Edinburgher gets cracking!

nattypants

Hey Ed - I'm doing my stealth bomb posts, (I appear to be doing more of these of late:o) and just to add to everyone else's good wishes...

Congratulations Mr & Mrs Ed on the impending arrival of baby nattypants (you ARE naming she/he after me - right???!)

So happy for you both🍼🍼🍼 XOX

edinburgher

Now may not be the right time to ask you about teaching - are you still considering this option?

1) I wasn't really convinced that it was for me, more like me trying to force myself into a new job that isn't my current one (if you see what I mean!) There are other areas that interest me (I'd be interested in accountancy or HR if I could afford it)
2) I can't afford to make a change right now

The comments from all are appreciated and helpful (and no noses have been put out of joint) The one thing I would point out is that living on one salary as has been suggested is much harder than it may have been when some of the helpful contributors were raising their broods. Even our basic expenses (house, Emergency Fund, small second hand car), run to something like £1800/mth.

I'd consider posting a new SOA, but our budget isn't very fat.

• £1 to Freedom Fund (reached target for month)
• We're not in the red, I have a £20 note I need to bank
• Screened out of Ips0s survey (I find them rubbish, have completed 0 surveys to date!)
• NSD yesterday, aiming for another today
• 4 mile run tonight

HelenDaveKids

Sorry, doing np with reading when I can. Wow congrats to you both!!!

Word of warning... we took about the same time to conceive and we were starting to think ivf would be the next move, then we booked to go to Thailand and voila, best money we ever lost. I then had 3 in three years....

Hurdler

Just catching up with life in the forum - many congratulations

edinburgher

I have fired the first salvo in the baby moneysaving war

Modified Tilly's suggestion re. living on one wage to transitioning into a maternity pay dry run. From Monday (our next pay), we're going to pretend like she's going on maternity leave. For the month of March, this will make no real difference, as she would get 90% of her current salary + child benefit. From April onwards, it will be a difference of £££s of pound a month, all of which can be saved.

She's also agreed to a cut in our pocket money of £50/mth in March, and £100/mth in subsequent months. I think I must have explained it badly, because she thought I meant £100/mth *total* from April and just about had a fit :eek:

We're currently very lucky in that we get £350/mth each to spend on whatever and while I realise that this will drop with a baby, £350 to £100 in the space of 6 weeks might have been a bit too much like cold turkey :rotfl:

So, we should have an extra £160 to save in March, then £400+ from then...

Lois_E

Well done Ed. :T Hope you both manage to stick to the plan.


Remember you can soften the blow by allowing the "pretend mat leave" savings to be used for really essential baby equipment - by which I mean things like a car seat, not a complete matching set of brand new nursery furniture.

edinburgher

Thanks Lois, we're a very strong unit once we're both behind a plan.

At least until the baby comes along, all of our problems are first world problems (i.e. saving less, as opposed to not having any savings).

I think we're down with essentials and you would no doubt have been amused by our many withering glances when a relative told us all about their £800 pram :rotfl:

Realistically speaking, as we have a large extended family, I think that we can expect to get most of the essentials as gifts anyway, as we don't have demanding specifications. Again, not trying to sound like we have a sense of entitlement, just the reality of new babies in big families!

Lois_E

edinburgher wrote: »

Thanks Lois, we're a very strong unit once we're both behind a plan.

At least until the baby comes along, all of our problems are first world problems (i.e. saving less, as opposed to not having any savings).

I think we're down with essentials and you would no doubt have been amused by our many withering glances when a relative told us all about their £800 pram :rotfl:

Realistically speaking, as we have a large extended family, I think that we can expect to get most of the essentials as gifts anyway, as we don't have demanding specifications. Again, not trying to sound like we have a sense of entitlement, just the reality of new babies in big families!

Sounds great. Both mine slept in a cot that had belonged to my bro and sil for their two, although we did get it a new mattress. I think my parents had originally paid for it. I seem to remember the deal was that we could have it as long as we needed it, but then had to give it back to my parents so they could pass it on to the next family they wanted to help with it. I wonder if my other bro & sil had it for theirs? Probably not, I imagine - she's the type who likes everything new, and he earns shedloads.

edinburgher

We've tried to hit up my brother and SIL for hand-me-downs, but no amount of unsubtle hints hit the mark :rotfl:

I think they're holding out for another in the near future.

DedicatedDFW

Hi Ed,

I didn't want to read and run - wow you and me both with the HR and Accountancy jobs - i can't find 1 to apply for that isn't asking fo specific experience that i don't have Are you still looking for a new job?

You and Mrs E sound like you have a good plan in place budget wise