Best tips for coping on a reduced family income when first child arrives?

spykey_uk

I am a big lurker on the OS-board and love reading all of the tips and ideas of making the most out of the things/money we have.

My husband and I are expecting our first baby in Feb 2012 and I know that I will be on statutory maternity leave, so things will probably be a bit tight as I want to try and take at least a year off with our LO if possible.

So, I was just wondering, what are your best OS-tips for reducing the outgoings when taking care of a baby? We're budgeting £200 per month for food but I think that this could probably be reduced at a push if we needed to.

Thanks in advance!

LumpyMoo

Hello :wave: and congratulations :T

Top tip would be: Menu Plan, Menu Plan, and Menu Plan!!

More experienced peeps than me will no doubt have more advice, but that's my top tip - it's saved me loads.

Also - look at where you shop, could you start shopping at A*di and / L*dl if you dont already??

Lumpy x

lizzyb1812

Start to live on a reduced income now - it will get you used to it and the savings you make can be used during your mat leave if necessary.

And yes, Meal Plan

kippers

Buy baby clothes 2nd hand if possible as babies hardly wear their clothes and some are nearly good as new. car boot sales seem to better for picking up bargins.

Obviously breast feeding is the cheapest if you can, however when you wean your child make your own baby meals as they are cheaper and much better for the baby.

Don't feel you have to keep up with the 'jones' when buying things for the baby, make sure it really is going to be useful (i bought a nappy bin that was approx £30 and it was a complete waste of money as it was just as easy to put straight in my dustbin).

I had loads of toys given to me for my dd1, when she was about 6 months old she got hold of my dh's pack of crisps and she 'shaked' it for hours with it...i'm not saying it was the most suitable thing to play with but it just goes to show that expensive toys are not always the best.

Walks in the park are free and baby usually sleeps as you are walking so you get a breather too.

Look into reuseable nappie, they look good these days (don't know much about them though)

When my dd1 was about six months old i used to go to playgroups (where you stay with your child, usually in local church halls etc). You could get a cup of coffee and a natter with other mums for something like 50p while your child played...bargin!

If I think of anything else i'll post it

spykey_uk

Ooh these are brilliant thanks! We currently split our shopping between Mr Ts and the butchers but we do have an Aldi in town, so will have a look round and see how much we can save there!

The playgroups sound like a brilliant idea too - what a bargain at 50p! x

spykey_uk

My OH has been obsessed with those nappy bins as well! I told him they're a non-essential but he seems to have got his heart set on getting one! Think I may have to convince him otherwise! :rofl: x

jakes-mum

Firstly Congratulations

When I had DS (10 years ago!) I didnt boher buying newborn clothes or baby grows. He came home in a 0-3 outfit and his babygroes were mostly 3 -6 months, there were big, but he was warm and they lasted

Agree with making your own when you wean. I got given a hand food processor and it was brilliant for mashing up a bit of our dinners for him, he had chili con carni, roast dinner, mash and veg, actually anything we or my mum ate he got aswell.
Batch cook as that will be cheaper plus when you come home from the hospital you may not feel like cooking so a few home cooked ready meals will be a blessing.

If you want to homebake, see if there is a local farm near you as they seem to be alot cheaper for eggs than the shops (my farm is £2 a dozen large, co-op is £2.87 for dozen medium)

Also if you can borrow thats great. We borrowed our moses basket from DH's family, all the kids that side have used it and supposedly the old wives tale is its good luck? Well it saved me a fair few quid for something that he used for 4 months (he was a biiiiiig baby!) Borrowed it again for DD aswell 6 1/2 yrs later

Also if there is nothing you really want for xmas, you can always ask family to get a toy or outfit you've had your eye on for xmas.

Ooo another thought, we bought a travel system for DS (and DD actually shows I never learn) and though its lovely to look at its bleeding heavy to get in the boot and as the car seat only lasts to 9 months it probably works out cheaper to buy a 0-4 yr car seat and seperate buggy

meg72

lizzyb1812 wrote: »

Start to live on a reduced income now - it will get you used to it and the savings you make can be used during your mat leave if necessary.

And yes, Meal Plan

Excellent advice.I would also start stocking up when there is a good offer on things you use.

kittb

It's hard til you get started but you really Don't need a fraction of the 'stuff' you are led to believe. Second time round we didn't even get things out of the loft cloth nappies are great, there s a good second hand Market if you can believe it so you can both buy cheaper and sell on. Local groups often have a library or rental service so you could test them out. Breast feeding has saved me loads second time round but is hard to crack so if this interests you find out about local groups etc for support. You don't need a proper nappy bag thither often have special clips that make them easier to hang on a buggy. Slings rather than buggies? Especially with a winter babe :-) again you can often borrow these from local groups. So much stuff can be bought second hand, it s horrifying how fast they get through things. NCT sales are meant to be good, I relied on eBay.

Get batch cooking and freezing whilst you have the energy ..... Absolutely nothing could have prepared me for the tiredness and lack if time to think once the little bundle arrived lol. The temptation/ need to order takeaways and ready meals is huge.

Make sure you enjoy the planning and the shopping you choose to do though. It's an exciting time! Have a happy and healthy pregnancy!

ZsaZsa

I havent got much more to add to these great tips, but I just wanted to add that although it seems like a huge leap to give up a full time wage, it is possible. I planned on taking 4 months mat leave, as I couldnt imagine that there was any way we could manage otherwise, and here I am, nearly 4 years and 2 children later. Its not always easy, and we do have to be imaginative at times, but somehow we just manage :-)

narabanekeater

hope this doesn't sounds to bad but my recent arrival was a suprise and we had given all of our baby bits away. I wrote a list of what we needed for DD, cot, moses basket etc. I then decided what I would be happy buying second hand.
I then looked for local pick up items on ebay within 5 miles of my house. I got a Mothercare current range bouncer for 99p (this was from Nans house to hardly used) I wont bore you with the rest but im sure you get the idea. You could spend £10 on a local pick up bundle on ebay and clothe babe till 3 ish months. Society tells you it has to cost a fortune but it doesn't. DD had a new cot, moses basket matress and some bottles. Ive seen baby swings got for £5 when they would have cost about £99 in the shops