Stockpiling for maternity leave......

chanie

I'm pregnant with no 2 and to try and extend the amount of time off I plan on stockpiling household stuff for when my SMP kicks in.

I'm lucky because I get a good maternity package and I've got 12 months to stockpile.

My plan.......

Fruit and Veg
I got an allotment in October and plan to grow potatoes, onions and herbs. I also have an apple tree on my plot so I have a guaranteed supply of apples. I may try my hand at making chutneys etc.

Food
I'm going to stockpile things that will keep e.g. tins, jars, pasta, rice, packets. I will only get stuff which is on offer though.

HOusehold stuff
Cleaning products, washing stuff, personal grooming items (deodorant etc).

THe only problem is keeping the stuff hidden from OH, as if we run out of something, he will want to get it out of the store.

I plan on using this thread as a kind of diary, so if anyone has any tips, that would be great.

krlyr

Grab some cardboard boxes from your local supermarket and label them up "maternity panty liners" and "pregnancy breast pads" and so on, no way will he go rifling through those :laugh:

flutterby_lil

Nappies? Wipes? I have about 600 nappies in the cupboard and about 20 packs of wipes, also pregnant with number 2. I have always got a cupboard full of tins, etc so won't need to stockpile these. Good luck.

chanie

First items to add to stock pile

In ASDA today, I picked up two packet of the Maggi 'cook in the bag' packets. THey were reduced from £1 to 50p. WHen I got to the till, they were scanning at full price, but I said the old tickets were still up, so they gave them to me for 50p.

To do
Baked beans - Lidl are currently doing 6 tins for £2.50 something, so I want to get 2 lots (12 tins) to put away, providing the use by date is long enough.

Cards - I had to buy two birthday cards today for SIL's birthday (one from Mr C and the other from DS). I spent £3 in ASDA (I had no choice, believe me). I need to write a list of everyone I need to buy cards for and get go to Card Factory as I can get cards for 30p (although most are 59p).

chanie

krlyr wrote: »

Grab some cardboard boxes from your local supermarket and label them up "maternity panty liners" and "pregnancy breast pads" and so on, no way will he go rifling through those :laugh:

:rotfl: Unfortunately, OH is from a family of women so stuff like that doesn't bother him.

Flutterby - I will defo stockpile nappies and wipes, but I'm still in my first trimester, so I'm a bit too superstitious for that yet. Intead of using wipes, in the early days, either used to dunk DS in the basin or use an old muslin face cloth from my beauty regime.

krlyr

chanie wrote: »

Cards - I had to buy two birthday cards today for SIL's birthday (one from Mr C and the other from DS). I spent £3 in ASDA (I had no choice, believe me). I need to write a list of everyone I need to buy cards for and get go to Card Factory as I can get cards for 30p (although most are 59p).

Our local Card Factory do good multibuys. We stock up on the "5 for £1" lot, they're half-decent/fairly modern designs (the 7 for £1 ones aren't quite as good!). The only time I buy cards for more are special occasions or for my stepdad, as he's big on the "words" in a card and takes them to heart (then I scour Tesco for their cheapest cards with meaningful wording!). I don't see the point paying a fortune for something that's opened, read once, then binned!

flutterby_lil

chanie wrote: »

:rotfl: Unfortunately, OH is from a family of women so stuff like that doesn't bother him.

Flutterby - I will defo stockpile nappies and wipes, but I'm still in my first trimester, so I'm a bit too superstitious for that yet. Intead of using wipes, in the early days, either used to dunk DS in the basin or use an old muslin face cloth from my beauty regime.

Yeah I don't use wipes for first few months, cotton wool for me. But I have a 3 year old too so they always come in handy.

clairec79

The other thing I did which isn't stockpiling but made things easier was paid extra on my council tax so when on maternity pay I didn't have to pay that bill each month (plus got used to having a little less each month to spend)

*Redhead*

If you have an Asda, Branston Beans for £1 for 4x410g tins.

Makes them cheaper than Lidls.

kingfisherblue

Try going down a brand - if you buy 'finest', go down to 'standard', or if you buy 'standard', try 'value'.

Think about buying supermarket stamps if you are likely to use them in the run up to Christmas.

Open a credit union account and get used to putting a small amount into it each week or month.

Have a slurry jar and empty the copper and small silver from your purse regularly.

Stockpile toilet rolls - I use Nikki brand (from Home Bargains or B&M). They are quite cheap, at £2 for nine rolls, but are triple ply andd lovely quality. Some are sccented, so be careful if you have sensitive skin. Also think about tin foil, kitchen rolls, sandwich bags or any similar items that you use.

Think Christmas - who do you buy presents for? Is there anything you can get now, on offer or in the sales? Tesco still had cards and wrapping paper a few days ago, and I bought crackers for £1.25 for 12, instead of £5. Look on the Christmas board for ideas.

Do people ask you what you want for birthdays? Could you ask for your beauty stuff or something else that you would normally spend money on?

Do you buy books? Join a library and get used to going regularly. When your child is a few months old, you can take them to storytimes and music or craft sessions free of charge.