Savings

At the moment we're paying off our debt first, we consolidated our car loan, hps and cc onto the mortgage. There's a little bit to go, but once that's gone, we'll have $500 a month extra to save towards time off work.

I think for furniture etc I'll either buy off trade me, or lay-by at farmers/baby factory/city etc.

I'm fortunate in being one of the last of my friends/family to start a family so there are a few hand me downs available for me.

For me, I had 4 and a half k put aside for baby gear, and it lasted my until she was 4 months old. DON'T try to spend it on everything you think you will need, once your bundle arrives its then that you see what is going to make life easier for you, and what is really needed.

I haven't sewn for years, but it's something I'm keen to start again. I've made baby clothes in the past, but would also use it for home furnishings as well.

I'd love to start knitting...just haven't got round to it yet. There's a local girl who does classes, so might go along to a couple.

Milliemoo

I was too scared to come into here. we are lucky to have a spare $50 a week left after basic stuff most weeks, and that goes into savings, but then gets used for things like DS birthday coming up and theres always something

to have the luxury of having spare money to save that much that quickly would awesome!! If we were still in aussie we would definetly have that money saved and quite fast. I am relying on lots and lots of hand me downs, plus im a good bargain hunter so will slowly get things as i see a good deal, but after i know the gender

But I do want to save enough to help top us up on the maternity payment IRD gets us, cos it wont be enough to survive on and then im also hoping to get to 6months before heading back part time to work.......although i may end up having to go back after 3 months if we run out of money, but wil only need to work enough hours to cover what we basically need.......i do also hope that my DH gets a payrise before then cos hes barely past the minimum wage...........the whole money thing scares me actually!!!!!!

Yeah we started saving once we found out we were pg with Isabelle and bought most of her stuff while we were on two incomes.

Now that we have Elias coming (and we live off one income) we started saving (again) as soon as we found out he was on the way.

We already put $50 week into Isabelle's savings account and we then started putting aside $50 a week for Elias. That money is for their first cars and other non essential items lol.

On top of that we save $350 week for my maternity leave period as even with the maximum PPL it wont come anywhere near paying for our expenses.

At least we know that we can save .. I "live" so much better with a goal ... once I go back to work we are going to start saving for a trip back to DH's homeland with a stop over in Disneyland. I find I really need a goal .. otherwise I just spend spend spend lol

We saved equivalent to our weekly budget x 12 weeks so that I could take a full 6mos off work instead of just the PPL for 14.

My aunty and uncle saved one whole income when they were both working and lived off the other. Meant they were used to living on a budget when the boys came along and they had a hefty amount put away. I had to leave work when I got preggers coz I was so sick and the ex wouldn't put any money aside for baby except for a secondhand cot (I was lucky though managed to get a Touchwood for a couple of hundred). My parents gave me the buggy I wanted with a capsule that fitted it and the rest was hand-me-downs or family heirlooms like the bassinet every member of my family has slept in for 3 generations. I think anyone who is able to put money aside is lucky but its possible to do it on a really tight-ass budget too.