tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post8678845914116978759..comments2024-03-28T15:55:53.792+10:00Comments on down to earth: Budgeting for the first babyUnknownnoreply@blogger.comBlogger62125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40986092805811628872012-12-14T14:42:29.387+10:002012-12-14T14:42:29.387+10:00I have a 7yo, 4yo and a bub due in feb. Sadly I wa...I have a 7yo, 4yo and a bub due in feb. Sadly I watch many acquaintances with kids and one income still living as if there are two incomes.<br />The fact that 'Jill' is thinking about costs and asking these questions means she's half-way there. Few are brave enough to admit they've been living above their means let alone prepared to make the sacrifices to change their circumstances. <br />Breast feeding didn't come easily to me but with good support from the lactation consultants we saved $1000 on bottle feeding. Cloth nappies are easier than you think and even if only used part-time they will save you. We used to eat out a lot before kids and waste food at home. This is a huge area to make savings. Meal planning and cooking from scratch with healthy ingredients need not cost a bomb. www.simplesavings.com.au membership for me has paid for itself over and over. There are 1000's of new baby tips. Really, it's easy to waste lots on gadgets, fancy prams and baby mod-cons. Most of which are not essential. Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-864589135861277282012-11-18T09:02:51.669+10:002012-11-18T09:02:51.669+10:00If you are to use cloth diapers, you might want to...If you are to use cloth diapers, you might want to buy them from ebay. I bought 24 new Kaiwai Baby AIO diapers, each with double stuffers, for $132, including shipping. My son is now almost 2yo and we have used them throughout. They adjust in both circumference and rise so they should carry him through potty training. We have both the velcro waist and the snap waist. As an infant, the velcro was best because it cinched smaller but now that he is a toddler, we prefer the snap waist. He has rather thin legs, though, so we also purchased Luv'n Friends 100% cotton prefolds to place between his skin and the diaper because cotton absorbs faster than microfleece. The prefolds cost us about $8 for each package of 4. I've read that microfleece can be drying so the cloth prefolds keep baby's bum happy, as well :-) We've found that occasional machine drying is good for keeping the diaper covers waterproof, but we usually hang all of the parts in the sun to dry. Since we do not want to use bleach and we use Seventh Generation powder (not heavily scented, etc.), we rely on the sun to break down lingering urine. It really works!<br /><br />Also, our Moby wrap was awesome. When our youngest was born, he stayed in that wrap, with just a diaper on, against my bare skin, most of the time. He was a very happy bunny!<br /><br />Congratulations! skyethebardhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14248273029828229343noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-91550572723809465492012-11-16T10:03:01.604+10:002012-11-16T10:03:01.604+10:00If they can afford it, then certainly it's fin...If they can afford it, then certainly it's fine to do that...but I think that in order to do so they will be struggling that much harder. What people fail to realise is that on that kind of income you are in the highest tax bracket - Jack's will pay at least $25,000 in tax and they will not be entitled to many, if any of the allowances, rebates, healthcard benefits etc that other single income families use to make things a little easier. It doesn't sound like much, but it all adds up. <br /><br />10% of a tight household budget is a lot of money no matter how much the gross income is. $400 a month can mean the difference between it being financially viable to have a parent at home, or being forced to return to work just to make ends meet. I personally think that the church should consider reducing the 10% that they currently ask for in light of the fact that housing/living expenses are now so much more than they used to be. Not many families can afford to save 10% (or any) of their income, much less give it away. Sharonnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-42567263323514533082012-11-15T11:46:50.208+10:002012-11-15T11:46:50.208+10:00as others have said, what your baby needs most is ...as others have said, what your baby needs most is you. so many of the baby products on the market are only surrogates for a human carer...bouncers, prams...even a cot. i now have '2 under 2' and my most-used baby equipment are breasts and sling (consisting of a swathe of cotton jersey fabric, no sewing involved). our biggest purchase was the baby car seat and we went top quality on that. otherwise the best place to buy a lot of baby gear is ikea (highchair! change mat! cloth wipes! baby bowls and plates!), i got great barely used cloth nappies online, aldi for backup disposables and wipes, and kmart is great for nursing tops and sleep bras which i live in. we barely use our bassinet as we mostly cosleep. i truly believe it's the best for everyone involved and the mania against it will one day pass. i sleep better than most new mums i know and both kids are happy. of course it's a personal decision. but successful breastfeeding relies heavily on mum getting some rest. good luck, they are worth all the adjusting they make you do.Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-26892929095279014002012-11-13T23:06:04.805+10:002012-11-13T23:06:04.805+10:00forgive me for not reading all the comments :)
gr...forgive me for not reading all the comments :) <br />grandparents, aunts and uncles they all buy great amounts(and not so great) "stuff". <br /><br />Quality over quantity. Homemade over bought. Op shops are great. <br /><br />babies don't need much especially in the first year where they are all about sleeping, eating then it's all about them moving. There's school of thought like Montessori that have minimalist, natural and educational ideas even for babies. <br /><br />the sanity budget, look at free venues, free activities offered by the council listed in the paper, use the library to read books before deciding to buy a book (because some you just HAVE to own and some you wish you hadn't) go for walks along the water, thru a park.. when the baby comes you might find wanting to be able to trade in that sanity money for some sleeping hours, shower hours etc. <br /><br />food. grow what you can, you can grow it organically and it won't cost nearly as much as the shops. at the very least grow easy herbs or salad greens and tomatoes in pots.<br /><br />cloth wipes! we had 2 under 2yrs old for awhile here so nappies and wipes were a drain on the budget. cloth baby wipes made of old flannel pjs sewn into squares and a simple water spray until they were both toilet trained really saved alot of $ every week, washing machine cleans them, sun bleaches them. <br />my last one would be to (if they haven't already) put a sticker that states "no junk mail", advertising in your hands is as bad as window shopping, it gives head room to the "oh i want that". it's been a year for us going catalogue free and now if i do want/need something i'll research it online and find a good deal, dwell over it and then decide that no i don't really need it.tiffanynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-82308723568239135022012-11-13T12:22:42.723+10:002012-11-13T12:22:42.723+10:00Havent read through all the comments (just the fir...Havent read through all the comments (just the first half) so sorry if this is a repeat.<br />I think one of the best ways to save money with kids is to stay out of the shops! Shopping tends to equal temptations for mum and kids and is not the best way to fill the time anyway (for both your sakes). My advice would be to set one or two shopping times per week and stick to them, perhaps one for groceries and one for other items (clothes, gifts, hardware etc) and learn to plan and make do in between. Since I got more organised with this when my girls were around 3 and 1 everything got better in our life financially and in other ways. And now they are teenagers the best way to save money is DEFINITELY to keep them out of the shops LOL they see so much they suddenly need!<br /><br />All the best for you and your baby.Fionahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/09364705388270660916noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-70868238800413190502012-11-12T13:07:49.000+10:002012-11-12T13:07:49.000+10:00I love this discussion! My experiences have been ...I love this discussion! My experiences have been similar as many here, so I won't go into too much detail about nursing, diapering, or sleeping. I chose to stay home after our first was born as my entire paycheck would go to child care, and for me, being home myself was one of the greatest gifts I could give this little one. We now have three little ones, 11, 8, and 6. I have found sanity and like-minded people here at Rhonda's blog, as well as at another site by a lady who goes by the name "Flylady". You can search for her site, as I don't want to post it here and get in trouble. :D<br /><br />My main idea was for your food planning. One of the tips I picked up along the way when getting started was to just write down what you had for dinner for a month. That would be a start for a menu. We shop for the week every Thursday (I've gone back to Grandma's way of having a day for everything, and shopping is Thursday this year), which costs us $160-180 a week. I'd like to trim that down a bit, which will come from better planning, but sometimes it's hard to get there when you have five sets of taste-buds to satisfy!<br /><br />My other "good advice" notes are to SLEEP whenever that little bundle sleeps during the day and drink lots and lots of water. Eventually you'll find that you just need one nap with them, but if you plan to sleep sleep sleep, you'll have more patience and feel less like a zombie. Especially if you take Rachel's advice and start slow (like snail slow), you'll have more ability to feel like you are succeeding.<br /><br />What else? I guess lots of people have talked about setting up a budget and setting aside money now for your emergency fund. Know that it will all come together - I believe that if you are already committed to your faith and your church, God (by whichever name you call Him) is already looking out for you and making plans for your success!<br /><br />Blessings and Joy!<br />YvetteYvettehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/02124413074476321789noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-34253278536920557422012-11-10T02:17:21.320+10:002012-11-10T02:17:21.320+10:00I agree! We were fortunate enough to borrow things...I agree! We were fortunate enough to borrow things like swings and play-mats from friends whose children had outgrown them, and low and behold, our daughter loved then fiercly for a time, and then outgrew them. So glad we didn't register for them ourselves and instead our friends and family focused on needs - diapers and other supplies, books, neutral simple onesies and jammies. I"ve since shopped Goodwill and a second-hand sale to replace the things she's outgrown, but have only spent maybe $100 US on baby, other than diapers - they're our biggest expense. We opted to go with chlorine-free disposables as I'm the breadwinner and my husband is the stay-at-home dad - he didn't feel he could manage cloth so we picked our battle. Really, everyone has been more generous than I imagined. I was able to return a lot of things that didn't fit with our philosophy - silly toys and DVDs being the most common - and then use the gift cards on other things. kirstenhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05149415572719315785noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-46928912525971486322012-11-09T18:45:05.717+10:002012-11-09T18:45:05.717+10:00I doubt that baby expenses will be the sticking po...I doubt that baby expenses will be the sticking point in your budget, as other posters have mentioned there are plenty of ways to set up for baby cheaply and it’s really the ongoing costs that are the concern. Baby will cost as much as you let it! It’s really the living expenses that will determine how you will manage on one income, and it’s the big, fixed expenses that matter the most – like the mortgage. From what was in the post, it looks as though there is lots of room to move with the variable expenses. This is good, it’s just a matter of learning to live well on less and questioning all your assumptions about what you spend your money on. Keep tweaking that budget and things will come together if you are committed to it.<br />As for the grocery budget, I think my husband and I eat pretty well (although not organically) on about $150 a week. I know we could do better if we were more organised. We cook from scratch and bulk cook a lot of our commonly eaten meals. By freezing in zip lock bags we can fit a few weeks worth of meals in a normal sized freezer. As a new mum, not only will you not feel like cooking, even if your husband takes over the cooking – babies can be very demanding in the evenings and it is very handy knowing you can have a meal ready in 15 minutes, this will reduce the temptation to get takeaway. Another bonus is that cooking meals this way can reduce vegetable waste as the vegies are cooked and frozen as part of the meal. <br />Some other ideas for savings:<br />Does your husband have a HECS/HELP debt that you could pay off with savings? This could increase your cash flow, and provide a 10% return on your investment. This could count towards your goal of saving for the future.<br />Do you or your husband contribute extra money to superannuation? Do you get any bonuses from your work for doing so? It’s worth investigating salary sacrifice to make the most of any contributions, and as you will be stopping work during the financial year, your income for that year will be lower than usual and may be eligible for the government co-contribution even if you haven’t been eligible before. Contributing to Super would also count towards your long term savings goal. <br />If you feel that you can reach your savings goal of 10%, then set up these arrangements now so that you can get used to the new income level. If you feel that you can’t quite reach that goal, then perhaps do what you can and commit to increasing it by 1% a year.<br />Good luck with the baby!<br />LouAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-81626190786525872872012-11-09T15:09:44.719+10:002012-11-09T15:09:44.719+10:00Funny thing about having a baby is that the lifest...Funny thing about having a baby is that the lifestyle change is a natural one. We ate out 2-4 times per week as a married couple, but due to fatigue and the effort it takes to go out with a lil one we ate in more, we didn't want to hire sitters because we couldn't bear to leave him behind in that first year (also could not imagine who would be trustworthy enough!) Your mind will also think of your spending money in terms of how it affects your child. 20.00 for a dinner? Or new clothes, diapers, food for baby. Your choice will be a no brainer for you, trust me! I personally feel silly with all the research and laboring over baby stuff to add to my list of things I thought I "needed" to have at the moment my baby was born. I didn't. In reflecting on my best purchases made after my baby was born (2 years ago) I came up with this list.<br /><br />Extra set of bedsheets (for my bed I only had 1)<br />2 pair of PJ's (for me to LIVE in postpartum)<br />A good cloth diapering kit setup in an area of your house<br />Breastfeeding support (Postpartum Doula, Lactation Consultant)<br />Baby sling/carrier<br />Inexpensive bouncy seat (preferably without toys)<br />Electric bread machine (Set it to bake overnight-fresh bread is welcome if you yourself have not slept!)<br />Place for baby to sleep - (My bed for many many months!)<br />Carseat<br />Small Diaper bag with smart storage, that does not require hands to hold it<br />Really good camera <br /><br />That is it! Let people gift you clothes, toys, books, everything else because you will go thru them like crazy and then they grow to different needs. I am now in love with our local library, childrens museum, thrift and consignment stores and sales, and know where all our parks are! Our income was cut by %50 when I had our baby. I now work from home part time which is used to purchase groceries and other sundries. I don't miss the money at all like I thought I would. My mindset has so changed. Yours will too, trust me. It'll be fine, and you won't regret spending those days with your child. Priceless!<br /> Suzannehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/11509593422403946912noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-63656562411592778132012-11-09T12:36:51.348+10:002012-11-09T12:36:51.348+10:00Congratulations firstly on baby and then your fore...Congratulations firstly on baby and then your foresight to be thinking ahead like this theres alot of people out there who don't. I would recommend cloth nappies i use www.greenkids.com.au and they are fantastic i even got some second hand from a friend and they are still going strong after 5 years of our combined use. We have disposables as emergency back up when needed and don't beat ourselves up about it if we need them but it has saved us up to $80 month after the initial outlay. Exciting times ahead enjoy every moment. Happy JourneyAlihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08369794560233978758noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-47477978381136764842012-11-09T12:24:36.360+10:002012-11-09T12:24:36.360+10:00Hi there
I dont normally comment but I thought I w...Hi there<br />I dont normally comment but I thought I would in this case as Jill's situation is very similar to what we are currently going through with our first child. Our initial plan was to start trying for a baby and whilst we do that we live off one wage as practice. Thinking it would take six months or so. We were fortunate that it happened straight away which meant we had to go into reduced spending mode straight away. So i thought I would just dot point a few things that we did/are doing. So i hope they help.<br />My husband earns just over $50,000 per year and I was able to have paid maternity leave for 28 weeks (not the government one) . We did the math and we are able to live off my husbands wage, and anything that comes up that is expensive we will have to save for. but thats fine by me.<br />I use cloth nappies for the most part which helps with our costs.<br />Most of our big purchases we got our families to buy for us. <br />I say yes to all hand me downs- with the disclaimer line of "if i dont need this anymore etc do you mind if i pay it forward or donate it"<br />Anything that you buy or get given that can be used for the next baby buy in a neutral colour. I have all white sheets, wraps, singlets, socks, blankets, towels etc etc. Also dont be afraid to return or exchange stuff. THe less gender specific the better for your budget.<br />I believe in investing to. So i did my research on things like breast pumps, bottles, highchairs etc and bought things that were middle of the range but that I know will last. The bottle/feeding system that I bought is all interchangeable and makes things a lot less complicated and cheaper.<br />Look on eBay for things/products that you will need. I bought my highchair on eBay and got my sister to pick it up.<br />Sew and make things yourself or ask a friend or future grandma to do it for you. The handmade things are what I treasure the most. <br /><br />Food wise I have found that our food budget has gone way way down. I am home and semi organised so if I see that some vegetables are looking a little old I can make a stew or soup. I am able to make my husbands lunch or give him left overs and because neither of us are popping down the street to grab something quick and expensive for lunch it has saved us heaps. I have started to buy things that we use often in bulk, pasta, tinned tomatoes and tuna and some weeks only have to buy dairy and fresh produce. I also know exactly what is in my freezer and can quickly make something or pull out some leftovers.<br />So these were just a few things that we are doing that are working for us. I am sure i have forgotten many. Hope they help.<br />All the best :)Tameekahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14754576438249711452noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-82178160773958806142012-11-09T12:17:02.675+10:002012-11-09T12:17:02.675+10:00I agree about the cost of disposables v's cost...I agree about the cost of disposables v's cost of cloth can be way over inflated. I calculated that I would save less than $500/year by going with cloth - and I'm talking terry flats and pilchers, not the $40/MCNs that are popular. $500 is a significant amount BUT not the $1000's that are often quoted. <br /><br />I also agree with the baby bath thing, our second baby was never bathed in the baby bath; my partner would get into the bath with the baby and the toddler which was a lot of fun (apart from the poo in the bath incident). Once she was sitting up we started supervising from the side, she tips over every now and then but we are right there at all times to fish her out.Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293118986621010393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-53118061612169837192012-11-09T12:06:32.786+10:002012-11-09T12:06:32.786+10:00My advice is to prioritise sleep like you never ha...My advice is to prioritise sleep like you never have before :o) Go to bed earlier and try and nap on the weekends. This advice also stands for after the baby is born too. <br /><br />When my second child was a newborn, some nights I would go to bed at 8:30. I also expressed milk so my partner could do the 10o'clockish feed. This meant that I was getting a good amount of sleep in before the 1o'clockish feed and whatever happened thru the night after that.<br />Clairehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/03293118986621010393noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-60039412798480887362012-11-09T11:27:40.882+10:002012-11-09T11:27:40.882+10:00My advice: be kind to yourself. I beat myself up w...My advice: be kind to yourself. I beat myself up with guilt with my second pregnancy when I had to use disposable nappies with my eldest. I could barely walk by 20 weeks, thanks to a dodgy pelvis, let alone carry a nappy bucket. My Mum had to do our clothes washing and I felt it was unfair to her to add dirty nappies to her list. I also had to stop making my own products and just use the bare essentials. My youngest is now 15 months, my pelvis and fatigue are improving. She's well and truly in cloth nappies now (my eldest now toilet trained) and I'm back to my making my own cleaning and body products. As frustrating as that time was, it didn't last forever and I wish I had just rested and enjoyed the pregnancy and then my little newborn instead of worrying so much. Good luck!<br /><br />SaraAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-46674812546024799482012-11-09T10:26:52.125+10:002012-11-09T10:26:52.125+10:00Congratulations Jill. I think many of the things ...Congratulations Jill. I think many of the things you are concerned about will simply fall into place if you start out with the right mindset. For me it was making gradual changes and not expecting too much from myself in the beginning. I stay at home with my almost 3yo son and my husband earns about the same as yours. Our mortgage payments are $1700 a month currently and we do just fine on the rest. Should you choose to breast feed but things not work out do consider investing in a lactation consultant, for me this was invaluable. But I think the main thing is to just focus on your and baby's well being and then make small changes as you can. When my son was a few months old I started using cloth nappies during the day, disposables at night. I didn't do much vege growing in the first year but now I have more time I do grow easy things like herbs, silverbeet, lettuce, beans and tomatoes. I try to shop at the local markets for everything else and just do a small grocery shop at the supermarket for other essentials. We are able to save money most months and we get the family tax benefit paid annually which is a great top-up for our savings! If we had it paid fortnightly I think we would just spend it. We still eat really well, and have nice clothes etc, but anything "big ticket" usually has to be saved for or requested for birthday/Xmas. I love designer clothes so usually request those ; )<br /><br />Rhonda's blog has really helped me, not just in budgeting, but in making the mental transition from a working professional to a home maker who takes pride in my new, very important work. My husband is really happy as well, and we are enjoying this time while it lasts. This transition took time though and in the beginning it was really hard to be honest. But its so worth it. <br /><br />I would urge you to to get hold of a copy of Rhonda's book, it is full of amazing advice and is very motivating without being preachy. But read it before baby arrives as once he/she is here there won't be any time! All the best, DotAnonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-75822170779510365732012-11-09T09:16:02.698+10:002012-11-09T09:16:02.698+10:00The $200 sanity money was shared between them, not...The $200 sanity money was shared between them, not $200 each. I think it's commendable they're asking for advice and are looking forward to raising a family while earning less.rhonda jeanhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/08962112306968959985noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-77672773645431596262012-11-09T08:34:59.080+10:002012-11-09T08:34:59.080+10:00My little one is 3 months old and we are in a very...My little one is 3 months old and we are in a very similar position to Jack and Jill (although my husband earns slightly less then Jack), having suddenly dropped from a very good double income to only one, but we still tithe 10% and we are putting aside money into our mortgage and savings. My advice would be:<br />Budget! As other people have said, work out how much you spend each week on the essentials so then you know how much you have to play with out of Jack's income.<br />You won't use $200 a week in pocket money once the baby comes along! I have found that I spend barely anything anymore because I am at home. I don't buy lunch and I'm not spending my lunch hour at the mall, so the temptation to spend has been removed. And dinners out? You can pretty much forget about them...some things are just not that easy anymore (for the first little while anyway!).<br />Cloth nappies! I was skeptical at first, but got some anyway, and now I'm in love with them! I use itti bitti tuttos - it cost me $400-500 to get started, and they will fit baby until he's out of nappies, and if you're planning on having more then one, it's definitely worth it.<br />Don't spend money on baby clothes (you'll get given a heap anyway). They really do only wear them a few times before they grow out of them, and Big W, Best and Less and Target all sell really cute, cheap baby outfits. Try and go to a Baby and Kids market if they have them where you are for second-hand clothes and toys (we picked up a barely-used activity mat for $15 whereas new they are $100).<br />My other advice would be this: don't expect that as soon as you become a "stay-at-home mum" you'll be able to start a veggie garden, make all your meals from scratch, bake bread etc unless you're doing all of that already. I completely underestimated the time a little baby would take up, and believe me, they take up a LOT of time! Start slow (I'm only just managing to keep the house semi-clean, and it's been 3 months!). But it's so completely worth every minute so just enjoy your new little one and relax.Rachelnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-49333912848678749342012-11-09T07:54:28.889+10:002012-11-09T07:54:28.889+10:00i am shocked that jill and her husband will find i...i am shocked that jill and her husband will find it difficult to survive on that amount of money<br />i am 30 and a pensioner and i can tell you my annual wage is almost a fifth of this and i live comfortably, frugally but contently.<br /><br />its a sad thing in society that people feel the need for "sanity" money.<br />money can not be converted to happiness!<br /><br />im not trying to be negative but that sentence regarding $200 each just grated on my nerves.<br /><br />how and what are they spending this money on? if they have so much to spend on non essentials they certainly have plenty to raise a few children and put away 10% for savings.<br /><br />theres no mystery to being able to afford things with that amount of income, its just a little common sense.<br /> <br /><br />trying to evolvehttps://www.blogger.com/profile/17021896795126530882noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-40825876370892633762012-11-09T03:37:34.105+10:002012-11-09T03:37:34.105+10:00We are semi-empty nesters (they seem to bounce bac...We are semi-empty nesters (they seem to bounce back on bungey cords) but I raised 4 on a single woman's budget(nurse) The Mortgage: my husband and I received one of the new Affordable Home Mortgages last year for our farm( Our mortgage is now 2% interest which will top off at 4 % in 5 yrs, if the national rate is higher than 2. Food: I never had a weight problem while raising kids. We had enough, but no extra and that was actually more healthy than not. If you cannot garden on your lot then google community gardens in your area. Around here their dues are $25/yr and you can grow a ton of food on that while tapping into the wisdom of more experienced gardeners and baby will learn to garden alongside of you. Tithing: just do it. It's good for the church and soul (and who wants to fool with their soul)and selfishly thinking, what goes around comes around. Baby stuff: if you do not sew, learn how. either via a class or the many sewing sites on the computer. Fabric from Walmart, internet, or recycling big clothes as well as linens from home and yard sales. the search for fabric is fun and can be addictive(warning there! lol). Just last week my husband came home with yard sale fabric for me (and he is frugal beyond belief,). Clothes, toys, furniture, tons out there at yard sales and on Craigs list. Just plan your search carefully, the gas money adds up. Go to mom and baby play groups, there are many in churches and libraries and other moms are full of cost cutting ideas. I also had a couple of boys I babysat and my kids loved them, as did I. we were lucky, it doesn't always work as well but it did for us and gave me extra grocery money.I have never had the amount of money your husband makes but my family lacked for nothing including music and dance lessons as well as scouts and 4-H and church activities and summer camp.Internet: I have found that to be vital. I am home, I need to link up with outsiders for my sanity, pay bills, learn new skills. I learned to can by on line sites. Food preservation: learn canning from a person or on line. Make sure what you do is safe, check with gov sites and cooperative extension sites. also get The Encycloperia of Country Living, by Emerson, bless her soul. tons of teaching in that with a sense of humor. TV/Cable: I did now have it when the kids were growing up, only have it now to entertain my senile mom who lives with us. when she passes on, so will the cable. Make a list of things you really want for the baby shower, family and friends can combine money and get you what you want. Kids don't need the fanciest models of things, but you want safe reliable equipment that will hold up to whatever your lifestyle takes it. Think ahead on this: We planned to take our family camping so I wanted a portacrib and baby carrier for hiking, a tent and good sleeping bags (and with these you can always afford a fun vacation!)and they were all used to death. Let hunting friends know you are interested in what they kill, if you eat meat. we get a deer every year from a hunting friend, organic meat of course. I haven't found coupons to be helpful since most of them are for things I don't buy anyway. when I read stories about "Coupon Queens" etc. I am shocked at the garbage they get that they consider to be a good thing. My kids were in cloth diapers (as are my grandchildren interestingly), baby wipes were clean cloths, and we use cloth napkins at meals that I make. I still buy paper towels for cleaning up things i do not want to have to wash later, like something coming out of a pet(!). Anyway, the entire family budgeting was a project that I always embraced as a challenge and as the kids grew up it served to impart a great many values.Enjoy the journey! Brendahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/07284776865817561195noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-47987323552829013272012-11-09T03:22:02.910+10:002012-11-09T03:22:02.910+10:00How wonderful! Babies don't have to be expens...How wonderful! Babies don't have to be expensive - we have eight children and a modest income. Our biggest baby related savings are nursing and cloth diapers. If those two things are possible lots of money is saved. And lots of rest for mama is important. I suggest filling the freezer with casseroles (if you like them)and baked bread so that the busy days ahead can be enjoyed without the temptation of eating out. <br /><br />Most of all, treasure the moments - they pass by all too quickly indeed. :)<br />Anonymousnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-58535824060203364892012-11-09T02:47:47.659+10:002012-11-09T02:47:47.659+10:00I think that the the thing that helped my husband ...I think that the the thing that helped my husband and me most of all when we were expecting our first baby (and thereafter) was to set our number one, very top priority: that I would be the "stay-at-home" parent and that our children would not be placed in daycare, period. <br /><br />After that, we just did whatever needed to be done to meet that goal. It was NEVER a question of "if" we could afford to have me stay home but rather a question of "how" we would accomplish it. (Deciding to be a grown-up helps immensely as well - cooperate together, both working hard, and no complaining!)<br /><br />My income at the time made up just slightly more than 50% of our annual income, so it was certainly not an insignificant change for us! And it was not always easy, either. I had to give up things I was used to but I also found that there were less expensive ways to get most of what I wanted anyway. <br /><br />I had to stop shopping for lots of pretty (and pretty expensive) clothing but then found ways to still look stylish without spending so much. <br /><br />We cut way back on restaurant meals, but found we were actually eating much better and enjoying it more when we cooked at home. <br /><br />My children looked as cute in their adorable little outfits as any other baby, and they had as many toys as most other kids (in other words: TOO MANY!)but I tapped into the used/free market and paid either nothing or pennies on the dollar for the same thing other parents paid full price for. <br /><br />We moved to a small fixer-upper, and we still live there, but over the years, with many do-it-youself house and garden projects, we have created here a true home we all love. (I can't overstate the numerous benefits to living in a smaller house rather than some "McMansion!") <br /><br />I breastfed, used cloth diapers, baked and cooked from scratch, shopped at yard sales, conserved energy, walked instead of drove (good way to lose the extra pregnancy weight)and did a hundred different things to save money so I could be there with my precious babies. It has been by far the very best decision I have ever made!<br /><br />And I will point out that the vast majority of what you can do to save money will also help to save the planet so all our precious children can keep living and breathing on it!<br /><br />Most people who make the commitment to living on one income experience this kind of awakening - that living with less is actually much preferable! There are hundreds of books, websites, and other resources to learn from; I think Down To Earth is literally the best out there. <br /><br />So - if your top priority really is that there will always be a parent caring for your baby, the place to start is to make that decision and go on from there. Put your hearts and minds together and figure out how to to make it work for your family. Amynoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-54152386598489353622012-11-09T02:11:51.387+10:002012-11-09T02:11:51.387+10:00We had 5 children and I have largely been at home ...We had 5 children and I have largely been at home during the last 21 years of parenting. Top tips (in no particular order) are:<br /><br />- learn to live on one income NOW and use your income to pay off debt or build an emergency fund for when you are home and not earning.<br />- shop at thrift stores for clothing (or ask for hand me downs from those you know)<br />- get on the freecycle network as almost anything you will ever need in life (other than food and shelter) is on there for free. Give back to that network when you have something you no longer need.<br />- get out of debt asap then put down extra money on your mortgage (if you have one)<br />- pay cash for everything <br />- maintain what you own so it won't need repairing/replacing<br />- consider getting rid of a second car (if you have one)<br />- eat simple whole grain foods that are IN SEASON in your area <br />- buy those in season items in bulk (cheaply) at the end of that season and freeze or can them for off season eating<br />- grow what you can to offset your food bill. Plant food producing trees, plants and bushes instead of only ornamentals<br />- try to learn a new home making skill each week in order to increase your sill set (sewing, knitting, bread making, making cleaners, etc)<br />- eliminate all unnecessary expenses now (cable tv, extra cell phone, eating out, take away coffee, any other extras)<br />- take up some hobbies in your home that are relaxing and enjoyable and don't cost a lot of money<br />- learn to slow down and enjoy the REAL moments in life - the ones that bring happiness but don't cost a penny (a garden, a comfortable home, family, friends, etc.)<br />- learn to stock up on staples bought at the lowest SALE PRICES (buy enough of that staple when it is at the lowest possible price to last you for a few months or until it will go on sale again). In this way, you will slowly build a pantry inexpensively which saves money as long as you buy only what you WILL eat or use within a few months.<br />- reduce utility bills by simply using less of them. Be mindful. <br />- if you eat meat, stretch it in your cooking by adding healthy legumes and pulses to the meal<br />- stop looking at advertisements - simply recycle the flyers before you open them (except for food flyers)<br />- stay out of the shops. Browsing leads to wanting things you didn't even know existed and likely don't need.<br /><br />Remember the golden rule:<br /><br />"Comparison ruins contentment"<br /><br />It's easy to compare a frugal, simple lifestyle to an affluent way of life and feel somehow deprived (at times). Always remember that true (and lasting) contentment comes from the satisfaction of living a meaningful life true to your values and your heart.<br /><br />Enjoy the rest of your pregnancy :) <br /><br /><br />Little Home In The Countryhttps://www.blogger.com/profile/14542813650753976168noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-82533173590706018752012-11-09T01:57:59.664+10:002012-11-09T01:57:59.664+10:00If they tithe 10% of Jack's gross income the f...If they tithe 10% of Jack's gross income the figure is less than $200 per week. If that is what their consciences dictate, they should do that. I'd suggest that come out of the "sanity fund." Of course, their conviction might be to tithe the after-tax income, which of course would be much lower. sarahttps://www.blogger.com/profile/05372272007182679464noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5089828552519076506.post-89499335941186824812012-11-08T21:36:36.492+10:002012-11-08T21:36:36.492+10:00Very exciting news for you Jill. Everyone has give...Very exciting news for you Jill. Everyone has given lots of good advice already, but one thing I would say is that you may be surprised to find that you do spend less when baby arrives. For example, you won't have the cost of clothes/grooming for work, take away coffees & lunches, transport to work etc. Plus you probably won't have much time to wander around the shops or go out for lunches with friends. When I was pregnant, my husband was studying and I was the one working full-time to support us. When baby was born, we lived on our savings plus Centrelink (about $180/week + baby bonus) for 6 months before hubby finished his studies and commenced work. I was a bit stressed beforehand that we would survive, but we did, with quite a bit of savings remaining! So take heart - it definitely is possible and you will find your own way to do it. I would utilise the excellent advice people have given too! It would be great to start trying to live on one wage now, as these adjustments do take time. Good luck - I'm sure it will all work out brilliantly! Karihttps://www.blogger.com/profile/10779134250806424801noreply@blogger.com