Budgety Seriousness
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Category: Pregnant
Forum Name: Pregnancy
Forum Description: Pregnant! Wanting to chat to other mums-to-be (or dads-to-be)? Share your thoughts, experiences, and ideas... This is that place!
URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=17369
Printed Date: 21 August 2025 at 9:16am
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Topic: Budgety Seriousness
Posted By: ginger
Subject: Budgety Seriousness
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:22am
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I spent some time during the weekend crunching numbers and I wondered whether it's just me, or whether other people look at the finite term (at least temporarily) of their double income and start looking carefully at things?
I've been slack - I honestly didn't expect to get pregnant  so have been merrily playing away, and now have some catching up to do! ... and of course that's the perfect time for cars to play up, expensive things to break  
So, what did you do? Did you make an early plan/budget and start taking things a bit more seriously? Suddenly for me, a coffee and cake (not that I want cake  ) could be so many other things!
Did you find it hard to change your lifestyle? and how early did you start to make changes? ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Replies:
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:26am
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We were spending as we normally would have for the first trimester and started putting money aside in the 2nd trimester and went eeeeeek in the 3rd lol
We wished we had put away more earlier. And wished we had "practised" living on one income earlier as it would have meant we would have had so much more money put away for all those nasty bills that come in when you are on one income and are like "now where the hell do I get the money from for that?!". Living on my budget now. I wish I had done that waaay earlier. We spent money on so much crap. We could have done waaaaaay more things on our house etc if we hadn't been so spend happy lol. DH still finds the money thing hard as he has never had to live "cheap". Whereas I don't find it all that hard as I lived pretty cheaply all my life. |
Posted By: MissAngel
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:27am
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Congrats on being preg first!
We honestly didnt plan anything cuz the baby wasnt planned at all :P I've pretty much just stopped having so much takeaways/dinners out and stopped shopping at the mall so much! I have a weekly budget now - we had the car thing happen as well, but I have my 'sanity money' so I can still go out once a week and have coffee/cake etc :) Cant cut back on everything and expect life to be just as happy tbh :P Good luck! ------------- Alex, Thomas and Lily http://lilypie.com" rel="nofollow"> 
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Posted By: Paws
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:38am
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I think we crossed our fingers and hoped for the best...I wish we'd put away more sooner though. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:44am
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We've always had a pretty tight budget so didn't need to cut back heaps, but in the first trimester I became acutely aware of how much the mortgage was and had frequent mini panic attacks about how we would cope. I now go through swings and roundabouts - sometimes get really tight, other times "oh well" (esp when DH says "we're doing really well", my brain hears that as "now I can buy those things I want but don't need"). Am in my 3rd trimester, and my biggest thing now is getting the grocery bill under control.
I'd recommend trying to make changes earlier - that way if you stuff up, you've still got time to correct it! Make sure you keep some money there for just you, and for sometimes spoiling yourself. ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: Shezamumof3
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:45am
yeah same as us really.. Although what we do is transfer a certain amount of money into my nana's account each week and when our monthly bills come in they go straight to her hosue and she writes out a chq and pays them for us out of our money, that way we wont spend the money thats meant for our bills(like our new table, couches etc) and we also took them over 6 months interest free so that they are paid off quickly cos we want to start saving for our wedding which is next March! ------------- |
Paws wrote:Posted By: KH25
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 11:46am
We started saving straight away - actually we starting while TTC as we knew we wouldn't have been able to save up enough for me to stay off work just while pg. I would definately start cutting back now if you can - there are lots of unexpected's that can happen during pg (me being a prime example of that) or just bedrest (or twins lol!!) etc so you need to be prepared for the possibility that you might have to give up work earlier that planned 
hope your morning sickness isn't tooo awful  ------------- Kelly, mum to DD, 19Jun06 (26wks 1lb15oz) DS1, 24Oct10 (32wks 4lb11oz) and DS2, 31Dec11 (32wks, 4lb11) http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:01pm
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When we got pregnant we started pretty much living off DH's salary and I put some of my salary and bonus' away as savings. I am still living quite comfortably off my salary that I saved, I contribute to our mortgage etc as I normally would have, I just put in alot less than I used to! I am a very independant person and feel I should contribute in some way to our living costs and my savings has helped me do this!
I now work one day per week for our business from home, so I just use my pay week to week and my savings has now become "savings" again. Thinking about this early in pergnancy has helped me get my way  and I can be a SAHM alot longer had I not planned ahead like I did!------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: SarahP08
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:02pm
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I started saving as soon as I found out as well, am still not living with my partner yet (this will change once baby gets here). My partner has got himself a 'proper' job and will be saving like mad once he starts that too.
I find myself thinking ooh I'd love a hot chocolate or I could save that $4 and buy a pack of facecloths. I'd thought about going to Hamilton for the parenting expo this weekend but the petrol and entry fee adds up to half a new cot mattress. I've discovered the joys of lentils - $2 for three meals, over chicken - $8 for one meal. Car is due for a warrant at the end of the month, fingers crossed it doesn't need new tyres!!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:08pm
that was us....or maybe we were the bury your head in the sand and hope something changes (like a lotto win). Hindisght is great and if we could we would have been in a better situation financially. We had just refinanced the mortgage and gone on a European holiday so we came back pregnant, with credit card debt and no savings. Spent most of my pregnancy trying to get back in black and therefore essentially wasted my f*ckn awesome salary! |
Posted By: emz
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:17pm
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Well we went from one income, 1 student loan, and a huge mortgage, to 1 income, 1 part-time income, WFF and a huge mortgage so we have more money now than we did beforehand.
I'm strange though, we'd been planning for this since we basically moved in together 4ish years ago, but definitely didn't expect it to happen so quickly so aren't in a great position financially. We had the car thing too ($2500 to fix!) while pg plus all the specialists bills, and the 12 or 13 scan bills (I'm guessing you'll have a few!) so it was pretty hard to save anything. I really would get onto it ASAP, we've cut spending down to $20 each a week (can't get much lower than that) as a necessity, but yeah it is a juggling thing 'do I really need that coffee?'. Didn't stop me pigging out on KFC while pg at least once a week though! 
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Posted By: Peanut
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:39pm
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We lived on DH's income and "saved" mine from the time we found out. We had $100 a week spending money each but cut that back to $50 a week once bubs was here.
Living on one wage was great practice and we budgeted $1500 for all the baby stuff - as soon as we saved that it was transferred to my account for me to shop for everything we would need. This was great as made me feel like I was spending money and shopping lots but wasn't really. It worked well for us. We are still ticking along nicely at this stage but expect things to get slightly tighter around august/sept but would be happy to pick up a day or two of work then. -------------  
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Posted By: Bombshell
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:42pm
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Ginger does that mean you are not meeting me at botany for dinner anymore? LOL!!!
Ok for us we knew we were getting mortgage holiday across the board....seriously helped BIG time!!!! Then I had friends and family buy me book vouchers and starbuck vouchers for while i was on leave....and i kept my visa topped up with money in case.... We didnt have much in way of savings - esp after paying the specialist and for the cot, nursery set up, stroller etc etc....and of course we shop like you do! LOL!!!! But cutting back and preparing was important. Seriously buy vouchers now while you can....gas, whitcoulls, coffee etc...so you can get out and about when bubs is here....made a HUGE difference to me and some weeks i didnt touch my IRD payments yet was at botany heaps....lessons learned from being a student too long too possibly! 
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 12:50pm
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We paid off all our debts (except my student loan - mission impossible) and then practiced living on DH's income. So I still had some discretionary spending while I was pregnant for mat clothes and baby stuff but we were able to accurately gauge how we would do.
As soon as I went on mat leave we put all my payments from IRD into savings and we're still managing to put a small amount of DH's pay into savings too (for how long I don't know though) -------------  
 
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Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 4:00pm
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Yah budget budget budget!!
I find that this time around I feel way relaxed about it all. I already have a cot, buggy, toys galore, baby gym, baby mobile, baby monitor etc so....unless we are having girl we will only have to buy cloths. However with Zaara, it was save save save. Luckily tho Mum and Dad bought the cot and mattress ($1000), MIL bought the buggy, BIL bought the Changing table so some of the majot blow went thru the family. And we have extended family so we also had cloths and toys galore. I also got the mobile and monitor with Fly Buys!! And at that time our combined wages was no way near what we get now...but some how we managed. We didnt qualify for Mortgage Holiday at the time so still had to pay mortgage. But if you plan well and budget, you could still splash on the stuff you want and pay the bills. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: nicolaann
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 4:50pm
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While I was pregnant with Alex we lived off DH's income, and mine was used to buy all our baby stuff. I wish we had saved more, but we have managed ok. I went back to work when Alex was 9 weeks old, so I still had 'spending' money for myself. This time round I have found it hard not having my own money. If I knew what I know now, I would of put money aside for myself, so I could go out for lunch/coffee, have my hair done etc etc without feeling guilty. ------------- Nicky, Mum to Alex (5) & Sophie (3) http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 4:57pm
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Thankfully we actually bought a number of big ticket items 3-4 years ago when we were first TTCing and thought it'd all be plain sailing So, we've got things like a cot, stroller, buggy for dog walking, bassinet - most of the essentials. I even have things like bottles and an Angelcare monitor etc.
So, I've made a budget to pay the renovations off, to cover a weekend away in Queenstown in Oct which I'm expecting to cost a little bit, pay off our HPs etc and get a little bit into savings. We're using DH's income for living and mine to do the other stuff so we get used to it and if we manage it ok - all my holiday pay at the end of the year can be turfed into savings. Of course, that's assuming that nothing unexpected comes up Lots and LOTS of wishful thinking there!!------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: white_rabbit
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:11pm
The car thing happened for us too. We took it in for a WOF but it needed so much stuff that my partner just bit the bullet and got a loan to upgrade us to a Station Wagon (got to fit the dog in there somewhere!) and it was well worth it. We're saving like mad and my parents have been awesome (living in a house they own and not paying rent means we can save quite a bit!) but given that we both work at least 25 mins away from home a major chunk of income goes to petrol costs. When I finish work (7 weeks before baby's due) all that petrol money can go straight into savings. We've also been fortunate enough to have kept our family's old bassinette and have been given a cot so the biggest thing we have to buy is the pram!! And the car too, I guess...  We're not really big planners, we live in the moment but it all seems to be working itself out - touch wood!
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Posted By: white_rabbit
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:13pm
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Oh and one thing I was wondering is what type of income do you get once PPL runs out? Seeing as how I'm in a relationship I can't get DPB so I was wondering where to go??? Any help? Ooo, planning ahead!!
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Posted By: Bobbie
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:26pm
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See if you qualify for WFF or Accom Supplement. -------------
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Posted By: gemsmum
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:30pm
Ah hmmm, yup, that would be us. Am starting to panic and praying for that Lotto win!!! I think my Mat leave is going to end up being shorter than I'd like.  ------------- http://lilypie.com">  
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Posted By: white_rabbit
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 5:33pm
| WFF = Working for Families yes? Is that the tax credit thing where you get about $140/wk? That is what I was thinking of. |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 6:01pm
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Hahaha Ginger budgetting seriously!!!
Jokes aside, we didn't get into budgetting until after Hannah was born and we hit rock bottom. I wouldn't wish the time we had on anyone. I wish we had learnt, while pg, to live on our "new income" and put aside the balance. Whatever your new income ends up being, remember to still put stuff aside even if it's just $20/week. -------------  |
Posted By: gypsynita
Date Posted: 19 May 2008 at 6:20pm
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We found out about the pregnancy the month before our wedding so all savings were heading to that... then we decided to move so were paying mortgage + rent while we did up our house with the intention to sell it and be flush for when i finished work -- didn't see the housing market getting this bad though (we WERE warned!) so now we're a month away from PPL and only just starting to look at the budget seriously...
really really wish we'd done it sooner!! ------------- Anita Mum to Cian (Aug 08), Josh (Jun 10) http://lilypie.com"> 
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