Just wondering if other parents could share their money saving tips while on maternity leave or living off one income? I’m just about to start maternity leave and wanting some tips that other parents have found helpful.
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Don’t let your husband go on eBay Kimberley
I grocery shop online, it helps me stick to my list and not impulse buy. If you can before your pay stops or reduces add extra pricey items such as cleaning products, deodorants etc to each shop and stock up a bit to reduce your grocery bills while on reduced pay. Lisa
I made a strict budget of what all our bills cost & other expenses each week & I put the bills money straight into a bills acc so we never worried about bills & we saved most of my maternity money for when we had one wage. Before leaving work we paid off my car loan & credit card so we didnt have those extra big expenses to worry about. Anything that we thought needed to be tackled before bubs arrived we did it. We do most our shopping at Aldi but still go to coles for those things you just cant swap. I plan my meals each week so I know what we are having & this way I don’t over spend at the shops. I like doing this also because I can plan for healthy meals & we have no waste. I prepare all my daughters meals fresh except the odd accasion of when im out & about with her. Say yes to hand me down clothes. You are constantly buying new clothes so if you can get a few items second hand it helps heaps I bulked up on nappies, wipes etc while pregnant so the first 4 months I didnt have these things on my shopping budget. Breastfeeding is another cheap option if you can do it . I would of had 12months off in April. There has been times where we have struggled but at the end of the day I wouldnt change it any other way. I got to watch my baby girl grow & discover new things. Being a tad broke is nothing compared to that. You just manage Ashleigh
we went and consolidated all our debts before i started maternity leave, bought in bulk and bought cheap brands. we had tuna mornay and spag bol at least once each every week as they were cheap meals. I never compromised on nappies though. We saved money in petrol by me not working, I always managed to keep my shopping budget to 100 per week (this was a bit over 3 years ago), which included $30 of nappies. The trick was to buy the cheapest groceries. Rice and pasta go a long way, and I only ever bought cuts of meat that were less than $5.00 per family meal. I bought vegetables and fruit that were in season and cheap, and our dogs had to deal with cheaper dog food Justine
Just spend on what you need, no overspending in stupid stuff. I’m a stay at home mum with 4 kids and we live on one wage and have for around 6 years. Jenna
Use a slow cooker and cook in bulk and freeze in individual portions (you can buy chinese style takeaway containers in the shops) not only will you save money but you’ll also have meals for when you don’t feel like cooking once you have bub! Robyn
I’ve just finished my maternity leave period, while on it my husband was made redundant so we were solely living off my paid maternity leave money which was minimum wage. It was very hard. We bought only what we absolutely needed. Found stores that sold cheaper foods than the supermarkets. Aldi was also a good source. No going to places where you might be tempted to buy something you don’t actually need. Kiri
I have re-figured and re-thought what we eat on a weekly basis. For example, do we really need X brand of pasta sauce? No, I can make my own. Same with dips, snacks and other dinner components. Takeaways are limited and going out for dinner has been unheard of with a newborn anyway I agree with bulk shopping online, you can stick to your list and it’s convenient etc to have it delivered. Before my son was born I built up a stock of cans and spices so I have ingredients on hand to make things we like but with cheaper ingredients. We slow cook, cook in bulk and freeze, and try not to buy expensive convenience foods. I buy 2nd hand clothes as opposed to brand new, and don’t make much but every bit counts by selling things I don’t need anymore online. Louise
We fixed our home loan, meal planned & shopped at Aldi for majority of items (there are still a few things I buy from woolies)… Jamie
exclusively breastfeed, modern cloth nappies, shop at markets for fruit and vege (so much cheaper), make some of your own cleaning products instead of buying them (vinegar and bi carb as a spray and wipe is great and vinegar and dishwashing liquid to clean shower screens etc), meal plan so u don’t buy things u don’t need, shop at Aldi if u can, don’t eat out/eat takeaway as much, if u aren’t locked in to a phone contract then get onto Anaysim for prepaid phone credit ($40 or $50 a month and u get unlimited everything plus 4g data), see if u can change ur health care/car and home insurance etc to a cheaper provider (budget is great value) so many ways to save money! And just don’t spend it if u don’t have it. Go without things like nails, tans, hair every 4-6 weeks etc it really saves a lot u will be fine! Good luck Janine
Use wet face washers instead of baby wipes, you’ll save heaps (lots of pooed nappies for newborns!) Try to resist the things you don’t actually need for bubs, that’s an easy way to spend extra. You don’t need baby bath lotions or moisturiser, etc. Join a buy swap sell site and get bundles of clothes cheap instead of new. Walk where you can instead of driving. Just remember your sanity – a coffee after mothers group is good for your soul. Kat
Join facebook page SAHM (stay at home mum) it has heaps of tips for living frugally on one wage Jenny
I buy in bulk as much as possible, meaning I only need to do one bug shop per month, and just top up fresh bits and perishables once a week. Shop at markets or greengrocers if possible, they’re usually much cheaper than the supermarket. Fill up with petrol when it’s cheap, not when you’ve run empty. Use public transport when appropriate. make double portions of each dinner so hubby can take lunch to work rather than buy. My hubby also takes his own coffee and brews it at work- buying adds up. When visitors come over, ask them to bring something you need for bub. I always asked for nappies, and have only just bought my first box after 2 months. I hope this helps! Marianne
Base your weekly dinners on what is on special for that week, and also stock up. For instance taco kits, burrito kits, etc are all half price at woolies this week. I would some of those of your family eat them. Also mince meals are cheap. I never get stingy with nappies and toiletries though but again i stock up on those when on special Tenille
I arranged to defer paying anything I possibly could and cut right back on groceries. It was surprising how much I had in my pantry already and by the time I went back to work it was all nice and tidy. Lauren
While you are on your normal wage do a big meat shop to stock up your freezer, freezing in meal size portions (eg 500g mince, 2 pieces steak, etc). Meat is most expensive part of the shop so not having to do it saves a lot! Make sure your pantry is stocked (rice, pasta, tinned veggies, etc.) so this way for the first few weeks you can get away without having to do a big shop too! I did this saved a lot of time and money! Sam
I managed to save nearly $100 a week by splitting my shopping up. and going to butcher and green grocer wholesalers. the picked up sundries such as canned/jar foods, cleaning, and miscellaneous frozen goods from right price which is a discount factory seconds supermarket. I only go to the commercial store such as wooleys/coles for dairy bread and baby stuff. takes me a whole day to get my weekly shop thatvi used to get all in the one shop but $100 a week savings is worth it Tracey
See if your financial institution will allow you to reduce your mortgage repayments for 6 months or so. We’re with Westpac and they do. It takes the pressure off quite a bit. I agree with online grocery shopping (Coles seems to be cheaper for us). Accept hand-me-downs (you can always sort them and keep your favourites). Kristy
We fixed our home loan and changed to interest only. We also reduced our weekly shopping by buying cheaper brands. And as I wasn’t going to work we saved on petrol as we really only used one car for a few months Jenna
Meal plan as much as you can, write out a list of recipes to have for the week/fortnight and only buy those ingredients, no wastage and surprising how much you save. Have people visit you so you don’t have to leave the house ie: not using petrol, not being tempted to spend $ while out. Accept any offers of hand-me-downs Melanie
Great question! Just started maternity leave myself:) we refinanced & consolidated our finances- switching banks for a better deal has saved us heaps! Look around! I was able to start Mat leave earlier due to our reduced home loan repayments & all other debts paid with a house revalue. I also have managed to get almost everything for bub second hand or given as gifts my friends/relatives that love to buy! Especially first babies;) in the end your baby doesn’t care & you won’t care if it’s new or not. See if you have a local buy, swap, sell site for your area- I often post things I need or am looking for & I’m amazed at what people are giving away or selling very cheaply! It’s also a great time for you to clear out your cupboards & sell things for extra $$$ on eBay or gumtree! I also bought a lot of maternity & nursing wear on these sites- don’t buy anymore maternity clothes unless you can use them for breastfeeding as well! Make a budget & make meal plans for the week & stick to them. Avoid food wastage & invite friends over or suggest having catchups at home rather then going to cafés where you have to spend $. Consider cloth nappies (it’s not for everyone but even using a few here & there will save you). Don’t buy into ‘must have baby items’- all your newborn wants is to be feed, changed, held & put to sleep, So many mums I know that bought things their baby never used or liked! I could go on but I think you get the idea;) be savvy & don’t ever be afraid to ask friends or relatives for things (even if you can borrow stuff) we all love to help out new mummies! Goodluck xoxo Tiffany
What are your best money saving tips for maternity leave? Comment below
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