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.

No microwave in my house either but I couldn't live without a freezer - butter, grated parmesan, sauces made in batches, broad beans, meat...

anna - ditto

frozen pastry, frozen veg, frozen fruit (from our trees), frozen ice-cream for those preggy

i'm-too-hot-to-go-to-sleep, the-ice-cream-just-jumped-at-me-honest

moments!

; )

Don't get me started on ice-cream... my daughter (2.6) knows exactly how many mini-Magnums are left in the freezer (doesn't seem to be able to count in any other circumstances...) and I get no peace while they are still lurking...

god you should definitely consider a freezer

big investment but you can buy stuff in quantity whenever you see a bargain, and cook in bulk (saving money on fuel bills although don't know how this compares with cost of running freezer - I am guessing not bad if you keep it well stocked)

sod the microwave, just defrost stuff and hot it up a bit

Blu - I would say dh has a good salary, but I'm aware it would be at best average to others. We live within our means - thats my point.

You could do organic for the children and non-organic for the adults for a while.A weird compromise devised by a friend of a friend to economise.
Apparently she reasoned that the kids had never had the non-organic versions of stuff so didn't want to break the cycle for them but herself and dh had eaten non-organic for many years before going organic, so their systems were already partially contaminated iyswim.

Don't know how she made it work logistically with family meals but honestly that's what they did until her dh got another job. [hmmm]

that sounds sensible Grrr but then you would have to cook twice every night

Filly

If you are keen on the cycling then I have a contraption that you can use on the back to carry a baby seat on, all you need then is a trailer and you are away. I cycle with three on my bike daily(well one on the bike and two in trailer), get lots of looks but I love it .

I am not too far from Norwich off the A14 so if you do then let me know as it is sat in the shed gathering dust

you don't need to apologise

but you don't need to worry either!

we are only trying to make you feel better

Bibis do you mind me asking what kind of trailer you have and how old your eldest is? We have recently got a trailer and thought it would fit two, but there is no way massive ds would squeeze in with anyone else in there.

F&Z

Just been outside to check, all it says on it is Adventure. Have just found it so here is a link to it (hopefully) adventure trailer Ha Ha I am a genius it worked

The two who go in there are 1 and 4, although my 6 year old went in at the weekend, we can't get the two biggies in at the same time. I have the 3 year old on the back of the bike as I find that it is easier to have a light one behind me, ideally I would have the 1 year old but 3yo is having none of it!

Hope this helps

i know i know

I am having problems dealing with the fact that my life is going to change overnight

I am going to need a great gas guzzling car, which I can't afford except by extending our heaving great mortgage. I can't work out how to avoid it really. I am ALWAYS going to need one of these bastards, for the next 20 years.

This makes me very very

(organic food isn't THAT expensive btw. Not if you shop around. I spend about £60 pw on 4 of us, and my kids are ganets)

Oh ours is the £159 one, have had it nearly 3 years now and it is one of the best buys we ever made

oooh bibis

sounds interesting...

Thanks Bibis it does, I was partly interested because we have this one and there really isn't room for ds (4) and another child in there - two tinies maybe

and I must admit I was partly wondering if I knew you as we have a friend who bikes with her 3 kids who has just moved near Norwich [cheeky and nosy emoticon]

filly, when I announced I was pg with dd3, dh was obsessed with the car

obsessed

I am sure it is, as you say, a way of trying to cope with the fact that your life is going to change - after all, any car can fit two kids!

the multipla isn't a gas guzzler and the footprint is quite small.

really?

that sounds hopeful

am just grumpy now. I don't WANT a new car. I LIKE my car. I bloody HATE shopping.

it does aobut 45 miles to the gallon (diesel)

and they look quirky

oooh

of course Enid

I am a bloody fool

dp actually watches stuff like motor racing. And he likes to calculate compound interest and analyse matrices.

I will cease worrying about this now, god I am a prat.

[pedant]

Not a Smart car, Enid.

Sorry, quite why I felt the need to make that post

So.

If you have ceased worrying about all that gubbins

can we talk about little socks and names and stuff?