Baby worries

[wookiee]

Hi

As I think John mentioned either of your employers may be in a voucher scheme. My employer is part of the kiddivoucher scheme where you basically save about 20% off nursery costs through a salary sacrifice. If you could both do that then you would see your child care costs nearly half. This is the website:

http://www.kiddivouchers.com/

That could make your child care costs around £20 per day? Surestart would be another good place to look too...

Hope this helps and good luck. My advice? Well its never as bad as you think it might be, you will find a way but it might mean a few sacrifices along the way....

 

[Alison]

budgeting has been mentioned, also whatever happens DO NOT go for any of these short term loans, and if any spare cash then I completely agree with someone who suggested paying off credit cards etc, any debt that is expensive (ie everything except a mortgage) is a bad idea as in the long run difficult to pay off when money is very tight.

also on the general front, get the bag for the hospital packed early, our daughter decided to make her arrival 3 weeks before due date and packing it as leaving for the hospital at 2am was "interesting".

Packing early, unless your planning a home birth, is a good idea. I've had four and have never packed anything, hubby has always had to get things after the birth. :roll:

 

[Barneyballbags]

The hospital bag is already packed and ready to go :shock:

 

[Neil]

Babies are unbelievably expensive in the first few months

Oddly enough, that's not how I found it.

Many tend to have got things in advance, like prams, cots, clothes, car seats, even nappies. For me, the biggest notable cost of the kids when they were newborn, and then babies, was when childcare was required. And both of mine went on formula after a few days.

Truth be told, spending on everything else, became somewhat irrelevant - in the first few weeks / months, was too knackered to do anything.

Childcare was the point I started to noticed the cost of it all. Sure, shopping probably increased a little - but then there were probably other things we weren't buying that perhaps offset it a little.

 

[CTK]

Don't get another job- your Mrs will need you home as much as possible.

 

[Alison]

I've been fortunate one to have been able to be with my babies for over a year newborns so all were breast fed for 12 months and then went straight onto cows.

Childcare for my first born literally soaked up everything I earned I only worked for increased social connection

Alison

 

[highlandsflyer]

No chance of relocating back to near family? It is times like these the grandparents were made for!

No chance. My grandparents are in their mid 80s and live on a big farm which takes a LOT of looking after (even though it's now a non-working farm, there's still 00's of acres of land/woodland to manage). My grandad can't do a lot of the work due to his physical health (both knees are basically dust). Plus there's the fact that we're both in permanent full time jobs with the NHS, so relocating (even if we were able to) would be a last resort.

Your grandparents.. Lol, this IS your first!

 

[Barneyballbags]

Your grandparents.. Lol, this IS your first!

Haha, yeah I misunderstood you and only realised after I'd posted (and I was too lazy to edit!).

Our parents live in Worcester/Shrewsbury, which is 100 or 120 odd miles away. They all still work full time too. Kinda rules them out

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

I predict you'll cope. You have to really. My wife gave up work, or rather took voluntary unpaid leave from the end of maternity pay to when the offspring went off to reception class.

This meant my wage had to do and I was on less then than now! I'll admit though our out goings were less. However, you will find that anything your new born wants they'll get!

You sure it is just the one? I was fully prepared to be a dad but the news it was twins came as a considerable shock!!

 

[Iwasgoodonce]

My main advice is stop worrying and try to enjoy every moment. As others have said, the days seem to be long but the years just fly past.

It really is life's greatest journey.