A pound stretching maternity

MrsSave

I've had a chilled out morning on the sofa sorting through YNAB! I just need to wait for my maternity entitlement to come through now to see what I am going to get. I worked it out this morning on the government minimum and we will survive. It means I can only take off the 9 months and no more (though I'll need to find a job at the end anyway!!).

I've also sorted our car insurance out. I paid for it all on a cashback credit card (which I took out for £30 cashback). I also went through the cashback site for the car insurance, which was £60. £90 cashback waiting to be sorted and eventually paid into the account. I'm hoping it will be done by November time ish! I'll be paying the credit card monthly (it's 0%) as I do my car insurance usually (but without the interest). It works out at £20.10 per month, which is £2 a month cheaper than last year. :j

I've also totted up next year's birthdays and Christmas gift amounts. :eek: We've got a couple of big birthdays next year (2 60ths and a 90th) as well as all the children we buy for. There are 10 children to buy for at the moment (not including our own!), but now ds has started school I'm assuming there may be school friend birthday parties to add to the mix. I'm having to be really tight with the budget, but I generally shop around and buy things on the sale so can get a decent amount for the money!

We'll also be getting ds2 christened at some point. It's going to be another expensive year!

hannahroberts1985

Hey MrsSave,

Thanks for checking in on my diary...thought i'd repay the favour. DS's nap time here. I'd love a nap but in a period of pregnancy insomina at the moment and knew i'd just lie in bed tossing and turning so instead I brought the laptop, biscuits and a brew and read the first couple of pages and the last couple of posts of your diary. It's great to find someone in a similar positions to me (and i don't just mean massivly pregnant and unconfortable :rotfl:). Pregnancy is soo much harder second time around...i'm dreading juggling DS and new DS. I may need to set up a emergancy Prosecco fund!!!

It sounds like your in a great place with meal planning and budgeting. You are really good at keeping days out to minimal spends too. I must learn from you. I've been thinking £30-£40 on a beach trip is good :mad:! The online shopping is a great idea too. You seem to do a good job of keeping it down and planning. Maybe I need to get into this aswell we shop mainly at aldi at the moment but I bet with better planning I could get the same from a store that deliverys.

Are you on facebok? There is a great group Bargain buys for busy mums. Lots of great bargains I always order christmas and birthday presents on offer now and feel riped off paying full price for things now.

Right thats enough rambling. i'll be subscribing to your diary and hopefully we can help get each other through the madness that is having a toddler ans a baby :eek: x

Eyebright

Well done on the Car Insurance savings and Cashback MrsSave. I always feel like every year is expensive, but at least knowing about it can allow you to prepare for it as much as possible

MrsSave

hannahroberts1985 wrote: »

Hey MrsSave,

Thanks for checking in on my diary...thought i'd repay the favour. DS's nap time here. I'd love a nap but in a period of pregnancy insomina at the moment and knew i'd just lie in bed tossing and turning so instead I brought the laptop, biscuits and a brew and read the first couple of pages and the last couple of posts of your diary. It's great to find someone in a similar positions to me (and i don't just mean massivly pregnant and unconfortable :rotfl:). Pregnancy is soo much harder second time around...i'm dreading juggling DS and new DS. I may need to set up a emergancy Prosecco fund!!!

It sounds like your in a great place with meal planning and budgeting. You are really good at keeping days out to minimal spends too. I must learn from you. I've been thinking £30-£40 on a beach trip is good :mad:! The online shopping is a great idea too. You seem to do a good job of keeping it down and planning. Maybe I need to get into this aswell we shop mainly at aldi at the moment but I bet with better planning I could get the same from a store that deliverys.

Are you on facebok? There is a great group Bargain buys for busy mums. Lots of great bargains I always order christmas and birthday presents on offer now and feel riped off paying full price for things now.

Right thats enough rambling. i'll be subscribing to your diary and hopefully we can help get each other through the madness that is having a toddler ans a baby :eek: x

I am liking the prosecco fund idea May have to work that one into YNAB somehow!! :rotfl:

Yes I am on facebook and actually follow that page. I have also been following Extreme Bargain Hunters and found a link earlier to an ebay seller that sells new but discontinued toys (and loads of other bits). I've ordered a few bits as birthday presents from there today (first time I've used ebay for birthday presents) as there's a 3 for 2 on the toys as well. I buy for so many children that I can only budget £5 each for non family ones. The bits I've ordered today work out at around £3 each where the RRP is anywhere up to £10.

I know what you mean with not wanting to pay full price for anything. I buy everything reduced or on offer now!

hannahroberts1985

Was it 3monkeys by any chance? I discovered them the other day and ordered loads of presents. I've set up a birthday savings account £15 goes in a month. To pay for parties and presents for DS's (must get used to using plurals for my children. Scary!!) I know when they are older it'll just get more expensive as they will be into specific things that'll change so close to Christmas and birthday.

MrsSave

hannahroberts1985 wrote: »

Was it 3monkeys by any chance? I discovered them the other day and ordered loads of presents. I've set up a birthday savings account £15 goes in a month. To pay for parties and presents for DS's (must get used to using plurals for my children. Scary!!) I know when they are older it'll just get more expensive as they will be into specific things that'll change so close to Christmas and birthday.

It was indeed!! I've got 6 things on order. I decided to stop there and to make sure the boxes were all in one piece and everything looked nice when they arrived before ordering more!

It is definitely easier when they're younger to buy gifts throughout the year. I don't think ds will ask for anything in particular again this year (thankfully as I've bought everything for him!). I put money away each month for ds's (I know what you mean about the plural) birthdays and christmas gifts/party.

hannahroberts1985

What a coinsidence. I ordered 6 items but missed delivery yesterday....thinking about it I've made plans to go out to pick up the isofix tomorrow when they will try to redeliver. I've followed the extreme bargains page. Thanks for the tip.....although DS has enough for Christmas now I need to concentrate on saving my Christmas fund for adults. I just love
A bargain though! X

MrsSave

Monday morning!

Work today so I won't be taking ds to school or collecting him for the first time

Work also means that I won't be spending the day browsing the Internet for bargains!

I'll check the accounts and YNAB before getting up, but they should be all up to date. Dinner will be something easy and quick tonight. Probably pasta and sauce with the ham from last night's dinner added.

[Deleted User]

Morning,

Have a lovely day today x

Eyebright

Hope your day goes OK. I've requested to join the FB groups and have saved the eBay shop you mentioned in my followed sellers.

I need to start cracking on with Christmas shopping soon...