Maternity - How do people cope?

[Bexter]

Hi,

I have been looking into all the benefits you can get while on mat leave, but how do people survive?
With mat pay, child benefit and tax credit i will still be getting only half of my usual monthly pay check. I'm seriously worried how i'm going to pay the monthly bills, let alone having spare cash.

Plus DH can't get it into his thick head that we will have to cut back on luxuries like big shopping bills, ordering films from Sky etc

Am i missing how much benefits are? Plus whenever i try the tax credits calculator on the government website, the amount goes down each time i try it! (i assume i have had a baby already when i use it). I tried it again his morning and it said £6???!!!!

I think it's disgusting that maternity pay is taxable and my stupid work have refused to give me any sort of maternity package

 

[Minxy]

You'll manage because you have too! It's not easy though.

We took a payment break on our mortgage. We had to swop it to Coventry building society to do so, but lots of financial companies have this option on their mortgages.

Christmas saw the credit cards come out (although that's not advisable )

I was surprised how much my expenditure reduced though. I wasn't buying lunches, train fares and magazines when I was based at home, and splashing out on clothes, shoes and hairdressing was furthest from my mind. I even cooked more (once the intial couple of months was out the way) so saved money there.

A baby doesn't cost a lot of money. Try friends, charity shops and Freecycle for equipment and clothes. Breastfeeding and weaning on fresh food costs nowt and cloth nappies have saved us a fortune.

You will manage hon

 

[Nicola]

I'm sure you will manage just fine. Were not entitled to a single penny from any type of maternity grants etc so have nothing extra coming in...mind you that's a stupid thing to say I suppose, I'm a SAHW and have been for years so were not loosing a second income either. I agree that charity shops are a god send, family, friends, ebay etc and you won't have work related expenses, i.e. travel, take-away sandwiches, coffee breaks (amazing what a coffee & twix amount to when you have them daily for a month!), cutting back on shopping is easy, especially if you cook instead of buying ready prepared or partly cooked products. Sounds really silly but I went on a saving money campaign (not sure why!) in January, things like checking who was supplying and what it was costing us in gas, electricity and so forth helped, we've saved just short of £300 a year on switching providers, or bills are certianlly much lower. I paid the car insurance in one lump instead of monthly plus interest payments (another £120 saved!). You'll manage because you have to and want to and while the friday night take away etc might stop short term you'll be surprised I'm sure once your into a new routine how quickly these things can start again. You'll be just fine!

 

[mum2A&L]

try local markets for fresh fruit and veg. If you get to my local one when it is starting to pack away, you can get a tray of fruit and veg for a quid! does me and OH for a week. Its also great when it comes to weaning.

Babies grow out of clothes so quickly, don't spend a fortune on loads of new clothes. Charity shops and handme downs are fantastic! i still buy alice the odd nice dress, and i plan to ebay them after she has grown out of them.

my local Mother and baby group do a lunch twice a week. costs £1.50 and its pretty good. Means i get out the house for a chat with the girls and get a decent meal for next to nothing.

ive found that i prefer long walks and picnics to going out all the time.

I treat myself to one pub lunch with some mates everyother week, but we have found a smal cafe that does lovely food for even cheaper!!

as minxy said, you find a way because you have too.

 

[Bexter]

Thanks girls, i'm just a born worrier but yes, i'm sure once we cut back on various things it will be ok.

I'm still a bit perplexed by the tax calculator though, first time i tried it it said like £90, and now only £6??!! Bit weird - but i guess the calculator is only a guide.

xx

 

[mum2A&L]

I'm still a bit perplexed by the tax calculator though, first time i tried it it said like £90, and now only £6??!! Bit weird - but i guess the calculator is only a guide.

xx

i had the same problem.

contact your local cab and they should be able to help.

 

[Minime]

Know what you mean hun, I get less a week what I used to earn in a day but to be honest I dont spend anywhere near as much. He's already got everything before he was born so I only have to buy milk (he has cloth nappies mostly)
When i was earning i bought all his clothes then thought ahead and bought bigger sizes, look on the sales rails and work out how old baby will be i.e dont buy a 6-12 month snow suit if it will be the middle of summer when the baby is that old!
I managed to pay some things off well before too so dont have that outlay now