Help me cope?

mioliere

I have no idea how much disposable nappies cost because I've never used them, but you could try reusable (terry) nappies. A pack of 20 or 24 would last you for months and months so, once you've made the initial purchase, you wouldn't need to buy disposable ones all the time.

Also, ask your health visitor about giving your ten-month-old baby cow's milk rather than formula. I think I must be old-fashioned, but when I stopped breast-feeding my two children (around six months of age), they went straight on to cow's milk. It was the standard advice back then.

I can tell that things have changed since my two were babies, but it seems to be so much more expensive these days what with disposable nappies and formula milk, especially 'follow-on' milk which was unheard of years ago! Our 'follow-on' milk back then was cow's milk!

[Deleted User]

moiliere spot on I also never had follow-on milk it was cows milk and once a child had hit 6-8 moths it was cows milk ,watered downa bit(no semi-skimmed in the 1960s0 and my two Dds grew and flourished ok.I never had disposable nappies either I had two dozen Harringtons nappies which did for both my DDs as one stopped needing them along came her sister.I still have a couple left in my cupboard which I use for cleaning windows now as they are very old ,worn and soft ( a bit like me :))
a bucket of nappisan under the sink was ok for wet ones ,rinsed out every morning and stuck on the line to dry and mucky ones had a boil on top of the stove in a big black pot :):) No washing machine either in those days :)what luxury I thought it was when nappy liners started to appear in the shops in 1970:):)
its a case of adapting your needs to what you have indoors.Sorry that your going through a hard time but you will survive it and if having a rant here make you feel better then go for it .There are lots of shoulders here to rest your troubled head on honey we have all been where you are at some point in our lives
JackieO xxx

Floss

I agree, ditch the formula for fresh milk (£1 for a 2 litre bottle in Asda), try Aldi nappies if you can't do without disposables, and maybe look at your bills? Is there anything that can be cut out - magazines, Sky subscription, gym membership? Are you entitled to a tax rebate from last year after your mat leave?

mrssnowy_2

gayle1 wrote: »

reading this im not a daft mum i save very hard i do collect loo roll sauce/sugar packets samples of shampoo do u have a flask? boil it in the morn and use this water for ure tea coffee bottles saves kettle 5/6 times a day to maybe just twice and i know im talking pennies but every penny is a prisoner ps avoid tumble it will eat ure leccy

I work at a GP surgery and we have noticed that toilet rolls are disappearing-shame when it comes out of our budget.

gayle1

not me i pinch the mcdonalds stuff lol or the stuff in the shopping centre heehee feel sorry for your budget but the bigger companies can afford the odd extra loo roll

moments_of_sanity

Tink - in the Sun newspaper today you can get a £5 free voucher for Morrisons to spend on fruit and veg between today and Sunday, no minimum spend either. Not very helpful in the long term but might help for this week.

Paper is 40p x

mioliere

JackieO - I wonder how we managed back then with no washing machines? I had a big enamel bowl that I used for boiling the nappies up, and I still have the big wooden tongs I used for taking them out of the water. I remember buying Zorbit nappies and still have a couple in my rag box. I also remember Napisan in a bucket in the loo, and having to scrape off the nappies, until those miraculous nappy-liners came along. And, yes, they were luxuries, weren't they? I remember being told by the midwife that the best way to dry nappies was out in the fresh air, even if it was frosty.

As for the milk, I worry about the youngsters these days because apparently there are more allergies and things like eczema about now, and I think it's because children are denied fresh cow's milk for too long.

iris

mioliere wrote: »

JackieO - I wonder how we managed back then with no washing machines? I had a big enamel bowl that I used for boiling the nappies up, and I still have the big wooden tongs I used for taking them out of the water. I remember buying Zorbit nappies and still have a couple in my rag box. I also remember Napisan in a bucket in the loo, and having to scrape off the nappies, until those miraculous nappy-liners came along. And, yes, they were luxuries, weren't they? I remember being told by the midwife that the best way to dry nappies was out in the fresh air, even if it was frosty.

As for the milk, I worry about the youngsters these days because apparently there are more allergies and things like eczema about now, and I think it's because children are denied fresh cow's milk for too long.

I got married in 1963, and before I left work to have our daughter, I bought a twin tub washing machine and also a fridge with my last salary.


I also remember boiling up DD's nappies (Zorbit) in a white enamel bucket on the stove. I used muslin for liners. If DD was in a bit of a mess, I used to wash her little bum in the kitchen sink - no wipes in those days!!


Our DD was also given cows milk and she is now 50:eek:


If DH and I needed a bit of a treat we bought a box of maltesers, only takeaway then was fish and chips, which we couldn't afford.

mioliere

Iris - I remember when my eldest was about seven (he's 43 this year), I was given a washing machine with an agitator in the drum and an attached mangle which worked really well, then I bought a second-hand spin-dryer which I thought was truly a miracle because it used to get almost all the water out, and made drying stuff a whole lot easier. I remain amazed at the effort and time my automatic washing machine saves me these days!

tessie_bear

hi....i think you have done really well to take the longer leave is great and you have nearly pulled it off to be fair i think mostpeople find ml a struggle i know we did twice.....do you have 2 cars ? perhaps mothball one to save money....dare i suggest getting rid of one phone or pay as u go ?

look at your outgoings and try and trim them back...sell stuff to make a bit more cash...good luck
tessa