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.

yes Franny, totally agree

Next time you are in Clarks, say "What signs do you check for to ensure that shoes fit well?" and they will probably tell you all they learned at their half-day Fitting Expert seminar in 30 seconds

lol MP. I think that's probably right. You can easily go to two different Clarks shops and get two different sizings. It is quite baffling that they have such a monopoly.

UTTERLY baffling

Their reputation is based on their brand, which is based on lots of advertising - that is the only reason their shoes are more expensive

They are no better made than other shops - IMO they are much WORSE, I find a lot of their shoes very rigid and not padded in places that you would expect (e.g. behind the ankle bone for toddlers)

and their shoes aren't that nice anyway, sorry, I needed to say this!

My niece walked out of a Clarks shop with one shoe that was the right size (7) and another that was two sizes too big (9).
Her mum didn't realise until she started to wonder why she was tripping over so much.

(I hope we are convincing you )

just a note about fitted shoes and brainwashing by clarkes. i used to work for a big multiple and did research as to how well a mother could fit a childs shoe as we wanted to sell off the peg. 9 out of 10 could tell if the shoe was a good fit.

Fillyjonk, speaking as a person who once changed her car, as the child seat didn't fit , do NOT stress about getting a car that has three Isofix points. Get a car that has a good safety record itself (see Euro NCAP ratings)and get three properly fitted, Which? recommended car seats, Isofix or not. The Isofix thing won't make a difference if the car itself isn't safe.

Euro NCAP

Fiat Multipla doesn't come out all that well...

we have one income (£18,000 per yr) 5 kids, 2 cars. I buy most of the childrens clothes new (Primark,Asda, Next, Tesco) but do get some off Ebay. I Ebay their old stuff, then buy things back with what I sell. Go to Asda for shopping, I buy all my fruit and veg there I think they are really reasonable.

We have two holidays lined up, its just a case of changing the way you do things and think about what you want to spend money on before you buy it....9 times out of 10 if you think hard about a purchase you might find you don't need it.

go to a Clarks factory shop if you have one near you, they have good bargains there. I got dd doodles for £2 a pair last summer. Or try Ebay people sell brand new Clarks shows for fraction of the price new, I just bought dd some sandals for only £7 including postage and they are gorgeous.

You will manage, you just think you won't

don't know much about its safety records, we have a multipla, the boot is extremely small, don't think it's ideal with three children...

oooh splendid splendid

i should probably say that the £100 is on my credit card

i don't actually count my credit card as debt but its a comfortable 4 figures

oh feck it, i shall learn everything there is to learn about shoe fitting and make my own. . I had to go to school in handmade jesus sandals in winter so...

here's the thing

if I don't buy a safe car and I don't buy Clark's shoes and I don't buy organic food...

I fear I will have to actaully spent time with my kids to assauge the guilt. Now does this all make more sense?

...however now that we have reached a consensus about Clarks, is this the right time to tell you that the conclusion I drew about their crapness was that it was necessary to buy hideously expensive and beautifully fitted shoes at an independent shoe shop instead?

I have to say though that Clarks shoes do last and wear and tear on them seems minimal. I bought boots for dd at Shoe Express and by end of the week they were scuffed right through to the fabric underneath, Clarks ones are more sturdier. Why buy 3 pairs of cheaper shoes when you can buy one pair Clarks, you will just spend the same replacing shoes.

If you are ever unhappy with fitting of Clarks shoes just go back to any Clarks branch and they will give you another pair of shoes, no hassle...I did this after 4 weeks with my ds.

It's a shame that organic food is the more expensive option, though, especially when people are trying to be healthier/more ethical consumers.

oh feck me we have not had a non camping/grandparents holiday in nearly 4 years

actually last one was honeymoon in 03, but that was also a business trip

and seriously if they DID grow out of a pair of shoes in anything less than 6 weeks then they might as well have been fitted by trained baboons and I would be in there making a ginormous fuss

my brother had a multipla and 4 kids- couldn't get everything into the boot, sold it.

Now has a japaese "grey" import MPV. Apparently, Japanese cars with lots of miles on the clock are in much better condition that equivalent UK sold cars. Due to the better weather, and more careful owners! Worth considering?

oh god

shoes a long story involving MIL and guilt

look at :

ces.autotrader.co.uk/ces/search.jsp

for reviews of cars...

i wanted a small car and compared nissan micra, citroen C3 and Yaris. some of these are available in larger sizes. have a look.

oh grandparents and SHOES

why are they OBSESSED by well-fitted shoes?

Do the poor working non-Clarks classes go around with deformed hooves?

The Isle of Wight is supposed to be a very good place to buy a used car, lots of older drivers and a limited space in which to drive.

Perhaps you could take a holiday there and buy some new wheels at the same time.

the concept of "well fitted shoes" goes into my rooom 101 along with "sleeping through the night", "a hot meal" and not letting babies support their weight on their legs

organic - meat yes (are you veggie? Probably!), veg no. Buy local.

Shoes - we are expensive shoe buyers I must say, but dd2 just gets dd1's clothes so no cost there. And dd1 gets clothes from relatives for birthdays.

And a baby doesn't cost anything to feed or clothe for 6 months anyway - do you still have any baby clothes?

if not there will be an unruly scrum on here offering I am sure