i need to save £1500

[taytotayto]

im currently on mat leave with dd2 so have very little spare time. however i need some advice as i would like to save around £1500 over the next 18 months for a family holiday. whats the best/easiest way to make money when you have two very small children and a house to run. if i got a second job would i get crippled with tax ?

Could you economise and thus have some money to put away each month? Start off small, say try saving £25 in month 1. Then see if you can save £50 in month 2. If you get into the routine of saving money, it can soon start to mount up.

If you get a second job, then you may find that the taxcode used is BR and thus the entire income from that job is taxed.
As you are on maternity leave, you may not be able to get a job... as you are still technically an employee for the place you currently work at.

I'm on maternity leave and am trying to save some money - I've opened a second current account and the child benefit goes in here, if I need it I can spend it but so far I've not needed to, and because it's not in my normal account it's out of sight, out of mind! Agree with Nannynick though that if you take a second job I think your maternity pay will stop as you will have technically returned to work!

will try to save hard and forget the second job, much better to spend less and have the precious time with dd, who is currently snuggled on my chest...she wont want to do it for much longer. thanks for the replies x

I saved my child benefit and that added up pretty quick however, recently I've had to delv into it as had absolutely no money for food even buying a pair of desperatly needed jeans I had to run across to the bank to raid my savings again!

I wouldnt even bother with any get quick money party planning thing which is being flung around MN at moment either.

£50pm is a lot of money when you have children - my money is swollowed up by childcare at mo.

I wouldnt set your heart on a holiday as family emergancies come first and there are always priorities. All you can do is pile the money in and hope that unlike me, you dont have to delv into it. No easy answer.....just do lots of planning with meals, spending, presents etc. Stick to budgets and start buying at cheaper shops. Sell all your childrens clothes/stuff on e-bay or car boot.

If you can squeeze in some foreign students for 3 or 4 nights a week, you would easily make that money. I earn about 4k from march to august and its all tax free! we sacrifice a room, my kids have to share but having the students means we get some of the luxuries that we wouldn't be able to afford. We are on a very low income and it boosts it quite considerably. the money buys a holiday , extra clothes, going out, kids techno stuff. we find it works for us realy well. Good luck!