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.

What do you spend on food each week?

yes but custardo, filly found out she was pregnant yesterday or whenever so is in headless chicken mode atm

Brantano fit shoes and they are half the price of Clarks..... they are usually last season's clarks shoes anyway.

MP i realise that owning you house can be expensive - however i can't summon up sympathy. sorry.

Olive recognise FJ's just found out - am just saying it really doesn't smack of bones of your arse... organic - new car etc

although i suppose that term can be relative to means.

congrats FJ btw. sorry things are hard for you at the moment.

Filly do NOT venture onto Ciao or Dooyoo

they are BLACK HOLES into which your time and energy will vanish

a bit like MN but hey you are getting paid for it! At 3p a go! So you spend even MORE time on there than you do on here

I only just got out alive, please be warned

oh the multipla is fab

I got a second hadn one fro 5999 - he couldnt watit to get rid of it and knocked 2000 off

stop buying so much organic stuff - it is expensive and a lot of it is unnecesarry IMO

yes the boot is small but we managed to drive to the south of france in it for two weeks with three kids, including travel cot and buggy

and NO ROOF BOX

[faint]

we are buying a roof box for it for the summer though

On haircuts and shoes and make-up - I quite like the organic free-range child look personally - beats bourgeois look hands down. Lots of long tumbling hair, scrubbed skin and bare feet wins every time in my book (bare feet in wellies or flip-flops is very chic, particularly when teamed with dressing up clothes...)...

On make-up - yes, you need some... but it lasts and lasts... Creams and stuff - Astra and Vaseline Intensive Care are brilliant...

Buy an ancient diesel - there'll still be loads of mileage and life left. Switch your fuel to 1/3 rapeseed oil - it works out at at least 10p per litre cheaper - massive saving over time.

Agree with Custardo that "tight budget" is very relative term.

We have always budgeted on dh's income alone so that anything else that comes in is a very welcome bonus. But then we're very fortunate that his income is just over £30K - so we're really very comfortably off and don't have any debt.

But then I only dabble in lentildom - I imagine if I was 90% lentilish our finances would be in a scary place.

I did read that if you could only stretch to one organic buy then it should be carrots, because they're like sponges for soaking up chemicals.

Re shoes - there's a Clarks outlet that sells at 1/2 price at most outlet villages. Has anyone mentioned car auctions if you can find a mechanic to take with you? We got a great diesel Citroen Berlingo - 4 years old for £2 6 months ago (3 full size seats (but not isofix though)).

It does seem scary, but you're obviously very in control of your financial circs, so a fwe more tweaks would be totally doable. Just keep asking for advice .

Clarks shoes are totally minging (esp for boys)

Franny- me too about expensive designer shoes as an alternative except that everytime I've managed to find ones on sale and despite being 50 quid new I've got them for around 20 (much cheaper than Clarks) !!

IMO no point in ISOFIX, just make sure you fit the seats correctly. We recently bought Maxi Cosi Tobi seats for both dc's and they are gorgeous, really easy to fit and do not move AT ALL. Extremely difficult to fit incorrectly and much cheaper than Isofix. We also bought a 2nd hand ford galaxy- tons of room, very safe, 3 baby seats fit easily in middle row of seats and can get a double buggy in boot with all 7 seats up.

filly

pull yourself together

you are pg and not making sense

I defy you to look at your adorable newborn and think 'hmm I if I hadn't had you we'd still all be eating organic food'

you will cope

bobsmum- how do you switch your fuel to 1/3 rapeseed oil?

does the car engine not fall out or some such?

Huge car auction in Glasgow. Fife Council was selling off it's fleet and dh went midweek with a mechanic. Mechanic checked it over and gave him a nod. The first one went for £1200!!!

Dh jumped in and got the 3rd one - too good to miss - he'd just been planning to find out "how auctions worked" after he was made redundant and came home with a fab car and £2K less in his redundancy cheque!

It did smell of council bloke a bit, but that's what Oust is for

Just sold it last month in on Ebay for what we paid plus repairs!

Fairy - no as long as you're 100% sure your engine is suitable then it's fine for a diesel car. Dh did loads of research on some forum - "Vegetable Oil Diesel" or something like that. We've had to replace the filter because the first batch bascially cleaned out the engine, but other than that it's fab.

You should see dh clearing out the Veg oil shelves at Asda - v weird!

I know someone who uses 100% bio diesel by converting the left over oil for their local chip shop! Chip shops have to pay to dispose of their used oil so they're ususally more than happy to get rid of it. Our nearest chip shop is a boat ride across the loch though, so Asda it is!

ENid LOL- you're right you know of course!

Do remember Filly that assuming you get WTC you'll get new baby payment / extrea and it DOES help, also extra child benefit

Frankly it more than covers it (bar the car) ime

(And Brantano shoes I have nbought have collapsed in days- are they REALLY Clarks? Goodness! We've stopped with them- not worth it!)

I buy most of DD1 (age 4) shoes from Vertbaudet. I wait until I get sent a a very good offer like £10 discount or 40% reduction and use it against a pair of shoes. So far I have been very pleased with the fit and quality. Some boots that she wore all winter look barely worn and hopefully DD2 or my niece will be able to wear them in a few years time.

Aside from the first shoes, I never even see anything I like in Clarkes.

Can't believe you don't automatically reuse all leftovers. We don't produce enough waste food (family of 5) to feed a gerbil....Am I the only one?

DS currently wears good quality shoes from Clarkes... but only because nowhere else sells trainer-style school shoes with lights in them.

No, definitely not the only one - I never throw any food away and generally eat leftovers as part of lunch as I think that cooking a proper meal twice a day is a complete waste of time. So you save time as well as money...

"this is kinda - we are skint but living the lifestyle we want to - re: organic, holiday, general lentil weaveryness. "

yep it is

and why exactly should that be a problem?

don't anyone lecture me about chips and beans three times a week, I have done it, I have grown up with it. I am very aware that we are not as skint as some people on here. I am grateful for that. But I am not going to apologise

hokey cokey peace and love....

using left-overs is a good tip.

i freeze in single portions and re-heat in microwave at work. collegues are going on about how nice my meals are (they are left-over ffs!), when they are eating salad (again) or a sandwhich.

making sauces in batches is a life-saver and if theres any wine left over, that goes in a pot too(doesn't happen often).

: )

ah we don't have a microwave or a freezer

but in THEORY, yes, good idea. will ponder.