number two

Well one way we intend on affording our second is by using cloth nappies (which we do with our first) and merely recycling them onto the 2nd (3rd etc),

Depending on how big your mortgage is (atm we don't have one so not something I'm that qualified to comment on) maybe see if you can make smaller payments for a little while when you are at home with the kiddies.

Have a look through some of the budget info on here for food, you may be able to cut down a lot on that bill, have a look at power/phone/internet etc, are you getting the best deal? Do you use everything you pay for?

Would it be cheaper for you to stay at home with the kiddies till they are 2 or 3 and can get subsidised daycare? How long do you want to stay home with the new baby?

Do you qualify for family tax credits and/or working for families? Accomodation supplement etc.

Just some things to ask yourself and find out about. 2nd time babies aren't that expensive largely because you have everything from the first time round, the only thing you will really need is another carseat and its easy enough to hire one. (Maybe some clothes if you have a different gender to the first one)

I saved a lot of clothes from my first daughter, and lucky for me we had a second girl or a boy would have been wearing a lot of pink and purple!

We also use cloth nappies, I breastfeed and use very little pre-made food (I did a bit of both for a while, finger food and jarred, but it is expensive!), and meal plan / shop to a strict list.

I'll also be a SAHM at least until my first daughter starts school, I went back to work for a while in between, and we found home based care a bit more affordable than a bigger centre.

You just have to really sit down and nut out what you can cut back on, for example we did splurge on a coffee machine a while back - but only because we worked out what we were spending on takeaway coffees from shops and knew that in time it would pay itself off and *then* start saving us money.

we cut back on everything. I breastfed, and make all his food, he wears hand me downs from his brother and cousins e.t.c. We don't buy many toys we go the library and toy library and borrow.

We didn't buy much new stuff as we had everything form number one. It is tricky but doable.
(is that a word(!!

We are expecting our second child and we will just make do with what we have. Obviously if it's a girl we will buy some extra clothing for going out (at home she can wear a lot of DS's things ) and I will be doing my darndest to BF this time round though not only for financial reasons. I also got into making our own solids a bit late and I'll be doing it earlier this time round, I can't believe how much cheaper it is to make your own!

I agree with IsaacsMum in that you just make do because you have to!

But going to one income would surely mean that you are at home (so no need for child care - one big expense gone) and hopefully you would also become eligible for working for families (the limit is higher with two children than one)

IME you live on what you have. When we were a double income no child family we were very well off and spent every cent (on who knows what cause we don't have ANYTHING flash) and now we are down to one income about to become two children and are just as well off as we have always been. We don't have the same disposable income but we are much more careful about what we do have.

So is that both earning $1500 a week, or a combined income of $1500 a week? If you're both earning that, and are going to go down to $1500 a week total, it should either be easy or you have one hell of a mortgage! I reckon going down to $750 a week would still be doable, although it depends what your mortgage payments are...

Can be a bit stressful sometimes, this money lark. Last year we had DD and only maternity pay, WFF, Student Allowance, family loans and savings to live off as DH was studying, lived on $500 a week. Didn't qualify of for any other assistance as he had a job starting Feb. Very stressful!

We downsized our house, by selling up and taking a cheap rental. I miss my lovely house sometimes, but don't miss the stress of payign for it and I know that when we are both working, i'll appreciate the money so much more. And the rental is in some ways more practical for toddlers anyway.

You can do stuff like interest only too, which does buy time. There's also citizen's advice budgeting people, who are great too for advice and creative thinking.

As you know, stuff for kids to do is not expensive and there's heaps of free things to do too. Some how you just get by.

Just a comment on day care. I'm in central wellington, day care for under 2's is hard to find. The govt subsidy doesn't kick in till they're 3. I've been told that if I take DS out of day care while I'm at home with #2 there's no guarantee I'll get his place back when I have to go back to work.

I didn't have much of a choice, cos I got two for the price of one, but you really do manage.

I'm a single mum of two, I work part-time and get a DPB topup, and I still manage to make it work, with a bit of play money as well. I don't go out a lot to socialise except with friends at their house (I do still treat myself to the odd "real" coffee lol), I moved out of town (not much - 15 mins drive) for cheaper rent, I'm pretty careful with my power/phone and have a strict budget for groceries. I use disposables, and the girls are on formula. They also grow like weeds, and unlike most people who have #2, I don't have any hand me downs!!!

After my novel...basically what I'm trying to say is, somehow it works out, you just adjust your priorities to suit your budget.