10 tips to ease financial strain of maternity leave
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My tips:
Mother of multiple sales were a lifesaver.
Freezed and made pureed vegetables.
Introduced babies at early age to good for you and your pocket stuff like rice, lentils, etc.
Bought second hand cots.
Free samples! I sent away for formula free samples, even though I’m nursing, in case we needed it. I work full time and with my last child I stopped nursing after six months. Now I get the coupons in the mail. I am stocking up. What I don’t use I will pass on to friends or the food bank.
.-= Rebecca´s last blog ..Wordless Wednesday =-.
Invest in short term disability through your work if you’re able to. For just a few dollars a month, you can get 6-8 weeks of pay (depending on whether your birth is natural or c-section). The pay is usually 2/3 your salary, but it helped me to take more unpaid maternity leave.
.-= Angela´s last blog ..Why I love the Target $1 section =-.
I am a mother of 4 boys I am self employed and therefore not eligible for any kind of maternity benefits in Canada so times were lean when I had my boys. My husband works a job that doesn’t provide a whole lot of money but it did get us by. I have many tips which can help anyone trim the fat from a budget and make staying at home with your wee one finacially stress free or at least reasonably so.
When you have your first child you always want everything shiny and new but financially speaking this is where things can go horrible wrong.
As long as items still are covered under the safety code and have not been recalled or damaged beyond repair it is always best to get your items second hand or as hand me downs. If you want to give them that shiny, new look a coat of paint or washing the fabrics or even replacing fabrics if you can sew and are handy will do the trick.
Hitting the second hand or consignment shops can be your financial saviour and most of the items are in such good shape and hardly used at all. Alternately if you want to spend no money ask your friends who have children that are older if they have any items you can borrow for your new baby, keep them in good shape and return them when you are done with them and this does not cost a cent.
Breastfeeding is free, formula costs a lot of money and is not as healthy. Also, sterilizing bottles and boiling water takes time and energy and breastfeeding does not require any of that.
Always accept hand me down clothes, put them in bins marked with the appropriate age, season and size and when the time comes bring out the new bins and you have a new wardrobe. If you do not want some of the items pass them on to someone else.
Never pay full price for anything, buy clothing out of season, buy day olds, buy meat at the end of the day when the price decreases and buy items you use a lot of in bulk when they go on sale. If you shop organic like I do I print coupons from http://www.thehealthyshopper.ca and take them to my local independent organic grocer rather than a big chain store like Whole Foods.
Use cloth diapers.
Meal plan and stick to it, eating out is costly and even buying a cup of coffee is 4.00 so why not invest in a reuaseable coffee mug, water container and bring your own. Keep snacks on hand in the car and in your bag for when the kids are hungry. Freeze leftovers for future dinners or pack as lunches. Food waste is one of the biggest problems in North America. It adds up.
Keep the processed food out of your cupboard and shop fresh and local not convenience foods or prepared foods. Not only is this far healthier but keeps the grocery budget down too.
Make your own cleaning products, for a few dollars you can have an entire home cleaning system. Vinegar, water and baking soda are staples but a bottle of castille soap (Dr.Bronner’s comes to mind) and an essential oil like lemon are nice additions. Invest in a good steam mop so cleaning your floors is easy and gets them really clean without chemicals. This is healthier for you and your baby and also helps to limit the amount of toxins in your home and how much you flush down the drain. Take this idea for all cleaning agents including laundry. You can purchase eco-friendly detergents and oxygen bleach instead of regular toxic bleach for not much more than what you pay now without the harmful chemicals on your baby’s skin.
Keep a diary of all money spent so you can clearly see where you are spending money and make decisions about your budget based on your habits. Find a bank account that has little to no service fees, don’t use the machine excessively because every transaction usually costs money that can add up. See if you can have your interest rates lowered on credit cards and loans.
Only buy what you actually need! Many baby items seem like a good idea at the time but get very little use once purchased. Test things out or ask around before you buy. Consumer reports will be your best friend in this regard.
Borrow movies/books from the library, it’s free!
Have a childcare circle so babysitting never costs money. Get friends and family to take turns sitting with you so you can all have time away.
Keep unnecessary items and lights off and unplugged. Did you know that unused items such as toasters and phone chargers still draw 40% power when not in use? That adds up to money wasted! Keep things on a powerbar that can be shut off when not in use.
Cut back on the frivolous, huge cable package. Get only what you watch on a regular basis. Same goes for cellphone plans and home phone plans.
Walk! Save money on gas by walking..if you can get to it in about 20 mins by foot it saves money on gas, parking and car maintenance.
Plan family friendly activites that are free in your area, children’s festivals, art shows, outdoor concerts and community events ar usually all free and can ease the stress on the wallet without missing out on family fun.
Plan movie nights and pop your own corn or bake your own goodies. This makes entertaining the family cheap, fun and totally hands on!
If you are a co-sleeper not having the expense of a crib is a fantastic thing. Babies spend 9 months inside you hearing you rheartbeat and your voice, feeling your movements to insist once they are born that they not have that comfort is difficult on the baby. Co-sleeping provides more ease for the child and mother and makes night nursing a cinch!
Use rags instead of paper towels. When clothing or old towels are too ratty to use for their purpose cut them up into rags for cleaning. If a job is simply too greasy or disgusting to wants to wash the rag simply toss it out. Less paper towel usage is also better for the environment as well as your pocket book.
Have a yard sale. Let’s face it we all have unwanted or unused stuff. Why not free up some space in your home and maybe make a few bucks by letting it become someone else’s treasure?
Create a budget, write it down and stick to it.
I recommend that my hair clients keep their hair lower maintenance for the duration of their leave. If they go lighter or darker I recommend toning it down to closer to the natural shade and cut the hair in a manner that can be maintained less. I also offer free bang trims and nape clean ups so this also helps to prolong a haircut. Ask if your hairstylist will do the same.
Start saving some money in advance so you have some stored away. I tried to put away at least 50.00 a week but managed 100.00 by following the above mentioned prior to the birth.
I also wanted to add if you are planning on having more children save things and keep them in bins marked clearly what they are and seasonal/size. Cribs usually come apart and can be stored under a bed and large toys can generally be flattened or taken apart to store as well. Recycling your first cycle of baby things will keep second + baby costs down.
Buy your meats from a farm directly, I purchase a bulk meat order directly from a farm 2 hrs away that specializes in organic free range meats and I save a bundle!
If you buy things in season they can generally be frozen for later dates. Investing in a small ( try finding one used) chest freezer can help you save a bundle.
Browsing craigslist is your new hobby, if you need something check it out there first.
Put all your loose change in a jar and start saving it all and you would be surprised at how fast it can add up. I managed to save for a weekend family getaway after only 8 months. It can also be your emergency back up fund in case you need it.
See if your area has a Freecycle site.
Being on matt leave can leave you bored and craving adult contact. With my first pregnancy I turned to shopping…so costly! Instead find mom’s groups to keep you busy or sign up for baby and mama fitness classes at the local rec centre.