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Hannahemily View Drop Down
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    Posted: 05 October 2011 at 3:34pm
Im 7 weeks off giving birth ,and am already feeling the pressure & stress of how I'm going to support me and my son financially.I have gone on the Sickness Benefit as I have severe SPD,and am living at home with my parents which Im very grateful for,but I know eventually I will have to move out into my own place with my son and wonder how on earth I'm going to cope and afford it,maybe I'm jumping the gun here a little,he's not even born yet! But it would be great to hear from you guys as to how your situation and how you guys cope.I also cant help but feel the pressure of having to have the "latest" toy or trendy clothes for baby, I know at the end of the day it's all materialistic stuff,but it is shoved in your face somewhat?!& at the end of the day baby wont care if you have a $50"swaddle cloth" and I'm trying not too "buy" into it,i just find it all really competitive! your thoughts please lady's??? :-)
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Shelt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shelt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 7:02pm
I'm lucky in that I have a reasonably well paying job, but I also got stuck with an absolutely massive mortgage when my husband and I split so I understand what you mean by financial stress. I just try as much as I can to not get sucked in to the materialistic side of things, I am a person who likes to buy stuff so its not easy. I have become the queen of planning ahead and bargin hunting. I buy toys and clothes for DD at second hand stores and when stuff is on special. For example I brought DD's christmas and birthday presents in the last school holidays when all the toys were on special which means I only have the food to worry about at Christmas. I also buy and put away one Christmas present a month for other people. If I am buying new clothes for DD I buy a season ahead so I brought her stuff for next winter at the end of this winter when it was all half price. I put $30 a week into an account for DD's and my clothes and shoes, which means there is money there when we need something. I plan meals and write a menu a week ahead and then take my list and a calculator to the supermaket so I mostly only buy what's needed. I used cloth nappies for DD because even though the outlay was a lot higher I sold them all when she was TT and got most of the money back (you can also get secondhand ones on TM). I think the trick is to be mindful of whether you really need to be spending money. Toy libraries and book libraries are great for that sort of thing - borrow toys and books instead of buying them.

I'm not sure if any of that was any help to you but I guess what I'm trying to say is try not to get too stressed about it. The baby won't care whether it has second hand stuff or less stuff than some other babies. Some of the best things you can do together are free (beach, park, library).
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mizpix View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote mizpix Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 8:30pm
Trade me is awesome.... Kids clothes last such a short time before they grow out of them so seems silly to buy much new. Much the same for toys. got a couple of bulk lots and Alex seems to like random odd toys the best,not the fancy ones. Like Shelt I have a good paying job, but big mortgage and business loan so ahve to live frugally. I would start to buy up items soon, and just chip away at what you need.I also found I could pick up quite good stuff at auctions etc, just household stuff like kitchen goods,dressers, and the like.I also second the cloth nappies, way cheaper and again you can get very good deals on trademe,
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Hannahemily View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hannahemily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 8:30pm
Thanks so much Shelt.Your sooo good at giving advice you should become a councellor :-) P.s Organization seems to be the theme here
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Hannahemily View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hannahemily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 8:33pm
and Mizpix for the tips
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Hannahemily View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hannahemily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 9:16pm
hey are you guys talking about the re usable nappies or just the good old cloth nappies ?? thanks :-)
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AandCsmum View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote AandCsmum Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 9:23pm
I'm not single but we do feel financial stress cause of the nature of DH's job but one great thing I've found is the toy library. I've hardly bought any toys in the last 2 years & my kids have definitely not gone without "new" and age appropriate toys.
Kel


A = 01.02.04   &   C = 16.01.09   &   G = 30.03.12
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Shelt View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Shelt Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 9:42pm
Originally posted by Hannahemily Hannahemily wrote:

Thanks so much Shelt.Your sooo good at giving advice you should become a councellor :-) P.s Organization seems to be the theme here


Thanks It almost couldn't be further from what I actually do as a job though (I'm an accountant!).

Definitely organisation for me is key. I'm a working single parent, it helps to be organised otherwise you can feel a bit like you are drowning!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote .... Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 10:36pm
My son is three months old now, and I haven't had pressure from people to get him the 'best' stuff.
All of my friends agree that Pumpkin Patch, Flapdoodles etc are way too expensive, unless getting a dress-up outfit when they have sales. The prices of toys etc are ridiculous, and everyone is feeling the pinch at the moment, so you're not alone.
And, a lot of the time, cheaper is better.

PAFT are great, they come to your home each month and show you what toys you can make from household items, wee babies love balloons (which are all stretched out and can't pop) wee scarves, Bentley used to love holding pens before he could hold his rattle. You can also get interconnecting rings from kids shops, 30ish for about $10 and kids think they're just great.

Bentley has just outgrown his fluffy bear suit from Pumpkin Patch ($20 on sale, score!), and you've very welcome to have it for your wee man, if you want to PM me a postage address.

I use old-fashioned cloth nappies, and Budget 'sposies at night and when I can't be bothered washing naps.
I always feel stink putting Budget nappies in the trolley when I feel like I should be getting him Huggies or Treasures, but the truth is, Budget and HomeBrand nappies are the only ones that don't leak for us!

For clothes, some Plunket family centres offer a trade-in service - take in your NB sized clothes and get 000 size, etc.

Let me know what sorts of things you need for your bub, and if I've got them, I'll send 'em your way :)

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minik8e View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote minik8e Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 10:53pm
Don't feel stink Bec, I buy Budget/Pams/Homebrand regularly - it's what I supply to daycare, and they have Huggies only for over night. It's saved me a FORTUNE because I could easily go through $30-40 a week just in nappies.

I buy bulk lots off TradeMe, especially for daycare (they get paint covered and stained) and buy "nice" clothes only on special - TnT often has 50-60% off, and if I'm feeling flush at the time I look at the Farmers 50% off sales. I have bought very very little PP clothing - their clothes are the same price as mine, and mine have far more fabric!!! Plus when you multiply the cost by 2......yeah, not going to happen. I have a couple of outfits for special occasions (which I need to sell now anyway cos kids grow so darned fast) but that's about it. I don't usually buy clothes from the Warehouse, more so because I find them a not so good fit for the girls. But the majority of their clothes are second hand but tidy. No one ever knows!!!

I have always used sposies - but the sheer logistics of washing the cloth nappies involved with 2 children frightened me LOL

Cots - we got for $20 from the local hospice, and new mattresses. Pram we did spend some money on, but that is because I used it a LOT (and still do now). Carseats - again, spent a bit of money getting the best we could afford at the time. You can hire them from Plunket, for a pretty low sum, if you need to though. I would suggest hiring a capsule, and then buying a carseat later on down the track. My highchairs were $40 each (brand new) from an online baby shop. They're not the flashest, but they work.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote .... Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 05 October 2011 at 11:46pm
WINZ can also help out with cots, prams, etc, but if you don't ask, they won't tell you.
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Hannahemily View Drop Down
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Hannahemily Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 October 2011 at 10:53am
wow thanks guys so much !! hey Bec that's so nice of you to offer me the fluffy little bear suit and anything else you may have :-) that really nice .. Im lucky at the moment and count my blessings because my mum has brought me alot of stuff for baby which is great but I do feel bad about it, and Its fine being at home and not having to pay rent which is awesome..but when I have to move out I know that things will be really tight ! so its great that you guys have given me fantastic tips etc..I don't feel so overwhelmed now, and yes toy library is definatley the go!.I used to nanny a little boy and his mum constantly hired things from the local toy library and it was great stuff, also even if I had the money I don't think I could justify paying some of those prices for toys etc... because kids only get over them and the novelty wears off so quickly !!!!!!
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Babe Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 06 October 2011 at 10:53am
Opshops I've brought barely anything brandnew for the boys. I'm no longer a single mum but I was for about a year after DS1 was born and I got everything secondhand. I scored a touchwood cot off trademe for a couple of hundred bucks coz the lady didn't know (or care) about the brand, I got a playmat from a local secondhand kids shop and my parents brought me a buggy and clip-in capsule as a baby gift. I trawled all the scondhand shops to get house stuff and got cast iron posts etc, stuff worth mega bucks brandnew, for less than $5 each and I won't ever have to replace it. We're on a good income now but we stick to s very tight budget and I still get pretty much everything secondhand. The only 'brand-new' toys we get the kids are matchbox-type cars. We either buy secondhand or make it ourselves.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Gee1979 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 24 February 2012 at 6:14pm
I practically furnished my whole little flat from hospice and salvation army, I got breastpump, bouncer etc from there, my cot was off trademe and mattress, mum brought me a bassinette from farmers sale, i had a friend who dropped off a huge bag of second hand clothes from prem to 1 year from her friend, I also brought a whole lot of clearance clothes like farmers red dot and I have a wonderful friend who was the boyswear buyer for the warehouse and she gave me all the samples for free. I never felt the need to compete, and the thing is they grow so fast, its not worth having that outfit or those shoes as you will find you probably wont want to or have the energy to get out and about anyway. The 3 wheeler pram i got from babycity on special for $200 and it was crap anyway, it was the mountain buggy i scored off the side of the road and got the tyres all fixed for $30 that has been the most awesome pram, and still use it now on those extra long walks. trademe, greenbaby "browns bay" and clearance sales at the warehouse, farmers and kmart also salvation army, hospice, second hand stores have been my saving grace even now ;)
Gianna
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote amalia201966 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 22 March 2016 at 12:49am
One trick is buy in other countries where the price is lower.

So, put for example Google Spain: and put "comprar ropa bebe" which is the translation.... and then you will see website with competitives prices.
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Post Options Post Options   Thanks (0) Thanks(0)   Quote Joseph265939 Quote  Post ReplyReply Direct Link To This Post Posted: 25 December 2020 at 4:54pm
Thank you for sharing.
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