Managing a Family on a Budget

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 1^st 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.

Is Breast Really Best?

I offered to write an article about Formula feeding for 'Essex Mums' website which hasn't yet been published but I wanted to share it with you here and add my own personal thoughts. I am not claiming to be an expert on the subject but I did find a lot of interesting scientific information on my search about Formula feeding which I'll spare you!!!

When I was expecting R, I knew nothing about about any type of feeding. All I did know was what society showed me; Babies fed from bottles in public places, I very seldom came across a breastfeeding mum. 

I was NEVER given any information on breastfeeding, I only ever had a very old school midwife bark to me the dreaded words which probably made me dig my heels in and make up my mind ' Breast Is Best'. Mr L and I did our reasearch and decided we would formula feed both children but I'm sure that if I had I known my pro-breastfeeding friends when I was expecting R, I probably would have given breastfeeding a go. However, I saw the idea of family & friends feeding and bonding with my baby and the hope of a little extra sleep more beneficial to me at the time. Selfish I know, but I didn't know any different!

The whole idea that Supermarkets would not be allowed to sell formula (or Manufacturers allowed to produce it) IF it were dangerous to babies still confuses me. Government advises that you should exclusivley breast feed your baby for the 1st 6 months. However, they allow supermarkets to let you pick formula off the shelves and put it in your baskets without question. If  (dare I say it) Breast Really Is Best, this should not be allowed and formula only sold to those unable to breastfeed.

All I know is despite the controversy surrounding it, both of my children were exclusivley formula fed and apart from the odd infection here and there, like all kids, they are prefectly healthy AND that some of my friends children that were exclusivley breastfed for the first 6 months have some major health issues mine dont have!!

Here's my article -

'There’s no denying ‘Breast is Best’ and the government currently advises that you should exclusively breastfeed your baby for the first 6 months. However, if you cannot breastfeed or choose not to, there are many different brands of formula on the supermarket shelves nowadays packed with all the nutrients your baby needs from birth.

The Pro’s of Formula Feeding are that anyone can feed the baby so you can get a break and you know exactly how much they are getting. The Con’s are that it can cause Constipation, Colic and potentially some long term digestive problems.

One bottle can take up to 30 to 40 minutes if made fresh every time so if you give your baby six bottles a day, you could spend up to four hours a day preparing your baby’s feeds. There are some cheaters ways of making up bottles in advance but they are not recommended by Health Professionals nowadays because of the risk of contamination from unsterile environments. However, it does save time and as long as the formula isn’t added to the water until the last minute, it’s accepted if you have multiple babies to feed at once.

Prices vary by brand, type, and retailer, but it costs around £8 for a 900g tin of powdered cow's milk-based formula milk. Ready-made is available in cartons for convenience mainly if you’re going out for the day. You generally pay about the same for soya-based and lactose-free formulas. Hydrolysed-protein formula costs more, although it’s usually only available on prescription from your doctor.

Shop bought formula is based on cow's milk which is modified to resemble breast milk as closely as possible. First-stage formula which is suitable from birth up 1 year and Second-stage formula is designed to take longer to digest and is often promoted as ‘Hungry baby’ milk. Nutritionally, your baby will only need first-stage formula although if you feel you have a ‘Hungry baby’, change with caution as switching too early can give your baby constipation and although many milk manufacturers market their second-stage milk as suitable from birth, it’s best to wait until your baby is at least four weeks old.

The different types of formula are as follows -

• Hydrolysed-Protein formula is specially designed for babies with an allergy or intolerance to the protein in cow's milk whereby they will have difficulty digesting the lactose or sugar in the milk. These are based on cow's milk and have the same nutritional value as standard formula milk but the protein in the milk is ‘Hydrolysed’, which means it is broken down so your baby is less likely to react to it. These milks are also generally lactose-free, so babies with intolerance to cow’s milk can digest them easier. Lactose-free formulas from are available also for babies with a Lactose intolerance.
• Soya-based formula it is made from Soya Beans and modified with vitamins, minerals and nutrients to make it suitable for formula milk. You should only give your baby Soya-based formula on the advice of your doctor, health visitor or pediatrician as babies who are allergic to cow's milk are often allergic to soya, too. There is no evidence that changing to a soya-based formula can help to soothe your baby if they are suffering with colic. Soya formula may actually damage your baby’s teeth over time because it contain glucose syrup.
• Follow On Milk is suitable for babies from 6 months. It is higher in protein, iron, vitamins and minerals to help your baby’s brain development. However, if your baby is happy with the current formula you do not need to change as they will get all these essential nutrients from the solid food you are introducing.
• Goodnight formulas which are follow-on milks with added cereal. These are marketed at parents as helping babies to sleep better at night. However, there’s no evidence that they help babies to settle easier or that they take longer to digest. It’s not recommended to give goodnight milk to babies who are considered overweight or if they are less than six months old because cereal isn’t suitable for younger babies.

Growing-up milk is suitable for children aged 1 an above are marketed at parents as being better than cow's milk because they contain added iron and other vitamins and minerals. However, it’s not essential as once your baby is a year old they can have full-fat cow's milk as their main drink. They’ll also be eating a varied and balanced diet, which should provide them with all the essential vitamins and minerals, without the need for growing-up milk.'

Witham Carnival..Dampened and Deflated!

The weather was pretty rubbish today but it certainly didn't stop half of Witham turning out for the annual Carnival which always has high expectations and today I can't help but think I'm not the only one feeling quite let down.

It was advertised that the procession started from the Football Club at 1:30 which is fine but its a good 10 minute walk from there to the high street where most people (including us) had turned out so see it. So we waited in the awful weather for what seemed like an eternity, the rain kept appearing so up went my hood and everytie it stopped again, my hood went down. Up and down like a happy yoyo for a good 20 minutes then finally a glimmer of a Police car's flashing lights appeared round the bend in the distance!!

E had given up by now and was flat out in the buggy but R was getting quite excited of people gathering, blowing whistles, drum beats in the distance, people selling not so official merchandise, lots of colourful floats and music........but we were greeted with at least 20 Carnival Queens, a good 30% were from places I've never heard of. 2 floats (The local Rugby Club and Brownies made an effort at least!), 1 brass band, a few Majorette troupes, 3 fire engines (one Vintage one, representing the Witham Round Table, advertising the Fireworks display which is in November!!!) and what I thought was a group of people lost in random cars but I found out after they were part of a local church group!

It went on for about 25 minutes, mostly delayed because the fire engines kept stopping to let kids on and off and apart from a police car slowing traffic behind it, you'd never have known it had come to an end.

SO, I propose this. Next year I want to see A LOT more effort from the Witham Community. What happened to the Childrens centres, Local dance groups, Football clubs, Schools, Nurseries, Playgroups, Zumba (and the like) fitness classes, diet club classes and local businesses that do community based work.

I have so many ideas running around in my head, I should join the Organising Commitee. I am definitely getting a float of some description though. One thing is for sure.... I won't let this happen again!!

My very first blog!!!!

My very first Blog....how exciting?? Please be gentle!


A little about me to get this started......I am 31, I am a stay at home (SAH) Mum to R & E. Wife to Mr L. I am a flitty little butterfly who likes to be busy, try new things often and gets bored easily. I would not survive if it wasn't for Cake, Wine and my Samsung Galaxy SII smartphone.

I have decided to join the world of mummy bloggers to share with the world the world of the 'Bubblegum Mum'.

My life often suprises me, makes me cry, smile from ear to ear or dispurse into fits of giggles everyday and I hope I can share that with you through my future blogs.