can you actually afford to have a baby?

[misscrazycooki]

Babyem, I completely agree about the fact that there are many many people who would love more children but understand that realistically they cant afford it. It is unfair, espaecially as they are obviously taking responsibility for there own children and not expecting others to pay for them or they would just go ahead and have them wouldnt they? Imagine if we all thought like that?
What a mess we would be in x

I am financially stable, we have a nice home and a 'comfortable' lifestyle altho we are on relatively low incomes we dont have debts and can comfortably afford another. I would love more but I will be stopping after two as in the long run we couldn't financially stretch to more (I WILL change my mind if I get another boy though lol so dont quote me on it!!!)

BUT even if we had more we COULD pay for them ourselves, we would have to sacrifice but they would be our sacrifices.

Benefits should have a cap IMO after so many children x

There is a cap of 500 a week including housing and council tax hun.

20/06/2012 - Elliott born at 129 x

11/02/2011 - Leo born at 11:37 x

I think she meant youu shouldn't get more money per child after a certain number of children x

That's what i meant too. They capped it so families with loads of children don't receive more than 500 a week of all their benefits x

20/06/2012 - Elliott born at 129 x

11/02/2011 - Leo born at 11:37 x

 

[Froslass]

is there only me that's not got much money but i don't stress? i have no debts and if i don't have the money for something i don't buy it. i do treat lo but she is still too young to care or notice yet. im actually happy as i am i know that often people with the most money end up the most stressed! i suppose because u live to your income they have more outgoings to worry about. or maybe its because my rent is super cheap lmao xx

I budget constantly, need to know whats being spent and where etc..

Its not so much that I "worry" about money at the moment, but I worry about needing to keep a handle on. Like when an unexpected bill comes in Ive got to sit down and go through everything to make sure we can afford to pay for it and other things. I always make sure we've got enough for savings, bills, food, LO etc..

I just like to keep a good handle on it so that I dont get any nasty surprises. Although they seem to still pop up now and again lol

When OH and I first found out i was pregnant we were both worried because we didnt have a house, we still living with parents. We were planning on moving in together but andt starting looking at flats yet. I guess it was worrying because It was the first time id really lived properly on my own, so I did worry the first year yeah.

Im getting used to it now though

 

[babyem]

Babyem, I completely agree about the fact that there are many many people who would love more children but understand that realistically they cant afford it. It is unfair, espaecially as they are obviously taking responsibility for there own children and not expecting others to pay for them or they would just go ahead and have them wouldnt they? Imagine if we all thought like that?
What a mess we would be in x

I am financially stable, we have a nice home and a 'comfortable' lifestyle altho we are on relatively low incomes we dont have debts and can comfortably afford another. I would love more but I will be stopping after two as in the long run we couldn't financially stretch to more (I WILL change my mind if I get another boy though lol so dont quote me on it!!!)

BUT even if we had more we COULD pay for them ourselves, we would have to sacrifice but they would be our sacrifices.

Benefits should have a cap IMO after so many children x

There is a cap of 500 a week including housing and council tax hun.

20/06/2012 - Elliott born at 129 x

11/02/2011 - Leo born at 11:37 x

I think she meant youu shouldn't get more money per child after a certain number of children x

That's what i meant too. They capped it so families with loads of children don't receive more than 500 a week of all their benefits x

20/06/2012 - Elliott born at 129 x

11/02/2011 - Leo born at 11:37 x

sorry, my bad x

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Redbear, as your kids get older, the stress will start! When they need school uniform at £13 a jumper, go thru the toes of their new shoes in a day, if they don't manage to scuff the hell out of them they outgrow them in 4 weeks, its just never ending!

 

[Froslass]

Redbear, as your kids get older, the stress will start! When they need school uniform at £13 a jumper, go thru the toes of their new shoes in a day, if they don't manage to scuff the hell out of them they outgrow them in 4 weeks, its just never ending!

this is why Im a stickler for saving as much as i can. Im one of five kids and i remember school uniforms costing a bomb for my parents!!

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

It's ridiculous the cost! Especially when you can get plain jumpers for under a 5er !

 

[Humesy]

My bad too, I didn't realise there was a cap? Although how does that work with the people with 13 kids in the papers who are OPENLY getting 8 bedroom houses and £1000 a week? Or is it recent? Not arguing your point btw, but I'm not sure if tabloids are telling tales or if it's new in??

And No I don't stress over money either but that doesn't mean i wouldnt if i didnt know when to stop having kids lol, PLUS debts is a huge factor. A lot of people are in debts these days so without those people CAN live comfortably on small amounts. Im not sure what the benefits are for a couple with say two kids ? I mean it cant leave a lot for luxuries like birthday parties for the kids and the latest football kit? it shouldnt obviously but those are the things I want to be able to buy for mine xxx

 

[Froslass]

My mum was annoyed cause my brothers started high school, she had bought blazers etc then they sold he school for Waterloo road and the boys needed new uniforms for a different school!

 

[tinytoes]

You just never know what's around the corner with kids too . Without having savings we would have been in a heap of trouble

 

[Humesy]

I think this is where kids need decent wellies to actually play in! do they make wellies that are actually ok for them to wear for playing in so their ordinary shoes don't get ruined???

as for uniforms, lets say "oh i cant wait!!!" lol xx

 

[Humesy]

You just never know what's around the corner with kids too . Without having savings we would have been in a heap of trouble

Good point!!!!

Even things like growth spurts, sometimes my little one mightnt grow for 6 months and then all of a sudden he shoots up a size so i buy new stuff and a month later another growth spurt, and yes i know we can ebay for cheap clothes etc but what about shoes? they cost me a fortune (prob another reason i shudnt have a girl lol!!) and i wouldn't put cheap shoes on him as HV advised against altho i personally dont mind buying good shoes but, my point is , what would happen if my disposable income was TINY on benefits and he done this, yes i would stress even thinking about it xxx

 

[Froslass]

No meant, they had to go a completely different school. She needed to buy new uniforms altogether. My old high school is now e new set of Waterloo Road (tv programme) she was Annoyed cause blazers and jumpers a must, and cost 80 quid!m

 

[Froslass]

Sorry about my daft spelling, I've got fat fingers and an iPad!

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

My two find wellies really uncomfy, and they stink to high heaven! But they're living in £6 tesco trainers thru the holidays!

 

[tinytoes]

I swear I wake up panicking about money sometimes and oh has a good job ! I can't imagine how it would feel to be relying on a tiny benefit payment I would be so worried I don't think I would enjoy my babies as much as I do now

 

[tinytoes]

My two find wellies really uncomfy, and they stink to high heaven! But they're living in £6 tesco trainers thru the holidays!

We had major wellie drama today ! She took them off when I wasn't looking and jumped into a pile of muck because the Wellies were "silly "

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

My two don't grow for ages and then tend to go up 2 sizes in a month! Drives me mad! I always assumed as well that cos they were both Nov babies I could pass clothes down, cept I have one tall one and one tiny one and the clothes are always the wrong season!

 

[Me, My Girls & I]

Gah that's the kind of thing ella does all the time!!

 

[misscrazycooki]

My bad too, I didn't realise there was a cap? Although how does that work with the people with 13 kids in the papers who are OPENLY getting 8 bedroom houses and £1000 a week? Or is it recent? Not arguing your point btw, but I'm not sure if tabloids are telling tales or if it's new in??

And No I don't stress over money either but that doesn't mean i wouldnt if i didnt know when to stop having kids lol, PLUS debts is a huge factor. A lot of people are in debts these days so without those people CAN live comfortably on small amounts. Im not sure what the benefits are for a couple with say two kids ? I mean it cant leave a lot for luxuries like birthday parties for the kids and the latest football kit? it shouldnt obviously but those are the things I want to be able to buy for mine xxx

It was last year i saw this in the benefit reforms and the cuts to the country. Can't say if its in total action yet but i think it is.

As for other poster the benefits i claim are

In joint claim -
Job seekers - £220 fortnight
Tax credit - £111 weekly
Child benefit - £33 weekly

If i claim on my own i get £142 a fortnight income support. If that helps people understand what two children and a couple receive x

20/06/2012 - Elliott born at 129 x

11/02/2011 - Leo born at 11:37 x

 

[Happyfeet]

My two don't grow for ages and then tend to go up 2 sizes in a month! Drives me mad! I always assumed as well that cos they were both Nov babies I could pass clothes down, cept I have one tall one and one tiny one and the clothes are always the wrong season!

I have that exact same problem! Both of mine are April babies but the older one is so tall and the younger is a complete titch! She's wearing clothes at 3 1/2 that my eldest wore when she was 18 months old!!

Can't buy cheap shoes here either, both have wide feet so need Clarks shoes/trainers/wellies/sandals. I once spent £120 on three pairs of the pre walkers shoes for a one year old! Thank goodness I had some money set aside for that little expense lol.