Money saving tips for Maternity

[HPmagic]

Would anyone like to share their best money saving tips for Maternity leave. I have some loans I pay but don't think payments can be reduced.

Would be keen to learn other people's ways of keeping costs down please.

I think you just need general money saving tops don't you?

See if you can find cheaper providers, cut out things you don't need eg luxury coffee pr takeaway or meals out, shop at aldi or Lidl...

Im assuming you mean before may leave to save up money due mag leave but I suppose it applies either way.

If you're buying baby things already then you could look for deals on those abs but when it's cheap to do so and research things before you buy them.

The best way to save money is the obvious...stop spending.

I'm not trying to be an asshole when I say that though it's a hard thing to do for most ppl.

Practically everything can be reduced in cost and I spent a long time training myself to realise that I don't NEED another jumper/top/pair of shoes/hand cream as I already have lots of said item. So my advise is:
1.to focus on only buying what you truly need.

1. Meal plan to reduce food bill
2. Save a portion of your pay on payday (not at the end of the month!)
3. Get rid of debts ASAP!!

It’s just the same as general money saving tips isn’t it?

Meal plan, declutter and sell, work extra hours while you can, walk more/drive less, stop eating out /getting take away, take lunch from home, compare for switching energy providers etc.

Use vinted, Facebook marketplace and eBay for baby stuff. Other than new mattresses and a car seat second hand is very good and saves a fortune!
NCT nearly new sales are brilliant when they are up and running!

Check out baby groups many have free trials first do this before spending money!

Get rid of debts if possible and reduce outgoings as much as possible! Definitely agree with save at the beginning of the month! I also find using a saving account different to my bank means more effort to get it back out rather then just oh I will just pop £20 across etc.

Are you on mat leave imminently or have you got a way to go?

Buy baby stuff second hand. They wear clothes for such a short time when they’re little and growing so quickly that second hand clothes are often in quite good condition. We got two massive bags of 0-3m vests and babygros for a tenner on fb, and did the same for 3-6m. It would have cost way more to buy it new, even from a supermarket.
You can get plenty of other stuff second hand as well, baby monitor, baby bath, bouncer, plastic toys that are easily washed etc.

See if you have a children's centre or church hall near by as they may do baby groups for free or almost nothing. Being able to talk to other people helps against feeling isolated. Many of the baby activities by companies are really expensive (like £8 per session).

I used to pack a thermos of hot choc and marshmallows when I went for walks so I wasn't tempted to stop for an expensive hot choc.

Try and make friends with other mums so you can go to each others houses rather than paying for activities all the time.

Use the library rather than buying loads of books. They often have free sessions too. And children's centre when things are open again.

Make a list of places to go, local parks, indoor places (I had IKEA for a mooch and free hot drink on my list for those rainy days)

Don't buy into the myth of baby swim (at like £12 for 30 mins!) It's fine to wait til they're older or do family swim session.

I found babies age 5-10 months roughly loved playing with household items rather than toys, kitchen utensils, scarves, etc. Don't need to buy stuff.

Try to set up an informal toy swap with friends, swap for a couple of weeks and swap back.

@DI11Y that's a great list!

I'm going to add a few random ones:

• If you cycle, get a baby seat for the back from local FB market, if you start hunting now one will come up at a good price nearby for sure. I got a great one for £20 instead of over £100. Once DS was 6 months old, I was able to cycle him places and he absolutely loved it. Saves on parking and petrol. You can use the baby seat for several years then sell it on.

• if there is anything you specifically need add a request in "wanted" on Freecycle. Often people are all too pleased to get rid of things.

• make your own reusable baby wipes, absolutely no point using disposable ones . Have a bucket to pre-set the dirty ones

• save different sized colourful plastic food pots, they make great bath toys

• As little babies, mine were most comfortable in babygrows, so I only had a small number of outfits for going outside.

• you can get a really good baby carrier or sling second hand on eBay. If you arent sure what style you like, the NCT often have a Sling library, where volunteers will kindly help you try on different slings and decide what will work best for you, and you can even borrow one for a few weeks for a small hire fee. Worth it.

Identify spends which don’t add much value which you can swap out.

Eg. Buy a thermal mug for tea / coffee out. If you want to chuck it in your bag/buggy, it needs to be leak proof (look for a lock). The contigo brand is really good. You’ll save a fortune on incidental drinks / snacks out, which quickly add up over a month.

Stop amazon prime subscription because it makes it easier to buy stuff you can do without.

Also don’t buy any baby stuff new. Wait for people to buy things for you, hand me downs, and seek out second hand clothes bundles etc.

I am sorting through baby stuff now we’re past that stage (not having more) and my heart sinks to see how much money I wasted. Also the environmental impact. I barely buy anything for my children now. Babies really don’t need much at all.

Are you a single parent or do you have a partner? Is your income going to reduce significantly on maternity leave?

You need to review your whole budget, as a couple if necessary, to see if you can afford all your outgoings, especially if your income is going to reduce as well as extra costs due to having a baby, although if you currently spend a lot on commuting, work lunches you should see these reduce too.

www.moneysavingexpert.com/banking/budget-planning/

If you have a partner, do they get a decent parental leave package so would it be worthwhile if they took some of the leave? If you're going to be struggling for money, might you need to seek debt help or rearrange the loans, eg by transferring to a cheaper loan. Can you earn a bit during maternity leave by taking the maximum amount of KIT days?