Looking for money saving ideas

[Angel13]

Hi guys, I'm pregnant with my first the baby is due 5 Aug. As this will most likely be our only child I am planning on taking at least 12 months off work to be a stay at home mum.

I've worked out that I can do this on half pay. Of course money will be quite tight but manageable. I guess I am looking for some clever money saving ideas/advice from you guys.

Im very excited but scared at the same time. The survival of a tiny human being we have created is completely going to be in our hands in a couple of months. This just blows my mind.

I told Mitch that this will be our greatest DIY project/output ever

 

[moyjos]

Firstly Congratulations!!!!

Lots of great savings advice (and support) at www.simplesavings.com.au
The forum is a paid membership, but you will make back the cost of your memebership with a few good tips. It is a huge fast moving forum (similar to here)

The advice i would give is that babies do NOT need much that you and dad.
They do not need , a pram worth more than most small cars, cots worth more than a weekly wage etc etc wtc.

Hit gumtree for the basics... If a cot, pram has been good enough for a couple of healthy kids, it will be fine for yours.

 

[Ski-bum]

Congratulations!!

I don't have any specific advice, except that baby stuff can cost as little and as much as you want. It's one of those markets where people can spend ridiculous amounts of money because it's 'for their baby'. Similar to weddings...

 

[VYBerlinaV8]

Congratulations!!

I don't have any specific advice, except that baby stuff can cost as little and as much as you want. It's one of those markets where people can spend ridiculous amounts of money because it's 'for their baby'. Similar to weddings...

Spot on - don't get sucked into the hype.

Also, if you buy cheap stuff you won't get so concerned when things get dirty and/or broken...

 

[Fifth]

I can't think of any money saving ideas off the top of my head, but congratulations on your impending offspring!

 

[jclegg]

Firstly Congratulations! This may be a long post because I have so many cost savings which worked well for us. We have 2 girls.

Op shops are great for smaller things like clothing and toys - wash everything and sanitise obviously!! Ask the salespeople to call you if a pram/cot etc comes in. Start calling in weekly so they know you.

Gumtree, ebay. Start researching and know the shop prices of everything, that way you will know if you have a good deal. Half price is reasonable for a pram and even less for smaller items. But test them out before you pay - prams need good brakes and good suspension. Cots need to be Aust Standard.

Don't be fooled by the baby shops and big brands, the best stroller I ever had was an old Babylove 3 wheeler, dirt cheap. I could turn it with 1 finger and it was great for walking.

Have a baby shower - Family and friends will want to buy presents for you and the baby. Make up a list and tell people what you really need. That way you don't get 100 stuffed toys but a good selection of clothes, singlets, bibs, socks, wraps etc. Also tell people you want larger sizes - 00 and 0 so that you will have a range of sizes and clothes ready for when you need them. Otherwise you will get a million 000s and only use them for a few weeks

You will need to get out of the house everyday or you will go a little stir crazy. Pick the best time for baby and go walking. It is the cheapest exercise, family outing, everything and babies love it. Stay away from the shopping centres (you'll only spend money) and get to the parks.

Like the previous poster says, babies don't need much. Resist the desire to buy stuff they will only need for a few months like carriers, special clothing etc unless it's cheap. They grow so quickly you will find it's just not worth it.

Cooking nutritious meals can often be hard because the evening is taken up with baby. Even if they're a great sleeper and don't cry a lot you will find you are busy doing a million things or just spending time watching them The best investment we made was to buy a large freezer and before the baby came I stocked it full of home made meals, pasta sauces, all our favourites, soups etc.. That way when we were exhausted at night it was as easy as nuking something and cooking some rice or pasta to go with it. Or soup and toast, even easier! Obviously I don't know what you like to eat but you get the idea

And last of all, sorry to bore you with my ranting, let people help you!!!! People actually want to help and it's very tempting to do it all yourself but don't! I can't stress this enough. People will want to visit BUT make sure they come when it suits you and ask them to bring something - e.g.
"Why don't you come at x o'clock? Baby willl be awake and you can see him/her. Would you mind bringing some morning/afternoon tea also so we can sit down and have a good chat?"
And when parents/friends ask is there anything you need? Tell them...I really need to get to the hairdresser/dentist/doctor/etc. would you mind coming and looking after baby for me? Or I could do with a meal or two if you wouldn't mind? Whatever you think that person would be best at

There, I'm done. Enjoy the time left, go out, have fun and enjoy the excitement and expectation of baby's arrival. I wish you all the best.

Jus

 

[Jamie M]

Hi guys, I'm pregnant with my first the baby is due 5 Aug. As this will most likely be our only child I am planning on taking at least 12 months off work to be a stay at home mum.

I've worked out that I can do this on half pay. Of course money will be quite tight but manageable. I guess I am looking for some clever money saving ideas/advice from you guys.

Im very excited but scared at the same time. The survival of a tiny human being we have created is completely going to be in our hands in a couple of months. This just blows my mind.

I told Mitch that this will be our greatest DIY project/output ever

Hello and congrats on the new bub.

I'm probably not the best person to be giving advice on money saving ideas - I just received a lecture from my wife on my spending habits...

Avoid spending a lot on baby "stuff" - they really don't need a lot. Some parents spend thousands on decking out a nursery with expensive furniture, toys, clothes, etc. I can understand the desire to do this - especially for a first child. But in reality, it's not really necessary and if you can save some cash here - you can stay away from work for longer.

If your family/friends have had kids - you might be able to grab hand me down cots, change table, clothes, pram etc. Just double check that the hand me downs are in good nick and meet the Aus guidelines.

There's the govt. paid maternity leave as well - you might be eligible for 18 weeks pay at minimum wage (about $11k) and there's dad pay for your partner ($1k)

Enjoy every moment - it's so special.

Cheers

Jamie

 

[tangychips]

OP, were you after general money saving tips or baby specific money saving tips?

 

[luce.rocks]

Congratulations!

We had our first in Feb Biggest savings for us have been in hand-me-down clothes for bub and in making all our food. In particular I make a lot of simple soups with legumes/pulses and I cook our own bread.

Best of luck!!

 

[datto]

Breast feeding comes to mind.

 

[DaveM]

Friends and family is a good start - its surprising how many people have baby gear stashed away "just in case its needed again" even after having their desired children count. You may find they are happy to lend/give/sell it to you which will save many many thousands that could go towards Baby's First Fire Damaged Ex Houso renovator fund

 

[weg]

Cut out junk, takeaway and eating out (do free things instead like taking a packed lunch to the beach or going on picnics, entertain at home - or preferably other peoples homes)

Make and STICK to a budget.

Look at ways to reduce bills - reduce water to the garden, don't use the dryer for convenience now that you're home, walk everywhere with the stroller, unplug extra appliances you don't absolutely need like a second/bar fridge, etc.

If ahead in your mortgage or other loans arrange a 'holiday' from repayments.

Make money by working from home selling old clothes, nicnacs, baby's items that they quickly grow out of, items you can pick up from op shops/$2 shops, those you can get cheap on gumtree for reselling on ebay, etc.

Both of my children sell on ebay inc. my 14yo. The eldest 21 has been doing it for years now and makes anything from $50 to $100 for 2-3 hours work a week (often late at night).

It's not much but helps when you need some quick, much needed extra cash.

 

[westminster]

Hi guys, I'm pregnant with my first the baby is due 5 Aug. As this will most likely be our only child I am planning on taking at least 12 months off work to be a stay at home mum.

I've worked out that I can do this on half pay. Of course money will be quite tight but manageable. I guess I am looking for some clever money saving ideas/advice from you guys.

Im very excited but scared at the same time. The survival of a tiny human being we have created is completely going to be in our hands in a couple of months. This just blows my mind.

I told Mitch that this will be our greatest DIY project/output ever

Congrats Angel!

There are some things worth spending money on and something you can get away with.
One thing I found worth money on was the pram - some will disagree - but there are certain brands which do last longer and either you can pick them up in good nic on gumtree/ebay or you can buy new then sell and recoup quite a bit of costs. A Mountain Buggy brand is an excellent pram and one that I would recommend.
I am very SAFETY focused - I don't do second hand car seats. A car seat will last your child for 4yrs. Even a $300 car seat is only 20 cents a day over the 4 years. For me this was a suck it up expense - I considered it my PPE for my child - I researched those that tested well in NCAP, ANCAP and Euro testing then purchased.
As others have said - the freezer is your best friend. We froze a lot and family made freezer food for us too which was nice.
Breastfeeding too as mentioned above is a good cost saver. Surprisingly it's not as easy as it looks and it took me a lot of help from the midwives at the hospital and then a lactation consultant to get it going well.

 

[Angel]

Along the lines of not buying too much "stuff", there are a lot of things that the shops and magazines will try to guilt you into purchasing. Generally they are not necessary. That alone is a huge money-saver.

Aldi is a good source of the basics for a lower price than other supermarkets. The team at Simple Savers will have more info, but an example is that you do not have to soak Baby's clothes, bibs, bedding, bottles or dishes in special chemicals that can cost say $10 a week. Bicarb soda, vinegar, diluted bleach or salt water will do the same thing along with Aldi's oxy-wash laundry soaker (Napisan)

Loading up your freezer with pre-cooked meals is top great idea. Lite n Easy can also be a good investment (time-saving rather than money saving). I used to buy extra non-perishable groceries for several months before my first baby was due, as shopping with a baby is stressful and can be very time consuming.

For more generic money-saving tips, would you be able to pay some bills ahead to make savings, such as electricity, car insurance or rego?

I am very very old and used cloth nappies. I know, so 20th century. However the time to wash and fold them was well worth the cost savings over buying disposables. If you do use disposables (I can certainly see their appeal) I hear that Aldi's are as good as Huggies and a lot cheaper. Do the math to see how much work you are prepared to do to save enough $$ for a family holiday each year.

Best wishes

 

[weg]

One of these is handy if you already have one, although I used a hand held barmix type thing for meat and fruit and a fork to mash the family meal.

http://www.bigw.com.au/home-garden/...D=1817672516&gclid=CKWSjZOFwrcCFQVKpgodrwQA1g

I never bought baby food other than rice cereal or the od jar of fruit to keep in my bag, and had my children eat the foods we ate instead, from day one of solids - did add specially prepared *meat to the vegetable content of our meals however, as that way I just needed the fork to mash.

* broil or dryfry lean beef mince or chicken, add some low salt gravy/water, vitamize with blender, place mixture in ice cube molds, freeze and then put frozen meat blocks in sealer bag and use portions as needed to add to family meals. Would last a few weeks. You can freeze other foods or left overs this way too.

Not only does this save money, baby enjoys eating real tasting food too.

 

[gottabespotless]

If you can leave bub at home with your partner, do your weekly grocery shopping at night (preferably a Tuesday night) - lots of products like meat, bread (things that can be frozen) and other items are marked down considerably. Saves a bundle!

 

[wylie]

I'm also very, very old and also used cloth nappies. Saved a LOT of money but I was one of the last to use them I think... well me and Angel . If I was to have a baby now I would invest in cloth nappies made in the shape of disposables. I am horrified at the environmental damage caused by millions of disposables (only used them occasionally and used to hide them under other things in my shopping trolley).

I also say don't buy expensive "cute" stuff for the nursery. It will be a child's bedroom before you know it, so don't even do anything "cute" that is permanent.

Buy second hand where you can. Babies and little ones grow out of things so quickly that you should be able to find great quality second hand clothes.

I used to cook up a big pot of potato, pumpkin, carrot, zuccini, whatever veges I could, put them into ice cube trays and freeze them. I never believed women who said they could still be in their pyjamas at lunchtime until I had a baby that didn't allow me ten minutes to shower. So time becomes precious and whether or not your babies sleep (mine didn't) is a huge factor in what you can fit into the day, and whether you can cook each night for a baby or rely on what you have in the freezer.

Keep it simple. Don't fall for having to buy them every toy in the shop. Try to just relax and enjoy (harder said than done).

 

[lizzie]

This isn't a money saving problem ... but a sanity saving one.

When to-be father's share their excited news I make it very clear that once the baby is born, when they get home from work, TAKE THE BABY.

Take it away even for just half and hour.

Doesn't need to be far - just the next room or to the park or where ever ... but ... when mum finds herself being consciously aware of this new little life 24/7 (even when bub is asleep) it is a huge mental relief to just not have to be attuned for even a short period.

 

[BayView]

Hi guys, I'm pregnant with my first the baby is due 5 Aug. As this will most likely be our only child I am planning on taking at least 12 months off work to be a stay at home mum.

I've worked out that I can do this on half pay. Of course money will be quite tight but manageable. I guess I am looking for some clever money saving ideas/advice from you guys.

Im very excited but scared at the same time. The survival of a tiny human being we have created is completely going to be in our hands in a couple of months. This just blows my mind.

I told Mitch that this will be our greatest DIY project/output ever

Congrats on the first little one!

Good luck with no sleep, after.

As was said; don't get sucked into the "appearance" hype. The baby doesn't care. Stay away from the mother's club. Too much "Jones keeping up withs" in that lot.

Second hand everything for the baby will be fine...Ebay, garages sales, Op Sops, etc.

Oh yeah; and don't "cotton wool" the hell out of her either, like so many parents do...it's not the first baby on earth.

Keep a level head, be normal about the whole thing, let her squirm around on the floor and rub noses with the dog/cat etc.

We are constantly picking up the rusks off the floor for our 10 month old girl to chew on (she's our 3rd - two boys as well)...and so on.

Why do babies love to pull cats' tails, and why do cats let them? Strange phenomenon.

 

[luce.rocks]

I second what Lizzie says about getting your husband to take your bub for a while. But be prepared for him to interrupt your precious shower time, saying he thinks bub is hungry, even though you only just fed her, because he's held her for all of 10min and she won't settle. Or because he can't think of another way to entertain her, so he brings her into the bathroom and to say hello. Bah.

Anyhow, a few more things to save $$:

- Join the local library and borrow magazines instead of buying them.
- Instead of brunching on weekends, become coffee connoisseurs. Pick up your fancy coffee and walk the streets, or go to a park.