Discovery Home & Health

Hi Mummies,

Just a quick question..... DH and I are trying to figure out finances etc for when I give up work and it is like the blind leading the blind when trying to work out how much extra we will need for the bubs!!!!

As a rough guide how much in the first 12 months does looking after bubs cost monthly, everything from nappies and feeding to mother and baby groups?????

Thanks,

ha ha you are asking the impossible!!! It's so difficult to tell as I just throw more things in my trolley when I go to tescos now! There are some bigger expenses like nappies and formula which you will notice a real difference and once you start weaning and they get towards a year, you'll be buying more fruit and veg and snacky things.

With nappies I use the Tesco superfit ones as they are way cheaper than Pampers or Huggies but you might have to try different ones to get a good fit. a good guide is about 8-10 a day for the first few months so I would say at least £50 a month is a good bet??

If you are bottle feeding formula is one of the other big expenses. It's about £7-8 a box and a box a week is a good rough guide I would think so again maybe £50 a month??

And don't forget your washing machine will be on CONSTANTLY so you'll notice an increase in your electricity or gas bill!!!

The thing is, apart from the big things, you can spend as much or as little as you like - some people go crazy over buying all the latest toys, gadgets, most up to date stuff but you can get a lot of stuff off ebay or second hand. Babies don't really need that many toys and they honestly are more interested in your mobile phone/the TV remote control/any other object you are using than any bright, colourful and expensive toy that you buy for them!!!!!

Most mum and baby groups start when bubs is around 3-4 months old. The price does vary but you really do get what you pay for. I went to a church one for £1 a session but the toys were really old and worn and also went to one called Little Monkeys which was fab - new toys, really clean but £5 a session and you had to sign up for 10 sessions at a time.

If you live in a SureStart area there might be a lot more that goes on for free. Our local libraries all do 'baby bounce and rhyme' for free once a week and our local clinic used to do a breastfeeding cafe but doesn't any more. You can ask at your clinic about local groups and ask them to recommend some. Often if you do pay you get the first one free to see if you like it.

Hope this helps - you can tell I'm bored at work today, eh??! Will be interested to read what others say!!

Loocy xx

Ah Loocy that is a fabulous help to be going on with - thank you for taking the time (bored or not!!!! )

i agree with everything loocy has post,if you dont mind 2nd hand clothing as lets face it newborns sometimes only wear things once then never again try ebay,i have had some lovely things off there also always take wot friends offer me clothes/toys wise,ds(10.5mths)doesnt play with toys for too long he'd rather play with a tube of cream.dont go over the top with a travel system as you'll only be buying a small stroller within a few months.toddler group costs differ from place to place i go to 2(same price wise)they are both in churches 1 has really old used very worn toys and the other has used but cleaner toys and they are 30p per child then you buy your tea and toast etc we also go rumble tumble(soft play area)which costs £2 for 3hrs in school term time and £3.50 for 2hrs when there off.
see if you qualify for milk tokens they are sent to you monthly(they are also for pregnant women)and can be spent on formula milk,fresh milk fruit and veg
http://www.healthystart.nhs.uk/en/qualifier/index.asp also you maybe entitled to the maternity grant.

hth kelly xxxxxxx

my version of budgetting...

1 - dig a biiiig hole
2 - chuck all your money in it
3 - and your credit cards
4 - and any other money you find!

Just a thought but try and sign up for as many mother and baby clubs i.e tesco and boots you get some money off vouchers and unless its changed you can get a free changing bag at boots when you buy a packet of nappies. Also check out the internet join the pampers club even more money off vouchers!

Hi,

Just thought I'd add my tips too! Having a new baby can be expensive obviously but just remember you prob won't be spending so much on nights out etc, well at least for the first wee while!

* shop around for nappies, check online and see where has the best offer that month. When my ds was tiny Babies R Us was the best place as they always had offers on boxes of nappies. Don't buy too much in advance though cos they grow out of the sizes so quickly. And Asda does a 'baby week' every so often where they have lots of special offers on.

* buy wipes when they're on buy one get one free offers. I always buy them when I see them on offer and don't ever buy them full price cos the next shop will have them on offer. Stock up cos you'll always need them!

* Make sure you apply for any tax credits that you might be entitled to. Even if you're not getting much you could save it in a separate account and it soon adds up.

* Breast feeding is obviously the much cheaper option! Tubs of milk powder cost around £6-7ish and like Loocy said could easily add up to £50 over the month.

* You don't need to spend a lot of money on weaning - a hand blender, ice cube trays, little pots, weaning spoons. Oh and a high chair.

* do you have any friends who have had babies recently? There are some things that you really don't need to buy if you can borrow one for a while cos they get so little use. I borrowed a door bouncer off a friend, glad I didn't buy one cos ds didn't like it! My friend had a baby 6 months ago and I was able to lend her my baby swing, baby gym, bumbo seat and they will still be in good enough condition for me to use for another baby (fingers crossed!)

* Just an add on to what Loocy said about bills going up cos the washing machine is on all time time... Our bills went up quite a bit as I was in the house a lot more when on Mat leave, tv on, heating on all day etc!

Ask your health visitor about local mum and baby groups in your area, some start from 'bumps to one year'. The prices vary so much depending on the area and what type of group but one I go to is £2 per session and the other is £40 per term which works out about £5 per session. Google NCT groups in your area (national childbirth trust) and you might find groups you're interested in and could get some idea of the prices. Your baby clinic might run free groups like baby massage so sign up for them.

The biggest expense is maternity leave itself! It's worth just trying to save just now so that you can enjoy your time off with baby without worrying too much about money. Have you worked out how much your income will be over your maternity leave? If not ask your payroll dept to send you an overview of it and this might help with working out a budget.

Hope this has helped in some way! Hels

Thanks Girls, this has been unbelieveably helpful!!!

I am going to try with the reuseable nappies and hopefully they will suit and save a few pennies!!!

I am really lucky in so much as we have been given loads and loads of stuff including our travel system, so that has saved some more.

Good thought about increase in utility bills - must tell DH that one - he likes to budget for stuff, were as I just like to spend!!!!!

ALi - sorry didn't see this before!

My penneth worth:

- don't buy a steriliser - use an old ice cream tub or similar with lid and buy a large catering size bottle of Milton

- breastfeed if you can and if you can't try bubs on Hipp Organic formula - its ace value for money and bottles don't have to be expensive - check out kiddcare for them!

- reuasble nappies is a definate must

- advice from my gas company for the winter was turn the thermostat down a few degrees then have your heating on constant - it saves a fortune as the boiler isn't firing up all the time and also the house never gets cold so the heating system doesn't have to work very hard to get it back to optimum temperature. We were sceptical but this Winter our monthly bill went down by £7 a month!! Also means u save on electric cos you can dry all your clothes on the radiators as they're on 24/7 anyway instead of in the drier

- Apply for everything social fund - even very high earners get £10 a week or so in baby's first year from the Inland Revenue in tax credits - but not many people realise that - they all assume they earn too much! Don't forget you'll get £78 pcm child benefit too - which actually goes up from April by about £5 pcm. Thats for everyone regardless of income.

- Our local mum and baby groups charge £1.50 per session - it is an expense that you think you can do without but honestly - you will need the social opportunity to get adult conversation - its important to try and go.

- don't buy a baby bath - pointless expense! Use the sink at first then the big bath is perfectly ok for a newborn - I never used DS's - it was too much of a fag to get it out! Ignore things like top and tail bowls etc - a tupperware dish does just as well! Or a lunch box you know?

- all babies need is a cot, a car seat, a boob and nappies - everything else is WANTS not NEEDS - hard when all that gorgeous stuff is around but honestly its true!

Its exciting from here on in hun - the home straight!!!

Hi

Just wanted to add a link to the site where I bought my reusable nappies - not sure if you have bought your already but I think these are the best value I found in all my research and I love them!!!! The kits provides enough so that I only wash every other day - saves money that way.

http://www.littlelamb.co.uk/itemlist.php/clasrefr/spec

I only buy wipes when on offer too...however I try to save even more money by not using them when I'm in the house. Cut up an old towel into wipe size pieces to use with water (or you can make a solution to use with it http://thenappylady.co.uk/public/articledetails.aspx?id=46and) wash them with your nappies.

I also use tea tree oil in my nappy bucket which saves on niffs and is quite economical as only a few drops does the trick.

Just also wanted to say that breastfeeding has saved me a fortune and is such a lovely and satisfying thing to do!! If you need extra support to help you Sure start in my area run breastfeeding support groups which have been invaluable to me (all free). Sure start do all sorts of other mother and baby stuff for free too so it's worth checking if your area has one.

Good luck with everything!!!

Laura MC x

Hi there,

You've had lots of fab advice and there's not much more that i can add! I just wanted to echo a couple of things.

* Definitely don't be afraid of second hand, you could try your local freecycle website (just google freecycle)- it's a kind of message board where people get rid of stuff they don't need for free - i know a few people who have got some really good stuff that way.

* Don't buy too much until the baby comes, you really only need somewhere for them to sleep, transprt of some sort and clothes and nappies. The rest can wait until after they arrive and you work out if they need it!

* Keep an eye out for offers. For example I love the huggies pure wipes because they're much thicker and last me longer and I recently discovered that, whilst in smaller shops they are £2.60 ish per pack, they do 4 packs for £5 in the big sainsburys! I never used to be an offers and coupons person but these days i can't help myself!

For us the biggest money thing has not been how much we spend on Maddie but maternity leave and the subsequent hit on our income. I just hadn't really appreciated how big an effect that would have on our finances - silly really because it's obvious! We dont spend that much more money because we have just sacrafised the things that we would have spent frivolously before (evenings out, books and computer games, clothes for us etc) and use that money for Maddie things instead. I am going back to work in a couple of weeks and we are very definitely limping towards my first pay packet!

Good luck!!

just really wanted to echo what Zoe (everhopeful) said. i know from experience that we wasted a lot of money on tings for my dd before she was born we brought one of those changer bath units never used it top and tail bowl never used it there is s many things marketed out there that make your think you wont be able to get by with out them but believe me you do. this time round i wont be buyin such frivelous thing and will be spending the money on stocking up on nappies and baby wipes.
all of you ladies have given some great advice i think this will be a really helpful thread for mum/dad.