Right, we are already at the bone, HOW can we afford 3 kids, and a car to transport them in, on one income? HOW?

[fillyjonk]

We are bascially breaking even every month

We hardly have extravagent lifestyles.

We cook everything from scratch, though I accept there could be less strawberies and more reuse of leftovers.

We buy 90% organic

All kids clothes, and most of ours, are handmedowns or from ebay/charity shops. Ditto most toys etc.

We use reusable nappies etc.

Holidays-camping, or with grandparents

Have already shopped around for cheapest utilites / insuance etc - ta Martin's Money Tips

I want a very safe car with 3 x ISOFIX seats, this is non negotiable, I am utterly utterly neurotic about car safety. This looks like the fiat multipla and whoa they are expensive.

Plus also-there WILL be another mouth to feed, clothe, etc.

OR

buy half organic and half greengrocers that stocks local produce

local stuff not grown for supermarkets is going to be fresh, fewer foodmiles, and not need so many pesticides as stuff grown for supermarkets

If you have relatives that you visit who live in the countree or in a small village then start going to the hairdressers when you visit them - we've found an out of the way hairdressers that cut hair for 10 quid for women and 4-6 quid for men. And they flog us cheap pickles that they make on the side!

The Xsara Picasso is a very safe car, in the which tests registered as one of the safest people carrier types on the road

Make sure you claim all your tax credits and child benifit. These are what bail us out most months.

Agree with shop for veg at greengrocers.

Use freecycle a lot.

Also agree with frannyandzooey about modeling at hairdressers, very cheap if not free.

Get kids feet measured at proper shop, then use internet to find them cheaper/at an outlet mall.

how about a volvo.
with sibs (side impact blah blah)
estates can be converted to 7 seaters

We too have found ourselves in the same situation, we remortgaged to buy bigger car. Extra CB and tax credits cover the general running costs of extra baby, we live off hand me downs any way so DC3 has more clothes than I have places to put them. We hadn't got round to getting rid of much but I have picked up v. cheap pram and car seat from local paper and other stuff on ebay. as you have a lot of time you can really shop around, the car was the worst for us but remember a baby only really costs nappies. i couldn't bf so i have to buy formula but even the extra is covered by the extra we get. we have had to give up organic for the moment but i'm lookig for a bit of evening work now to help things along. 3 is not 3x more expensive than 1 so don't worry too much. good luck on the car thing.

use car for

trips to see dc's far flung friends (due to home educated thing they are are in far reaches of welsh valleys) x2 week or more

educational crap 2 x week

trips to london and norwich and etc to see family and friends. 1x month

I do already use as much public transport as I can

toni and guy is good tip BUT don't they o their cheapo cuts during day? cos THEN I have to get dp to take a morning off so i can get my hair cut (i DO NOT take kids with me for haircuts. NO. NO. Maybe ds)

another issue is that we will just not get anyone looking after the kids and i can't afford childcare for 3 so...

TWICE A WEEK TO WALES? The petrol must cost a fortune alone

Filly

you go on trips to NORWICH and you don't come to visit ME?

mp ?

she lives in Wales

OH SORRY

I thought you lived in London (must read more carefully)

It is most definitely possible to live well with 3dc and 1 income. I've been doing it now for a few years - granted we live in the country and dh has a good job.

My dc get alot of hand me downs - being fussy about these things is just snobbish, what I don't need is passed on again - you'd be surprised at how many people are trying to save a pound here and there.

I don't buy organic, I meal plan before I do my weekly shop. I don't drink/smoke but do treat myself occassionally in TK Maxx. I've just recently started doing piano tuition at home so that is money I put by for housey things - cushions, duvet sets etc.

I could go on but the point I'm making is just this - plan plan and plan some more. I get a huge sense of satisfaction knowing that my dc are well fed and looked after and do appreciate it when they get a treat etc.

Good luck and remember - there is probably a huge number of Mnetters living on a tight budget.

why are you living there? Do you like it a lot? Can't you live somewhere that you don't need to get in the car 5 times a week?

I think Filly has gone for a wash (see afternoon sex thread )

Good advice multitasker, i have learnt to be more organised since no.3 - no choice really- also you don't go to the supermarket with 3dc unless you can help it so it does get cheaper - straight in, shop to the list and straight out ..( after paying of course )

pmsl. is norwich near colchester? its not, is it? surely i'd have noticed?

ok here is problem with moving. dp 's job is quite specialist, and quite high graded. He's actually been looking for jobs for about 3 years as we'd like to move to london, but...

oh grump

can you get your family (or his) to help with getting a car?

it's just that it does seem important to you, but i know hard they are to maintain finacially. borrowing to have the best, safest car, and doing all of those miles, will cost dearly, and impact of the rest of the household finances!

your miles must mean at least £250 a month just in petrol!

the thing is...we've costed working part time for me. Becuase of the work I am trained to do, its NOT a goer for unsocial hours. Also dp works unpredicatbly unsocial hours (lots of london court cases, bascially, which aren't scheduled til often a day or two before)

one of the many reasons i gave up work was this. Ds was in nursery for a bit but he simply wasn't able to commit to picking him up, meaning i was continually working absurdly short days. no it wasn't fair but...he earnt more than me (he's a few years older) and such is life.

I am def going to look into stuff i can do from home BUT i think i'd struggle to do so around the kids.

no they really don't, somehow

its about £120, and that includes dp's work trips.

our current car is very very efficient and zilch repairs yet!

renault scenics have isofix

but not sure what the cost of one of those is

i ahve a grand scenic but i got it on motability, so i paid a deposit of 995, then give them the mobility part of ds2's dla towards it, which is about 45 pounds a week i think

i would grow your own organic veg or buy it from local grocers/market. same for meat and fish.

make your own bread.

buy all other food and toiletries from lidl.

you could even make your own soap!

use washer balls instead of washing powder.

if you wear make up instead of wearing it every day only wear it for special occasions so it lasts longer.

hush puppies do proper fitted shoes which are cheaper than clarks. so do startrite.

clear out all the stuff in your house that isn't used/is out grown of and sell it on ebay. do this every few months.

whenever you or the kids need something check on freecycle first.

be a model at the hairdressers for cheaper hair cuts.

But a bigger car is not going to be as efficient.

my friend has just given up childminding after she had her first baby. she ideally wants to set up her own online baby shop but for the moment she is selling model aeroplanes because she found a cheap supplier and she is doing quite well with it.

also know someone who bought old computers for about £20 and even got some off freecycle and then sold the parts on ebay. they go for a good price because a lot of people with older computers now find it difficult to get parts if they need repairing.

are you arty/crafty at all? could you make things and sell them?