Finance advice for family planning

Mojisola

It would also be worth trying to live off one income for a while. You get to sort out where you're spending unnecessarily and trim all the excess so that when baby arrives, you're used to living on a lower income and you have a lump sum in hand for emergencies.

pinkshoes

PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
Breast pads £6 - £5 for washable ones in Boots
Nipple cream £5 - £10 for tube of Lansinoh (Wonderful stuff!)
Nursing Bra £25 - M&S do a set of 2 for this price
Maternity Clothes £150 - I paid £20 for a huge bundle on ebay
Feminine Hygiene £1.3

SLEEPING
Moses Basket £35 - My DS only fitted in his for 8 weeks! A cot is a better investment, and some great ebay bargains
Moses basket stand £30
Night Light £15 - just use lamp with dim bulb
Baby monitor £60 - horrible things! Unless you have a house with stone walls, you will be able to hear your baby when they want something! Personally I think these are a waste of money, and only used mine for 2 nights when he went into his own room at night, then turned it off, as every little noise woke me up!
Grobag for 2 £25 - love these!

NURSERY
Wardrobe £500 - seriously?!?! I got a changing table for £15 on ebay, and used boxes underneath for DS's clothes
Chest of Drawers £400 - baby clothes are teeny tiny so don't need a chest of drawers!
Changing Unit £80 - ebay £15!
Cot £100 - mine was free, but try ebay. Use a cotbed, as they last for years.
Mattress £30 - mine was £90, as I felt it was something worth spending money on
Bed side Table £100 - what for??

TOILETING/ABLUTIONS
Bath/support £12 - I use a flexible bucket, so much easier than a bath, easier to support baby, and lasts much longer!
Sponges/flannels £10
Change mat £15
Nappy sacks for 50 £1.79
Nappies Pampers 22 nappies newborn £3.99 - Amazon have really cheap pampers nappies at the moment.

FEEDING
High Chair £60 - bulky things and other better options available that fit on chairs.
Bibs £6
Milk Bottles for 2 £8
Breast pump £30 - spend the money on an electric one, as manual ones are hard work, especially when you are sleep deprived!
Steriliser £30 - mine came with the electric breast pump.

TRAVELLING
Car Seat £117
Car sun blind £4
Pram 3in1 M&P Rubix £429 - check it fits in your car!
Travel Cot £50 - use moses basket if buying one.
Change mat £15
Mum bag £50 - ohhh, what a luxury! (nice if you can afford tho!)

CLOTHING
Newborn babygrows for 10 £10 (newborn ones don't fit a lot of babies, so might be best just to get a couple, then most in size 0 to 3 months!)
scratch mitts for 2 pairs £5 - waste of money. use sleepsuits that you can fold over the sleeves i.e. from Next
Hat for 2 £5
Boots for 2 £5 - waste of money.
Shawl £25 - what for??
Sleep suits £15
Jacket £15 - I'd get a snowsuit outfit instead.
Socks 2 pack £4 - oddly, then next ones seem to fit without falling off.

HEALTH
Ear thermometer £30 - necessary?
Bath thermometer £15 - stick elbow in!

MISC
Gates £20 - not required until about 9 months
Bouncer £30 - mine was 99p on ebay!

You forgot:
muslin squares
babywipes/cotton wool
baby carrier (often more useful than pushchair, and can wear it in house when baby won't settle)

shelley_crow

PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
Breast pads £6
Nipple cream £5
Nursing Bra £25 you'll need a few of these
Maternity Clothes £150 seems a bit steep
Feminine Hygiene £1.3 boots own mat pads were great

SLEEPING
Moses Basket £35
Moses basket stand £30
Night Light £15 didn't suit my kids, would make them unsettled
Baby monitor £60 not needed until they move out of your room, 6m+
Grobag for 2 £25 these were invaluable, newborn sizes aren't worn for long and are cheap on ebay

NURSERY
Wardrobe £500 owch! :eek:
Chest of Drawers £400 :eek:
Changing Unit £80
Cot £100 cot beds more value for money, often come with mattress too
Mattress £30
Bed side Table £100 :eek:

TOILETING/ABLUTIONS
Bath/support £12 look for changing tables with integrated bath
Sponges/flannels £10
Change mat £15
Nappy sacks for 50 £1.79
Nappies Pampers 22 nappies newborn £3.99

FEEDING
High Chair £60 we have an Ikea Antilop, was about £15 in total and great, better than the expensive highchairs we've had.
Bibs £6 you'll need loads of these, we get through them fast.
Milk Bottles for 2 £8 will need more than this, often included in steriliser starter packs, look at tommee tippee closer to nature set.
Breast pump £30
Steriliser £30

TRAVELLING
Car Seat £117
Car sun blind £4
Pram 3in1 M&P Rubix £429 look for better price on ebay
Travel Cot £50
Change mat £15
Mum bag £50 any bag will do as long as it's big enough, I wouldn't wanna spend that money on a bag in case I lost it!

CLOTHING
Newborn babygrows for 10 £10
scratch mitts for 2 pairs £5
Hat for 2 £5
Boots for 2 £5
Shawl £25
Sleep suits £15
Jacket £15
Socks 2 pack £4

I didn't dress DS2 in proper clothes for a good couple of months, Sainsburys sleepsuits have built in scratch mitts.

HEALTH
Ear thermometer £30 not recommended for tiny babies.
Bath thermometer £15 they do these in poundland.

MISC
Gates £20
Bouncer £30[/QUOTE]

memelalou

They having Roo {winnie the pooh} baby sleeping bags in tesco, that i brought for my son just before he was born {almost two weeks old now!} that where £7/8 each.

I would add more costs for sheets and blankets don't bother with a bumper and cot quilt they only look pretty and imo are a waste of money.

Travel cot is not really need unless you plan to use it alot. A moses basket can be used for the first months and most hotels etc have travel cot hire. If it is a must they have them at £20 at tesco.

Don't bother with lots of outfits for baby. So many people buy them as a gift so just stock up on vests and sleepsuits and perhaps if you can get them cheap buy outfits for the later months.

As another poster mentioned a lot of the cost is from the reduced wage when you go on maternity leave. Think about when you will return to work. Can you afford child care? or Can you afford to stay at home longer if you have one wage coming through?

Pick up things second hand if you don't mind it. Mattress and car seats must be new. Just buy regulary furniture for the nursery. Costs for actual nursery furniture are a joke. Also buying a cotbed may cost a little more than a cot but it can last until the baby is a toddler.

corbyboy

Car boot sales and eBay are fantastic for baby clothes. You can buy good quality clothes that have literally been worn 2 or 3 times for pennies. It's amazing how much people spend on baby clothes that only last about 4 weeks.

Furniture can be expensive. We were lucky in that we knew what set of furniture we wanted, were about to but it new and then happened to find it 90% cheaper second hand on eBay. Just rented a van and had a nice day out driving 100 miles to pick it up.

Baby monitors are literally pointless! Trust me no matter where you are in the house you will hear your baby crying.

Definitely see how you get on with breast feeding before you decide what feeding stuff you need. My wife was only able to breast feed for about a month so then we had to get bottles. If you end up bottle feeding I would recommend at least 6-8 bottles. You really don't want to be cleaning and sterilising more than once a day.

Be careful before you spend so much on a pram too (or "travel system" as they are called now). Like many parents, we found the expensive one we bought to be too bulky and impractical after about a month and now we rely on the £15 stroller we also bought.
But if you do go with the pram you are looking at I don't see what features it would possibly offer you that one half the price wouldn't also have.

You won't need a gate or a high chair for a while either so a good tip is to keep an eye out for whenever you see a nice one on sale.

Be careful about buying too much stuff in advance too. Before my son was born we bought him about 20 bibs. We never needed a single one! People were amazed when they saw us feeding him and he never spilled a drop!

As for finances, the way things stand at the monent, you will be entitled to £80 child benefit every 4 weeks. It doesn't sound like you will be entitled to tax credits.

Good luck with it all.

Caroline73_2

ms00skr wrote: »

PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
Breast pads £6 - i used samples and washable ones
Nipple cream £5 - never needed it
Nursing Bra £25 get two, but try NCT sales and ebay
Maternity Clothes £150 Try ebay again
Feminine Hygiene £1.3 you won't be buy normal things for 9 months so that would negate tghe money spent.

SLEEPING
Moses Basket £35 ebay, NCT, car boot or ask around friends, lots of people keep them for a next child, just buy a new mattress
Moses basket stand £30 as above
Night Light £15 use a regular and a low wattage bulb
Baby monitor £60 never bothered with one
Grobag for 2 £25 get two, any brand, look for second hand again

NURSERY
Wardrobe £500 all this is expensive furniture, look at ikea where you can get decent storage units which are more useful
Chest of Drawers £400
Changing Unit £80 waste of money, stick a changing mat on a chest of drawers
Cot £100 cotbed is better value,
Mattress £30 spend more of a better mattress
Bed side Table £100

TOILETING/ABLUTIONS
Bath/support £12 baby came in the bath with me or dad, or went in the sink until he could sit up, then I picked up a seat support at an NCT sale.
Sponges/flannels £10 How many are you buying? Couple of sponges are £2
Change mat £15 you can get them much cheaper than this
Nappy sacks for 50 £1.79 - buy value ones if you feel the need to use them
Nappies Pampers 22 nappies newborn £3.99 you'll get lots of first size samples, look at bundles of washable which are cheaper in the longterm, especially if you have more than one baby.

FEEDING
High Chair £60 go second hand or spend more and go for an adjustable chair which can be used as toddlers to sit at the regular table (like a stokke chair, but get a cheap brand)
Bibs £6 youll get loads as presents, buy muslins in stead
Milk Bottles for 2 £6 Get 6.
Breast pump £30 you can hire them from the NCT, see if you like it first.
Steriliser £30 If you have a microwave get one of these sterilisers.

TRAVELLING
Car Seat £117 -
Car sun blind £4 you can get these free when you spend at Kiddicare
Pram 3in1 M&P Rubix £429 I got a Britax travel system for less than £200, that included car seat. Then I got a buggy at sixmonths for £50
Travel Cot £50 use your moses basket and then get a second hand one, most people hardly use theirs so it's easy to find one in good condition
Change mat £15 use a towel when travelling, you usually get a small waterproof one in baby bags
Mum bag £50 Just buy a nice rusksack that will be used for years and is easy to carry.

CLOTHING
Newborn babygrows for 10 £10 buy supermarket ones and get bundles from ebay.
scratch mitts for 2 pairs £5 never used these
Hat for 2 £5
Boots for 2 £5 babygrows have feet, won't need them
Shawl £25 use a blanket
Sleep suits £15 if you have babygrows and gro bags you won't need these
Jacket £15 depends on when baby is due, if it's summer a lttle cardigan will suffice
Socks 2 pack £4 had millions, never used them

HEALTH
Ear thermometer £30 go for forehead, easier to do on a wriggly baby
Bath thermometer £15 if it feels hot it is! use you hand

MISC
Gates £20 car boot, freegle
Bouncer £30 borrow or second hand, some babies hate them.

You can source so many things by borrowing, or second hand (NCT sales, ebay and car boot) I actually got everything for my second son for less than £600 excluding a wardrobe which I already had.That was all my washable nappies too. I spent lots more on my first! It really depends on what you want and what you need.

ticklepenny_2

I have just amended the list to what we bought for DD, and DS will be using the same bits this time round. HTH x
Freecycle, ebay and local table top sales are briliant for baby things.

PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
Breast pads £2.30 - I got these on clearance in boots they last forever so pick them up if you spot them
Nipple cream £7.25 - Lanisoh can be 25% off in sainsbury's baby events.
[STRIKE]Nursing Bra £25 -[/STRIKE] I was lucky and didnt need this, just used nonwired bras.
Maternity Clothes £50 - Just bought some nice long tops and stretchy trousers.
Feminine Hygiene £2.16 - based on 2 packs asda maternity pads

SLEEPING
[STRIKE]Moses Basket £35
Moses basket stand £30[/STRIKE]
Travel Bassinet - £15 at a local As Good As New sale
[STRIKE]Night Light £15[/STRIKE] The light on in the hall way was plenty.
Baby monitor £25 - We were given one by MIL, OH uses it when I am away from the night as he sleeps really heavily but I found I dont need it.
Grobag £8 - from 3 months up, before then they can just be swaddled in a blanket.

NURSERY
[STRIKE]Wardrobe £500[/STRIKE] Baby hangers drive me nuts, so we just used the drawers.
Chest of Drawers £150
Changing Unit £10 - Ebay
Cot £7.99 - Charity shop find
Mattress £29 inc delivery from here
[STRIKE]Bed side Table £100[/STRIKE] We have the chest of drawers by the cot and use that instead.

TOILETING/ABLUTIONS
Bath/support £12
Sponges/flannels £10
Change mat £15
Nappy sacks for 300 £0.27 (Asda)
Nappies Pampers 22 nappies newborn £3.99

FEEDING
High Chair £15 - Ikea
Bibs £6
Milk Bottles 6 (£1.97 for 3) £3.94 (asda)
Breast pump £10 (asda baby event)
Steriliser £14.29 - Boots cold water steriliser, includes 3 bottles.

TRAVELLING
Car Seat £45 - Birth - 4 years
Car sun blind £4
Pram 3in1 M&P Rubix £429 (try ebay)
Travel Cot £22 - Ebay
Change mat £15
[STRIKE]Mum bag £50[/STRIKE] Just used a backpack I've owned since college.

CLOTHING
Newborn babygrows for 10 £10
[STRIKE]scratch mitts for 2 pairs £5[/STRIKE] I just used socks as I lost the scratch mitts within hours at the hospital lol.
Hat for 2 £5
[STRIKE]Boots for 2 £5[/STRIKE] Sleep suits covered the feet so I didnt bother with boots
[STRIKE]Shawl £25[/STRIKE]
Sleep suits £15
Jacket/pram suit £15
Socks 2 pack £4

HEALTH
Ear thermometer £30
[STRIKE]Bath thermometer £15 [/STRIKE] I got a free one in one of the bounty packs they give you.

MISC
Gates £20
Bouncer £15 - We got one of these but DD didnt like the baby bouncer and prefered her play gym

ellay864

Similar thread on this very topic a little while ago

https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3020284=

webitha

ms00skr wrote: »

Hi



PREGNANCY & DELIVERY
Breast pads £6
Nipple cream £5
Nursing Bra £25
Maternity Clothes £150 get next size up or nick hubbys which is what i did lol
Feminine Hygiene £1.3

SLEEPING
Moses Basket £35 never used one as some babies dont like them, none of mine nor any of my sister 6 or bro 6 liked them
Moses basket stand £30
Night Light £15
Baby monitor £60
Grobag for 2 £25

NURSERY
Wardrobe £500 how much??? get normal furniture not the baby ones
Chest of Drawers £400 as above
Changing Unit £80 again never used one
Cot £100
Mattress £30
Bed side Table £100 why???

TOILETING/ABLUTIONS
Bath/support £12
Sponges/flannels £10
Change mat £15
Nappy sacks for 50 £1.79
Nappies Pampers 22 nappies newborn £3.99 need lots and lots more of these lol

FEEDING
High Chair £60 not needed for 6/8 months
Bibs £6
Milk Bottles for 2 £8 need more than 2 if bottle feeding at least 6/8
Breast pump £30
Steriliser £30

TRAVELLING
Car Seat £117
Car sun blind £4
Pram 3in1 M&P Rubix £429
Travel Cot £50 only needed if sleeping away a lot, and then you can use your moses basket if have one
Change mat £15
Mum bag £50

CLOTHING
Newborn babygrows for 10 £10
scratch mitts for 2 pairs £5
Hat for 2 £5
Boots for 2 £5
Shawl £25
Sleep suits £15
Jacket £15
Socks 2 pack £4

HEALTH
Ear thermometer £30
Bath thermometer £15 use your elbow

MISC
Gates £20 not needed unless you have dogs til they are walking
Bouncer £30

hope this helps

MX5huggy

ms00skr wrote: »

Thanks onlyroz

I've looked into Child Benefit but it doesn't seem clear exactly what we would get. It doesn't seem affected by income? As my husband and I earn "above average" we don't seem to qualify for much financial support although we are struggling to save for a house etc. I won't start ranting about that though :-)

It is not means tested everyone can get it its £20.30 per week for your first child then £13.40 per week for every child after that.

But its changing, from 2013 if one or both parent pays higher rate tax then you will not receive any.

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/business-11523930