Budgeting tips please.

[xxxjea13]

Currently on maternity leave. Absolutely skint. Throw any budgeting tips at me please 😊 Don’t have any debts apart from a Tax Credit overpayment that we are currently repaying back at £115 a month calculated by DWP themselves.

_Food
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Do you cook from scratch? If so, bulk up the meals with more veg (bolognese with lots of mushrooms and onion) and freeze portions for another day.

Know your supermarkets discount times. For our Asda it's 9am for full stock then additional stock at 2:30pm and 6pm in the Whoops! yellow sticker aisle. I often find meat joints, chicken and mince I can freeze with £2-3 or so off.

Frozen veg is great. Not the mixed veg stuff but the cut up and frozen carrots, broccoli, spinach and leeks that you can keep for far longer than fresh and work to bulk up meals.

Pumpkins are everywhere cheaply right now and as well as great for carving with the kids the flesh is great for soups and pies.

_Cleaning & Household
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Add a small amount of fabric conditioner to a spray bottle with water for a cheap furnishing and air freshener.

Zoflora is great for cleaning - £1 a bottle and you use so little that it goes a long way once you dilute it.

Buy toilet paper in bulk. It feels like a lot when you're buying 24 rolls but you save money in the long run.

Asda Little Angels nappies or the Aldi ones are great and cheap (we spend about £2.50 a week) vs Pampers which are far more expensive

Thank you 😊

I currently spend £20 a week on a food shop, and cleaning products I buy monthly only spend about £10 on cleaning products & laundry products.

I’m using reusable nappies and wipes, my mum washes them for me every 2-3 days.

My bills seem to be really high though. Water is £45 a month, I’ve provided meter readings monthly but doesn’t seem to have made a difference. Spending £20-30 a week on electricity.

Spreadsheet

Have every outgoing listed, along with income. Beware monthly mat pay. I can't remember how many times, but maybe 3 or 4 months out of 12 have less than the rest, so you suddenly get 1 week less than you were expecting, but the other months make up for it. Contact HR to clarify so that you're ready for it.

Know which months are going to be a struggle. The last 3 are often unpaid so either go back early or prepare for it now.

Use cash. Draw your money out for the week and spend in cash only. It's easier to stick to your budget that way.

Look for free baby groups to socialise. Libraries and churches are good for free or low cost. Our library asks for 50p if your baby or toddler eats any of the snacks, toast cucumber and carrots.

Do play dates at homes instead of coffee shops.

Plan to wean your baby with home made foods not jars and pouches that are infinitely more expensive.

Find a toy library to use instead of shelling out for every development stage.

Try a sling instead of an expensive travel system.

On your water bill, there are discounts you can get if you or your family have a medical condition that means you need to use more water.

www.citizensadvice.org.uk/consumer/water/water-supply/problems-with-paying-your-water-bill/watersure-scheme-help-with-paying-water-bills/

I’m on MA from DWP so will only get 39 weeks pay.

I attend a sure start centre which is free. Our library & church don’t do any baby groups here.

It’s bills rather than day to day spending that I’m struggling with. These only myself here but bills seem to be double than what my mum pays and she has 5 kids at home.

Acclimatise yourself to a cooler heating level. Aim to go out for a walk every day to get your blood moving - you won't feel the cold so much when you get in. Wear more layers - ask for a body warmer for Christmas! Even a hat indoors really helps. Babies are tougher than you think in terms of heating. We all survived before central heating was universal.
Sit under a blanket or in bed in the evenings!
Use the oven less - radiant heat is the expensive part of electricity. Use a slow cooker or cook several dishes that you can portion and microwave (shepherds pie etc. And love lentils.

And get a smart meter of some kind to check what you use day by day.

Can you look into switching energy providers or is that not something you can do?

Do you have Sky or package TV and phone? If you're paying high rates there it might be better to cut off the TV and get Freeview or Kodi.

You may be eligible for the warm homes discount so look into that. Do you have a partner who works or is it just yourself and the maternity pay?

Switch your bank to Nationwide and get £100. Find a friend who banks with Nationwide and they get £100 too. Ask politely for them to split it with you!

Failing that, PM me and I'll do the recommendation for you. I'll also send you the full £100 they give me.