Frugality on maternity leave

coastalchick

Ok, so I officially start maternity leave next Monday (I am currently off work but it's 2 weeks of annual leave which we are forced to take prior to starting maternity leave).

Need to be more frugal. Will be paid full pay up to 20 Jan (which is pay day anyway). For Feb I should receive 2 weeks pay as is annual leave for those 2 weeks but Feb pay packet will obv be down as is not a full month's pay. as am then on unpaid leave. Get SSP also and poss a bonus in my March pay (as our bonuses paid in March) and then should get 2 weeks pay in April pay packet as back to work then.

So, should be able to cover my share of mortgage, bills etc though might need OH to stump up our spending cash for a couple months (which he is fine with) though I am going to try to squirrel away a bit between now and Feb to allow me to have a bit of a buffer.

As our baby will only be 3 months at xmas, we've decided not to bother getting him much as he won't really benefit and just put some cash in his bank account instead. So that just leaves each other, parents and niece/nephew (2) to buy for really.

I just think we are not very good at being frugal! And obv bills going to increase being home during day in winter in terms of heating and lighting when normally we are at work all day!

Cat has just cost us another £600 in vets bills but we should get about £400 back on the insurance once excess and contribution due to his age are taken into account.

Any tips on frugality during maternity leave greatly appreciated!

We've had a fairly expensive month this month because of vets bills but also buying last few bits of baby stuff and we've batch cooked loads of meals for the freezer to get us through those first few weeks (which obv means we will save on groceries next month but which has hit us hard now) but hoping that calms next month though there will be nappies to buy! We are going to look into the reusable nappies but not for first 6 weeks or so whilst we find our feet.

Just realised this thread is a bit rambly - sorry!!!

WelshKitty85

Exciting times! I'm at the end of my mat leave, going back to work on Monday. How I wish I could start it all over again.

Make sure you sign up to Bounty, Emma's Diary etc. The goodie bags we had contained full size packs of nappies, wipes, samples of washing powder. We use Aldi nappies and find them better than the named brands. The newborn packs are less than £1. I really like their wipes too.

If you can, try and plan ahead for meals for after baby arrives. Have some things ready in the freezer than can just be put it the oven and left to cook (lasagnes, cottage pies etc in foil trays to save on washing up) so you don't end up calling for a take away.

I found maternity leave a great time to sign up to survey sites to earn few extra ££s.

Do you have any free baby groups locally? We attend one at the local library. It gives us free exercise walking there and back, saves on gas and elec when we are out of the house, and it's great to meet other mums.

Most of all, enjoy your maternity leave. It's goes by way too quickly!

SavingAFuture

I'm so interested in this thread as I'm hoping to start a family soon and will definitely need to be really frugal if I am going to take the full maternity leave, which I really want to do. I am the major earner in our household which isn't a problem - until I'm only being paid SMP and we can't afford to pay for everything!

Savings and thrifty ways will have to be the answer.
Wishing you all the luck in the world,
SaF x