7 ways to cut costs on Maternity Leave

Taking time off to have your baby can be a real financial struggle. Having a baby who needs food, clothes and fun can be expensive and a real hit on the bank account. I’m into month three of the statutory maternity pay now, boo hoo. During my pregnancy I was able to budget and save so I could pay for stuff like mortgage and food, you know important stuff. But now I have very little disposable income. So I’ve been super thrifty and wanted to share some ways I’ve been cutting costs to make my money go further during maternity leave. Apart from making a strict budget each week I’ve implemented these measures to make sure financial worry and stress is reduced.




Buy books or toys in charity shops
Eva is obsessed with books and I love reading to her in the afternoons. However there is only so many times you can read the hungry caterpillar before you start reciting it. So I have a nosey in the local charity shops for new books. They are always about a £1 and in really good condition, much cheaper than a trip to W H Smith.

Try uswitch to see if you can get your electricity and gas for cheaper
We did this when we moved house last May. We ended up saving £400 by switch both suppliers. Also have a look at your internet provider and phone contract and negotiate that when it comes up for renewal as there is always a better deal to be had!

Facebook selling pages
Like eBay but local and so much better. We’ve bought everything from a car to a cot on our local selling page. Recently I bought a bumboo for a £5 rather than spending £40 on a brand new one. They have EVERYTHING to do with babies on there. So if you’ve been eyeing up a Bugaboo but the price isn’t right, look on your local page to see what’s available. I’ve also sold a few items and it’s quick and easy.

Topcash back site
This site offers you a percentage of your total spend at specific websites. I used it for purchasing life insurance, joyful I know, and we got £120 back. It has offers for so many big retailers and we recently used it through mothercare to purchase the sleepyhead grand. They have lots of discount codes too so worth checking out if you do have a big purchase to make online. You can register here

Make little swaps
A really small change but you have to look after those pennies. We were firm water wipe users in this household until a nasty bout of nappy rash meant we wanted something more gentle. Turns out cotton wool is super cheap and lasts for ages. In Superdrug 300 balls is £1.79. I use about two per nappy change which works out at around 150 nappy changes. Water wipes are 4p per wipe, so the same amount of nappy changes would cost £6. I really enjoyed working that out.. I know I need a hobby. It just makes economic sense! And you can just have a pack of wipes in the baby changing bag for when you are out and about.
Also have a look at making your own baby food. We’ve been doing BLW which means Eva eats what we do, saving waste and cooking time. Only millionaires can feed their baby exclusively on Ella’s kitchen.

Ditch the baby classes, head to mush or hoop
Everyone always gets the “go to baby classes, make friends!” And it’s a lot bloody harder said than done. I think I have a resting bitch face cause no one talks to me at these things. So I use the mush app instead to meet local
Mums who have kids the same age as yours and look friendly. Think friend dating for mums. You can meet up in a group at a coffee shop or nearby free playgroup. Hoop is also a great app which I’ve recently discovered and you can filter activities by price. You can download both apps through the App Store.

Cancel subscriptions you ain’t gonna use for a while
I’ve been on my body coach plan for two months so I have been making use of the gym but I realised I was paying for basically every subscription tv app going. Also I had a beauty box subscription which let’s face it I find it tricky to find time to wash my hair let alone pamper myself. So I cancelled the subscription, they can all be reinstated when you are back earning.