When I was pregnant with my first child, I always knew
I wanted my Husband and I to be the ones to teach him things and see him do
things for the 1st time. Taking his first steps and hearing him say
his first word were, without a doubt, things we wanted to teach him to do
ourselves. That’s why when it came to thinking about going back to work I decided
that seeing as I’d earn less than a days nursery fees, plus train fares it made
sense to become a stay at home mum. Any parent will tell you that it’s the
hardest job in the world but definitely the most rewarding.
Even though I am very fortunate to have a loyal husband with
a secure job, juggling the family outgoings on one income isn’t easy. I've never been very good with money but thanks to Mr L, I am reigned in
just enough not to go overdrawn in the bank every month and he has
taught me the difference between needing something and wanting
something! So, clearly I am no expert but here's a few little things we
do (or my friends do) that you might find useful.
Raid Charity shops
for decent clothes (for kids and yourself), books and toys.
Search the internet
for vouchers for eating out (Vouch4that, Groupon etc)
Use Supermarket
loyalty schemes to pay for days out (Tesco Clubcard vouchers)
Use FREE events/places
to plan family days out. Local parks and Museams are usually free admission
and are educational too. Take a picnic and hope the sun shines!
Organise a 4 weekly
meal planner. Buy all your store cupboard ingredients in one shop and just
make 1 weekly trip to the supermarket for fresh things and daily essentials
like bread and milk. This isn’t something I do as my Husband works shifts but I
know it works well for friends.
Buy groceries on
offer and stock up. If you have the space buy in bulk as you might not need
it right away but lots of stuff has a long use by date so will save you money
in the long run.
Buy seasonal fruit
and veg. Things like Strawberries in the winter will cost you twice as much
than during the Summer.
Buy Supermarket
discounted items rather than expensive brands. Some of the products are the
same just in different packaging.
Have a little hobby
to bring in extra pennies. I have an Avon
round and although I don’t like going out in bad weather it’s worth it just to
have money of my own so I don’t have to say no to coffee or for an emergency
bus fare.
For those with
babies, check out the best deal regarding nappies. A baby will on average
need 9 nappies a day so look around for information on eco friendly ones as
they often come out cheaper in the long run. Disposable nappies will cost about
£50 per month.
Ebay is great for
selling your unwanted items. Look out especially for ‘free listing’
weekends. It can also be a good way of getting a bargain (but don’t get stung
on postage costs)!
Local Facebook sales
pages are also great for selling your unwanted things. Most things are
advertised for collection in your Local area and you can ask for things you
need/want and if someone has it, you can arrange to buy it.
Use gift vouchers you
get for your Birthday/Christmas etc to indulge yourself. You deserve to
treat yourself to something you wouldn’t normally buy. You’ll feel good having
something you wouldn’t usually spend your own money on and it’s FREE!!
Regularly review your
finances. As boring as it is, check incomings and outgoings on a regular
basis and get rid of any unnecessary expenses.
We always make sure we have everything we need
BEFORE we buy things we want. It’s easy to get carried away with a few
luxurious purchases and forget that you’ve got a bill to be paid.
Ask yourself…Do you
need it? Will you use it? Can I afford it?
A brilliant website for helping you calculate costs is www.moneyadviceservice.org.uk/parents
Check out change4life (www.nhs.uk/change4life) for cheap
and easy family recipe ideas. It also has extensive information regarding
healthy easting and exercise to help you change your lifestyle for the better.
