DINKYS to SKINTYS

[Lamin]

My DH and I are both absolutely hopeless at economising (in fact, some would say we were spendthrifts!) and the money I had set aside for my maternity leave has dwindled to nothing. I am going back to work part time after Christmas so that plus nanny costs is going to put a serious dent in our income.

I am sure lots of you mumsnetters have been through this - how did you tackle it and what did you economise on?

Nothing we just spend too much now. Were going to economise on expensive holidays but it has become apparant that those are even more necessary post kids so that went out the window.

The main thing that has stopped is saving money! We no longer put away loads each month (other than our pensions) due to an additional £1500 per month for a nanny and £800 extra mortgage as we had to move house to accommodate baby + me working from home and needing an office.

If anything having a child has made us spend more as we now feel we are entitled to treats as we don't get as much time on our own. I suppose we don't go out as much as we did but when we do we make it count and go for a really nice meal and/or to the theatre or opera or football, plus cab home and babysitter usually adds up to a small fortune.

I would be grateful for advice on this too.

CD - you sound just like us! We have definitely got worse because "we deserve a treat". My shoe habit has come to a grinding halt and, as you say we don't go out as much but other than that its business as usual, plus the Ocado bill has trebled.

Yes, I probably single handledly pay for at least 10 Ocado employees!!!

I don't buy many clothes, shoes, bags etc but then I never did.

I am just very poor at waiting for things and if I want something I buy it there and then.

Sounds sensible Issymum. We don't overspend as in we are not going into debt, but it would be nice to save more, we used to save loads pre dd! Will have a think about that. I have got a spreadsheet with all our main spending on it (ie bills, mortgage, nanny, cleaner etc) so I know what we have coming in and going out.

How do you stop blowing loads of cash on nights out etc though. You must allow yourselves some treats? Maybe you could send your dh round....

I weep when i think about what we used to spend. Cars, holidays, meals out, clothes etc. If we wanted it we bought it. If 4 new CD's came out in a week and I wanted them I bought them.

Now CD's are for bithdays or Xmas. We only run one car, have seriously cut back on holidays and no longer save.

There are still ways we could cut back more if we had to - we probably go out once a month together and I got out with girlfriends a couple of times a month too. I also have a manicure every other week - it's an indulgence but we would probably have to be out on the streets before I gave it up

Kayleigh a CD is for life, not just for birthday or xmas

LOL CD