How to have a baby without making debt?

affordmylife

arthur im happy thank you and i can tell you are too.

i feel content with what i have in the world.

Sarahlouz_2

Yes but that's £1000 a month for a 2 bed flat! Hardly the place we'd stay and have lot of kids in. Omitted to say that my partner also pays a large chunk of his income to a loan repayment at the moment so I would doubt very much that we are as well of as you think and we live a pretty frugal life, also amazingly take pack lunch to work everyday, no luxurys like lunches at work for me!! Someone on combined income of £30k round here wouldn't stand a chance, that is what I'm trying to point out really, not anyone with a mortgage (or rent, even that at least £800 a month) so I'm saying you can't judge everyone as being the same. we I know are the lucky ones in that my partner has a good career and I earn an ok amount so we could afford a child if we wanted.

mbs1

Just to add...

Im 21, my partner is 24. we had our first child last year in june, she's now 10months and we are already planning the next [i said id like them close together]

Im on £35k a year and the missus gets 0. benefits is £150ish for the one child, we dont get working tax credits tho.

We are happy and tbh i though it was going to be very costly but tbh its not been as expensive as i first imagined [ well not yet anyway]... We are renting a little 2bed bungalow for £450pcm but are waiting on the council list to get a place with them.

Live in the East mids area if it helps.

It really is the best thing in the world, go for it...!

affordmylife

i was just saying that the amounts of money are interesting not what size of house/flat we have.

i have £30,000 annual income with £600 mortgage and 5 kids.
you have £48,000 annual income with £1000 mortgage and no kids.

it doesnt matter what house you get for your money i guess what im saying is we manage quite well on what we have and we are fortunate to have a lovely large home too. only £12,000 per year of your money is going on the mortgage so that leaves £36,000 after you mortgage is paid.

so you have £36,000 a year for everything else. we have to pay our mortgage and live and bring up 5 kids on £6,000 a year less than that.

please dont think im having a go or being rude its just interesting how different people live and choose to live. and how different people manage etc.

arthur_dent_2

For the first 51/2 years of my daughters life I lived in a 1 bedroomed house and indeed until dd2 came along when dd1 was 2 we had just the bedroom, bathroom, kitchen and a room downstairs. Kitchen was less than 6ft by 6ft..
We did manage a small extension giving us another room when DD2 came into the world. I would also add that DH ran our business from the house at that time aswell.

I too am not being rude or having a go, people do manage and are happy. The children are no worse off because they do not own a Wii or Barbie branded clothes etc,.

missbee

Hi everyone! In answer to some of the discussions going on about me and life in general:

Afford my life - Your mortgage is not huge at 600 BUT I totaly see your it's all relative point - so it is still huge for you.

Yes, I do live just outside of London where you don't get as much for your money - but I also take others points that my 3 bed house has two surplus bedrooms for a married couple alone (wll, the cats have their own bedroom!)

Re my mortgage - we borrowed £199K over 30 years - fixed rate for 5 (not the best rate at the time but I'm soo glad now I went for that) Which currently makes our repayments on rep motgage £1180p.m then life assurance and house insurance is about £120 on to and the other major expense is a loan (which we took to get married as no family to help us - p.s. don't start having a go about that LOL) is £250 a month on top. Plus dreaded credit card - I may some over minimum at about 60 per month, but I should pay more. Plus student loan still has a year to go (can't believe that's still around more than 10 years on!) at £118 per month. Council tax is £145 and water £45 p month as well.

Did we discuss kids before buying prperty - Why YES! We both decided we didn't think we'd want them until I was about 40. Did I change my mind? YES, YES and thrice YES!

Don't forget peeps, my whole point of the thread was for the SHORT time I'm on ML how can I have take-home cut by about £1400 and not borrow money to get me through it? Those of you with kids already seem to often be the one's saying 'kids are priceless' and don't seem to see what I'm worried about. I can only imagine kids are priceless - so don't be too harsh on me:(

Anyway - after talk with hubby I've told him that when my pills run out (4 months time) I am not going back to the doctors for some more! :j
Tesco budget food, here I come...

puddles

Our financial situation is not too dis-similar, our mortgage payments are the same, we too have a loan, credit cards (actually about double your £60!) and the usual insurances etc - not to mention my car fuel bill is £250 alone to get to and from work and that can't be decreased as train would cost more! Our first baby is due 1 month today (!!!). I posted on this very board months ago as I was worried too and got given tons of advice - to name but a few changes we've mad; we no longer have SKY, mobile phone contracts have been decreased, we shop more economically in the supermarket and have been saving. My wife gets 90% for the first 6 weeks of maternity leave and then it's SMP all the way. It won't be a bed of luxary but it'll be enough for everything we 'need', everything we 'want' can wait!!

missbee

Good luck Puddles - one month to go:T

starbump

missbee wrote: »

Anyway - after talk with hubby I've told him that when my pills run out (4 months time) I am not going back to the doctors for some more! :j
Tesco budget food, here I come...

At least you'll have a year (or more) to save/budget. Good luck with it all!

Btw, I've thought of one more money-saving tip: do NOT buy anything at all until your baby is 1 month old. Honestly, there is nothing you need before baby arrives (except nappies and some clothes - hubby can nip to the supermarket for those). I can't believe how much stuff has been used once or twice, never used or never even unboxed/de-tagged. There is nothing, absolutely nothing*, you need within the first few weeks that cannot be picked up very cheaply with the weekly groceries. *sigh* I have to admit though that I wouldn't have believed anyone who told me this. Even stuff that I have used... to be honest, a lot of it wasn't strictly necessary.

(*Except a car seat, if you plan on driving home from the hospital.)

Welshlassie

starbump wrote: »

At least you'll have a year (or more) to save/budget. Good luck with it all!

Btw, I've thought of one more money-saving tip: do NOT buy anything at all until your baby is 1 month old. Honestly, there is nothing you need before baby arrives (except nappies and some clothes - hubby can nip to the supermarket for those). I can't believe how much stuff has been used once or twice, never used or never even unboxed/de-tagged. There is nothing, absolutely nothing, you need within the first few weeks that cannot be picked up very cheaply with the weekly groceries. *sigh* I have to admit though that I wouldn't have believed anyone who told me this. Even stuff that I have used... to be honest, a lot of it wasn't strictly necessary.

I beg to differ with this opinion, you will most definately need a car seat to bring your baby home from hospital (last time I looked I couldn't find one of these in Asda! - DO NOT get one second hand) you will also need somewhere for baby to sleep (moses basket) these can be picked up on freecycle frequently, just make sure you buy a new matress).

Other than that you won't need much more.