Frugal Maternity Leave

Funding maternity leave can be tough. When I started maternity leave back in 2013 and in 2016, my employers was like many in the UK that only offer statutory maternity pay. Having always been quite financially independent, and earning a reasonable salary, the sudden drop in salary combined with a sudden influx of baby related costs was quite  a big shock to the system. At the same time, like many parents, having that time off with my new baby was really important to me and I wanted to ensure that I had a full 12 months at home, making the most of those early weeks and months where they change so fast.

The three months unpaid maternity at the end of the 12 months can be particularly challenging, therefore saving funds in advance to budget for this period is crucial, Whilst short term loans such as iLoans are an option, there are also many other ways of cutting down your expenses whilst on maternity leave to get through this period.

Here are my tips for a Frugal yet enjoyable maternity leaave! 🙂

Mother & Baby Groups & Vouchers

There are lots of parenting groups you can join online which give you either free samples, helpful guides and discount vouchers off lots of essential items. I am a bit of a voucher hoarder, so will also cut out and keep any vouchers I can find that offer even a small discount off items I can purchase with my weekly shop. Some of my favourite parenting groups to join are:

Early Learning Centre Baby Club – this allows you to get 20% off online or in store for 3 months and also sends vouchers and ideas around your child’s birthday.

Boots Parenting Club – get 10 points for every £1 spent on mother and baby products in the Boots Parenting Club using your advantage card. You will also receive regular personalised coupons and suggestions for products based on your child’s age.

My Mothercare club allows you to receive £100 of vouchers on joining and personalised vouchers around your child’s birthday.

Hipp Baby Club – is great when baby starts weaning – free samples, vouchers and advice.

SMA Mums Club – free gift on joining and developmental emails as your baby grows

C&G Baby Club – free gift, samples and discounts.

Free Days out

As lovely as coffee and cake at a café with NCT or other Mummy Friends can be fun – it soon adds up! During my maternity leave with Erin, I loved meeting up at a family friendly café, usually inside John Lewis –  but I didn’t appreciate paying £3.95 for a tiny piece of cake! This time around I will be making the most of FREE days out, including stay and play’s at my parent friends houses, library read and rhyme sessions, trips to my local park and the Forestry Commission Gruffalo trails that can be found all across the UK – http://www.forestry.gov.uk/gruffalo. I will also be walking A LOT!!!

Free magazines

When I had Erin, the first few weeks I was pretty much stuck to the sofa, as I appeared to be feeding ALL day and ALL night. As a result, I read a lot on my phone or kindle, but missed the joy of a magazine!

I recently discovered Zinio – and the fact that my local library (Solihull MBC) offers the ability to download lots of magazines completely FREE OF CHARGE! Once registered in the library itself (you need to be a member and be given an online code), you can logon and download loads of different magazines including Mother & Baby, Hello!, The Radio Times, Cosmopolitan, Grazia, Marie Claire, Glamour and many many more.

Not only are these the latest editions (no reading out of date gossip!) but they are viewable on your phone via the Zinio for Libraries app, so perfect for keeping up to speed with the latest fashion or celebrity trends during the night feeds!

Freezer Meals

Preparation is key. The temptation when you are sleep deprived and time poor is to order a takeaway. Not only is this expensive, but it’s not great for the post pregnancy weight loss! By making food in bulk and freezing portions of dishes such as spag bol, chilli, shepherd’s pie etc, you can have a relatively quick yet healthy meal without much effort, and save a fortune in the process.

Second hand – Facebook Buy and Sell Groups

With my first, I was a little precious about buying second hand goods, as I wanted to have everything fresh and new. This time, I am not ashamed to say I will be recycling most of Erin’s clothes which we have kept vacuum packed in the loft until now. I have also come to realise that most clothes and shoes get worn very little as they grow so fast, so second hand children’s items are often “nearly new” and as such, in excellent condition. I always check out my local Facebook buy and sell groups – as not only can you find some real bargains, but you can collect free of charge from other mums in the local area. I have also sold a lot of unwanted items via this route – a great way of securing some extra cash when you need it.

Bargain Hunting

Shop around for bargains! I am a bit of a loser in that I tend to buy Christmas and Birthday presents early whenever I see a good deal or promotion. For example, I have Erin’s playmobil advent calendar for this year already, having bought it for half price last January! I use the Santa’s Bag app on my phone to set a budget for Christmas shoppping, and can track what items I have bought and for whom. I also find and share my favourite deals on the RMR sister page http://www.facebook.com/RMRDeals – there are normally LOADS on the run up to Christmas.

I also make the most of the online sales, having been a NEXT VIP for a number of years. I buy Erin’s winter coats and boots for the following year in the Boxing Day sales, and therefore never pay full price! A bit of planning goes a long way!!

What other tips do you have for saving money on maternity leave?

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*This is a collaborative post*