Maria's 2012 i will bring baby up on a budget! Keeping my head above water diary

wendz86

I will have to have a look for some coupons before our next week shop.

BirdSeed

I've just listed 17 items on ebay and the fees come to £11 ...pah.. free listing tomorrow too! Oh well, I've still got more to add.

I generally use coupons that come in magazines or through the post. I don't have a printer at home so find it difficult to get the ones off line - I can use my mum's computer and printer but I forget when I go to her house.

I've actually over stocked on a box of nappies so am going to sell them to a friend's friend! Baby will be going into size 3 once this current pack runs out - I have about 400 in stock so they should last for a while. (I bought about 200 off ebay for £13 a few months ago!). I've heard other people say the Asda range is better than Huggies or Pampers. Fortunately for me I prefer Huggies at the minute - Pampers are well expensive and have a funny smell about them too! (Plus I have more vouchers for Huggies)!

Have you seen Extreme couponing on the TV?

mariagti

oliviarosejackson wrote: »

Hi,

Habe just had a read through your diary. Another mummy here My LO is 14 months, so just a little bit older than yours. mine is a little handful, lol. I am in a similar position to you, I have gone down to PT work (3 days per week) and trying to save money where I can. I would imagine that you would be entitled to tax credits. I would just over estimate your income, then you will have a nice lump sum if it comes in under what you have given them. Our combinded income is around £28,000 and we get TC. OH gets £20,000 per year and I earn roughly £150 pw (unsure of the yearly salary yet).

eBay have a free listings weekend this weekend. I have a few bits I want to put on.

Where do you get all of your coupons from?

xxx

Hi Olivia, thanks for popping in:D

Is it Child Tax credits you get or working tax credits? Over the weekend i will write up my SOA of how much we earn etc etc. I stupidly forgot to call up today for the child tax credits form!

Ahhh is it fantastic!! Time to get the pram on ebay then;)

All the coupons i use are interenet printable ones..theres a very useful thread on here that lists them all on the first page, have a read in the thread and people work out the best shops to use them in to get the lowest price or sometimes free;) Link to thread:https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3703791

Hey birdseed, yeah ive seen it once. i dont know where they get there mountains of coupons from they really are nuts arent they!

Asda nappies smell a bit plasticy if im honest!

Feeling a bit down as a friend has just been texting me asking me questions about my missed miscarriage i had before Owen. She had a baby 2 weeks after i had owen and now shes pregnant again and worried as shes having pains. I dont mind her asking questions, but it does bring back sad memories.:(

oliviarosejackson

mariagti wrote: »

Hi Olivia, thanks for popping in:D

Is it Child Tax credits you get or working tax credits? Over the weekend i will write up my SOA of how much we earn etc etc. I stupidly forgot to call up today for the child tax credits form!

Ahhh is it fantastic!! Time to get the pram on ebay then;)

All the coupons i use are interenet printable ones..theres a very useful thread on here that lists them all on the first page, have a read in the thread and people work out the best shops to use them in to get the lowest price or sometimes free;) Link to thread:https://forums.moneysavingexpert.com/discussion/3703791

Hey birdseed, yeah ive seen it once. i dont know where they get there mountains of coupons from they really are nuts arent they!

Asda nappies smell a bit plasticy if im honest!

Feeling a bit down as a friend has just been texting me asking me questions about my missed miscarriage i had before Owen. She had a baby 2 weeks after i had owen and now shes pregnant again and worried as shes having pains. I dont mind her asking questions, but it does bring back sad memories.:(

Thanks for the link will take a look at it Anything to save us some money.

It is child tax credits we get. We earn too much for working tax credits. To be able to claim working tax credits, you have to earn £17,000 or less (someone correct me if I am wrong). Before I returned to work we got £25pw in tax credits. Since returning to work in Sept, we get £80.66pw as we now have childcare on the claim. So I would def ring up, I am sure you would be entitled to similar to what we used to get. All depending on how much your OH O/T adds up to. Would be a nice little lump sum if they back date it for 3 months.

Sorry to hear about your miscarriage xoxoxoxoxoxoxo

mariagti

Ah cool thanks Olivia. Im going to call up today when i get to my parents so they can watch owen for me. Entilted to said £10 a week i could get. Id be happy with anything!

Im wondering if i would get more or less help if i asked work for an extra hour at work to take me upto 16 hours a week. two girls at work asked for the extra hour but think thats because there single parents so probably get working tax credit for doing 16 plus hours.

Right my plan for this weekend is

-List on ebay
-cook up some meals for owen and freeze
-Cook up the old looking spuds, mash and freeze for us
-Clean bathroom
-Go to town to pick up Bhs sale order i made at xmas
-Sort through toiletries box

missymoo81

hey hun, hugs my lovely xx

your plans for the weekend sound good, i sorted through my toiletries box, was scarey how much stuff we had!! OH is worse than me for buying in bulk when on offer, he has 12 shower gels!!!

Hope you manage to get the child tax credit thing sorted, i'd find out about the 16 hours if i were you could really help you. Unfortunately I'm not entitled to anything, would be nice!

oliviarosejackson

Morning Maria,

You sound like you have a productive weekend ahead of you. More than me, lol.

I don't think it matters about the 16 hours as you are part of a couple. I think you only need to work 16+ hours if you are a single parent. But you are definatly entitled to the £10 per week, that is standard with all households I think who are entitled to TC. I work 22.5 hours, as I need to work 16+ hours as we have nursery costs added on to it.

Have you looked at selling on your local FB? I have listed a few items on there this morning, no fees and people can collect instead of posting. Also have you ever been on the Netmums website? You can sell things on your local boards, I have sold a few bits on there before christmas, same as FB, people collect so saves of postage and paypal fees again.

How old is your little man? Mine is coming up for 15 months on the 24th. He is such a handful, so mardy always wanting to be picked up, I never get a minutes peice. We are still waiting for him to walk, he is such a lazy boy. He has started standing alone a lot more now and he will take a couple of steps, but thats it. He has been crawling since 8 months too. He is coming along leaps and bounds at the moment with his talking though. He can be so funny sometimes, but he has a temper on him when he wants to. I worry what he is going to be like when he is older with his temper. I also have an 8yr old daughter, she is a big help

Have a lovely weekend xxx

wendz86

Hope you manage to get your list done this weekend.

That is good you should be entitled to some tax credits, every little helps!

mariagti

Morning all,

Missymoo- Glad were not the only household with a box full of toiletries!:rotfl:Most of the box we have is full is free stuff i have won, freebies and samples. From hair stuff,make up, bath foam, shower gels,creams, perfumes...ive got heaps! Im going to be listing some on ebay as i know theres bits i wont ever use.

Olivia- Thanks for the info;) I have posted pics on my profile to sell to friends but ive never posted on the sales page...i completly forgot about it! I will post up some large items on there, thank you!

My son is 14 months in 4 days, he also has a temper on him...from about 6 months he was named the angry baby. But since he started to walk his a different little boy! Happy 98% of the time now. He only demands to be picked up when i go in the kitchen as he wants to see what im upto. But what does drive me crazy is all day long his shoving books in my face to read to him, which i dont mind but straight after ive read it he will want to read the same one over and over 6 or 7 times before he then picks another to read! He loves books more than toys! He doesnt do much talking yet, just alot of noise and the odd duck, dog ,mum, dad and car.
Have you put your LO's name down for a playschool yet? Ive been told i need to now esle he might not get a space!! Another thing on my to do list i keep forgetting!

Wendz- Ta but i didnt get any of the my list at all:o I went to my parents to pick something up then ended up staying there all afternoon as my brother and nephews came over. Owen was having so much fun playing with them i stayed and thought the list can wait until sunday.

I should have a few hours to myself this afternoon to get everything done as my OH is taking Owen to his parents house. Mind you his never there more than two hours but still i can get alot done in that space of time without a little boy follwing me about shoving books in my face:rotfl:

Another good nights sleep for me 7.15-4am 5-8am.

wendz86

Ahh Owen sounds so sweet! That is great he loves books but must be tiring.

I am sure you will get lots done today without Owen there, is amazing how much easier it it.

Yay for sleep!