tea break at work, which I often don't LOL!!!

We're not loaded by any stretch of the imagination. We have just been creative at making some major financial changes to enable me to have the best job in the world looking after my Baby.

Any advice would be much appreciated.
;) Never-too-dizzy-too-learn
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Comments

  • Nicki
    Nicki Posts: 8,166 Forumite
    Check out your local library and churches for info about activities for you and baby and ask your HV who may well have a list of what is available in your area. Even at 5 months you will be surprised at how much your child will enjoy it, and it will give you a chance to socialise with other mums. If you have a local NCT they probably do coffee mornings, which you can attend even if not a member. If there isn't anything in your area, consider starting a small group in your own home, by putting up a note in your baby clinic. You could also look into doing a class at your local Adult Education Centre, if it has a creche, to give you a little time off from childcare and a chance to mix with grown ups. Ours does yoga and keep fit classes, and will come and get you if the child needs feeding or is overly distressed.

    In my experience own brand wipes are as good as branded, and cotton wool and water while at home is even better and cheaper. I never found a supermarket nappy which was absorbant enough to suit my children but other mums on here swear by them. It might be worth trying a few different brands to see what you think.

    Lots of ideas on this site for easy and cheap meals for adults and children so spend some time browsing for ideas.
  • kethry
    kethry Posts: 1,044 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Name Dropper Combo Breaker
    I don't have children myself (yet) but something you could look into is baby sign - its basically teaching your baby sign language, the idea is that babies of that age, their brains actually *are* able to communicate, its the vocal equipment that is lacking, so in teaching them enough sign to be able to communicate what they want, it helps to relieve a lot of their frustration.

    In addition babies who've learned baby sign at an early age seem to have improved IQ and learning when they're older. A lot of it's developed from the sign language for the deaf, but simplified so that babies (who have difficulty with motor movements) can do the signs. Mothers and babies learn together in an environment that is tailored for them - lots of singing and stories and that kind of thing - so it might help you to make new friends who are also stay-at-home mums.

    hope you can find one locally - the doctors surgery might be another place to ask about this kind of thing!

    good luck!

    keth
    xx
  • skintas_2
    skintas_2 Posts: 1,679 Forumite
    i used to buy tesco own nappies or netto nappies do just the same job as the brands. and wipes used to buy mine from pound shops. take your baby swimming when they have had all theyre jabs they have parent and baby groups. look out for adverts for coffe mornings, you can take your child along. what about a wacky warehouse, soft ball, place to take little one , i used to take my two boys, they used to love it , even when they could crawl., ask your health visitor, even if there is a sure start in your area to help and give advice. im no good at cooking, have had to improve as we are skint at the moment, been making cakes, shepherds pies, curries, toad in the hole, spag bolognaise, cheap meals as on a budget too, good luck x x
    i will be debt free, i will
  • Dumyat
    Dumyat Posts: 2,143 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture 1,000 Posts Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    I found the first baby quite isolating...by the time the second one came along I had the opposite problem. It takes a bit of time and effort but you will find new friends in a similar situation to yourself. Ask the health visitor about groups in the area. Even just trips to the park or the duck pond you will find others doing the same. Most other mum's are looking for company too...so just smile and say hello!

    Nappies - I used bargain ones during the day and stuck to the dearer ones for overnight and trips out. this was few years ago now and I dont know if the bargain ones are better now.

    Cooking - you will find your diet changes anyway as you cook for a family rather than two adults if you know what I mean. The plainer homecooked meals will be what will suit your baby when they move on to solids. I refused to go down the baby food route, mine ate what we were having blended.


    Above all enjoy it. We were chatting about this at work. Our highflying manager is a young woman with a toddler who she must hardly ever see. I dont regret for one minute the sacrifices we made with the money side of things so that I could be there for the first steps, the first words....the first everything.
    x x x
  • freyaluck
    freyaluck Posts: 465 Forumite
    Hi
    and congratulations on your wee one.
    Have you thought about reuseable nappies, masses of saving in the long run and good for the earth too. Terries are the cheapest option and really aren't any hassle at all, I have used them for my 2 youngest. In some areas you can also get some of the money spent back from charitys or the local council, ask your h/v if they know of any in your area.
    What about 2nd hand clothes they are so much cheaper and often like new as the babies grow out of them so quick, I but most of my kids clothes off ebay there are some graet bundles on their.
    As for food, you will find making it from scratch is so much cheaper than ready meals and take aways, I useually make double and stick half in the freezer for when I don't feel like cooking, unless dp beats me to it and gobbles it up before I get the chance:rolleyes:
    Also in our area a few of the health visitors run stay and play groups and breastfeeding groups all free, we also have baby massage run by the h/vs they are all really good, so again ask your h/v for any info.
    Hope that helps
    hugs
    Frey
    Saving for the future of the earth
  • dlb
    dlb Posts: 2,488 Forumite
    I have just got involved in PEEPS which is a new program designed for communicating with your children.
    Luckly the local school nursery my dd goes to are doing the course but it is available all over the country we were told often run by surestart or local health visitor.
    It starts with 0-1 yr olds, 2-3yrs +4 yrs.
    Dont know alot about it yet only went to the first session yesterday but it was very interesting, we read a story to the children as a group then we do activities to do with the story ie, making puppets, drawing, then are given things to try at home with our children.
    Not sure who this works for a babys as im doing the 2-3yr old course.
    Ill try and find out more for you.
    As said before enjoy being a stay at home mum, they grow up so quickly, i have stayed at home with all my 4, and yes at times it is hard but worth it.

    Cheap wipes are as good as expensive ones, if they dry out just add a few drops of water to the packet. And i to did the cheap nappies in day and good expensive ones at night.
    Proud to be DEBT FREE AT LAST
  • thriftlady_2
    thriftlady_2 Posts: 9,128 Forumite
    1,000 Posts Combo Breaker I've been Money Tipped!
    Hi, Twinklybev:)
    When I had my first baby 11 years ago now ( OMG time flies !) I felt very isolated as I live in Worcester but worked in Brum where my family also live, so I found I didn't know anyone near my home. My HV was my salvation she put me in touch with an organisation called Homestart http://www.home-start.org.uk/.
    Someone from Homestart came and visited once a week or fortnight (can't remember now), she was a very nice lady whose name I can't remember now either- this is what motherhood does to you:rotfl:
    Anyway the nice lady came with me to a new mother and baby group that had just started near me. And I never looked back from there. I met lots of other stay-at-home-mums. We started meeting regularly at each other's houses for coffee.

    Another good group is the National Childbirth Trust who are bound to have meetings near you. Don't be afraid to just turn up at these. In my experience mums of babies just love meeting other mums and comparing notes.
  • dlb
    dlb Posts: 2,488 Forumite
    How right you are thiftlady, my eldest son was 11 on wed, its scary how quick the years fly by, i can remember the day he was born like yesterday!!
    Proud to be DEBT FREE AT LAST
  • comping_cat
    comping_cat Posts: 24,006 Forumite
    Part of the Furniture Combo Breaker Mortgage-free Glee!
    My eldest has just turned 10, and it is scary how fast the time has gone!!! Make sure you enjoy this time with your new baby, they will be walking and talking before you know it!!!!
    Re old style, do you have a slow cooker or bread machine? I find mine are invaluble, as it makes it so easy to put a meal together that involves very little effort, giving you more time with baby, and if you are able to find some other mums/meetings/groups you can go out knowing that the evenings meal is already sorted!!! (loads of lovely recipes on the recipe thread)
    With the BM, i find its cheaper and we all prefer the HM bread, although if you buy the really cheap value bread at the moment, it would be more expensive!!!!

    Congratulations on the new baby as well, i agree, its the best job in the world!!!!
  • jamgirl
    jamgirl Posts: 215 Forumite
    get in touch with your local sure start centre. we have a really good one which unfortunately wasn't here when mine were young but they organise all sorts of things.

    is there a local toddler group you could join. your baby is never too young and it is the ideal place to meet other mums in the same position as you. i met one of my closest friends at a toddler group over 11yrs ago and found she only lived 2 streets away and her baby was only a day older than mine.

    enjoy baby :-)
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