Are you worried about the finances?

[star fish]

I know its really early to worry about all this but it consumes me in the wee small hours.

I earn more than my OH, plus he does all the cooking and cleaning etc in our house, should he stay at home and should I go straight back to work?

How much should one have in savings before you have a baby? How will I clear my credit card in the next 9 months so we dont start a family with debt hanging over us?

What can I sell to put us in the best position? (I think selling my body is now out of the question )

Does anyone else have these mad thoughts?

 

[positivity :)]

hey Star!!

i was just sitting here at my desk this morning working out what my finances will be before i return to work after maternity leave. its not looking good!!

my OH and i earn decent money but we are by no means wealthy. i just think i wont' be able to pay for luxuries anymore, might not be able to continue purchasing chanel foundation cream for example.

if i earned more than my OH i think i would go back to work if he was happy with it (altho might change my mind when LO is here!) it is a worry but there's not much we can do it about it now.

for me, the biggest worry is childcare when i do want to go back to work. I've checked all local nursery rates and the cheapest is £205 per week! but we will have to pay it as i can't afford to not work

i just hope it will all work itself out! xx

 

[FebMum2Be]

I worried about this all the time, especially because my contract wasn't renewed when they found out I was pregnant, I swore I'd have my credit card debt paid off before baby came, but it's still getting there, I still worry, I think it's completely normal Get yourself on eBay if you aren't on already, between there and here I made £190 selling old bits and bobs, you would be surprised what people will buy, half full bottles of perfume, shoes, clothes, books, things around the house (I even saw a used shower curtain going for £6!).. Really have a good rummage and you will be surprised at what you find, I think you just missed a free listing weekend on eBay though, but it doesn't cost much.. Good luck xo

 

[positivity :)]

oh also, if you can try and get your friends to arrange a baby shower!! i know mine will as i seem to attend them on a monthly basis - that way i'm hoping all my basics like vests and blankets etc are bought for me

xx

 

[xx emma xx]

I have worried since I became pregnant. Me and my OH luckily don't have debt but we have lots of bills. We had to work out that his wage pays all the bills and we both live off my mat money. We have been doing this for almost a month now and although its hard some weeks we spend more than others so it kind of evens out. I'm just worrying we are going to get an unexpected bill or something cos I don't think we would have enough to pay it. We get by though. X

 

[daisymay]

I've been crazily worrying about money and stuff too My boyfriend works full-time and the money's okay but not amazing. I'm finishing my A-levels and was going to be off to uni in Sep (not anymore though!) and want to get a full-time job in a month once my exams are over to save up for things but I'm worried nobody's going to employ me if I'm pregnant :/ I'm also worried about how we're going to manage once the baby is here. We both live with our parents atm (but stay with eachother every night) but want to have a place once the baby is here. I hope that money can stretch to it because I really, really, really don't want to be living with my/his family when it's here, even though both have said we are welcome to. It seems as though we miss out on a lot of benefits and things too as we are a couple and he works

All I would say is sit and discuss things with your other half and work out whatever is best, and ask family members etc on tips to make/save money. I'd try not to worry too much as it's not good, you'll be alright, seems as though lots of us are having these worries x

 

[BabyNumber1]

I am constantly writing down how much ill be getting paid in maternity pay and then how much i will have to pay out etc... and it never seems to work out... im hoping we are entitled to some kind of tax credits or something like that... luckily my partner will be footing the bill for the majority of the bills but its still scary thinking about how we will cope. I guess it brings a while new meaning to the phrase 'you live within your means' I just keep trying to imagine it as when i was living at home with ym parents i paid for nothing, then i moved out with a friend and suddenly had £600 a month worth of bills to pay on the same wage... and i managed then so im trying to get myself in the same mindset!

 

[Welshy1]

I'm the same, I earn more than my OH and as my employer is only giving me 90% of my wage for 6 weeks I think I'll be going back to work while he looks after the little one.

 

[Alexandra84]

How much should one have in savings before you have a baby? How will I clear my credit card in the next 9 months so we dont start a family with debt hanging over us?

I'm really glad we waited until we were a bit more sorted financially before starting TTC, it takes a lot of the stress and worry off the whole pregnancy experience. OH has most of the savings as he's got a better paid job than I do but I've managed to save about 2 grand for baby clothes/pram/furniture etc., just to reduce the initial financial shock a bit.

I can't imagine what it would be like if we hadn't done that, must be very stressful .

 

[star fish]

for me, the biggest worry is childcare when i do want to go back to work. I've checked all local nursery rates and the cheapest is £205 per week! but we will have to pay it as i can't afford to not work

Wow that is expensive! I guess I should be grateful we have my mum living so close and she has said she would work part time to help with child care if we wanted. I imagine I'll have to take her up on that, but all offers of help from my mum come with strings attached!

The ebay advice is good, but we moved house recently and I already sold all our excess clutter. Darn!

 

[Tracey M]

Last baby I went back to work after 3 months and hubby worked 5am to 10am, came home and then he was house husband while I popped off to work. This time round will be different cos he now earns more than me - I'm self employed so I'll just flit from home to shop and take baby with me. I get working tax credit which pays for childcare - well not pays for, but certainly helps! I will just have to play it by ear and see how it goes financially, its always a struggle but best thing is not to worry about it. I say take the help if you can get it from mum - mine does nothing as she does not drive and lives 45 minute drive away (no bus route). Strings may be attached but helps the purse strings!! Set the rules from the beginning with mum - its your baby, not hers!! If it does not work out, go from there, no need to worry about what has not happened yet!