jelly bean
after my husband pays the rent,his car note,bills (electric and water) and puts aside gas money we normally have about 100 left for groceries and diapers..wic helps alot though as does food stamps
i would love to work but i have a 3yo stepson,4yo stepdaughter ,11mo and im 5mos pregnant with my next baby..we wouldnt be able to afford daycare..i tried working between my first and second pregnancy and the salary wasnt enough to even cover it...i tried watchin other kids but it got too chaotic and pu tmy pregnancy in danger..my husband says i need to start contributing money and iv ebeen trying (selling the kids old stuff n ebay) but he always wants more..im soo stressed and i need help
Answer
I disagree that your husband should get a second job. Its important that he be actively involved in your children's lives too - kids need quality time with their mom *and* dad. Having your husband work 2 jobs would take away from the time that he could spend with the children too.
One way to help would be to make sure that your budget is as efficient as possible. Most of us have expenses we could trim from our budget if necessary, without sacrificing too much quality of life. For example, it sounds like you have a tight grocery budget...are you getting the most out of the money you do have to spend on groceries? (There are a couple of online coupon clubs that could help...The Grocery Game www.thegrocerygame.com and Coupon Mom www.couponmom.com are the ones I am most familiar with.)
Gas prices are going up - is there any public transportation available in your area? My area doesn't have a ton of public transportation - just one so-so bus system. But you know what? I started using it to commute to work, and its not that bad. And I save $200 a month by doing that!
There are probably other unnecessary expenses you could trim if necessary...sure, its nice to have the Internet, but its not a basic need either. You get the idea...start looking for places to trim expenses out of your budget, to make the most out of the money you have already.
Is it possible for you to get paid to provide before/after school care for school aged children in your area? (I know you said that you tried watching other kids, but it was hard to tell if you were talking about other toddlers full time vs. school aged kids for an hour or two a day. Watching a few older kids for an hour or two while they waited to catch the school bus would certainly be less hectic than taking on several toddlers for a full day.) :)
Do you have any skills as far as something you could make to sell for profit? (Some people are better at craft or sewing type stuff than others...I don't have a talent for it, but someone who does could earn some extra money that way!)
And, of course, I'd gently caution you to start preparing for what you plan to do after this baby is born...it sounds like you guys have your hands full already, and if you think you're stressed now, imagine how much more stressed you'd be if another baby came along after this one. Yikes.
Good luck though...remember that at least it will get easier once the kids all get in school. Then you can try working part time while they are in school. (Or even if the older kids were in school, you might be able to afford a part time babysitter for the younger ones.) You and your husband just need to work together as a team to make it through these next few years...it may get rocky and stressful, but it can be done.
I disagree that your husband should get a second job. Its important that he be actively involved in your children's lives too - kids need quality time with their mom *and* dad. Having your husband work 2 jobs would take away from the time that he could spend with the children too.
One way to help would be to make sure that your budget is as efficient as possible. Most of us have expenses we could trim from our budget if necessary, without sacrificing too much quality of life. For example, it sounds like you have a tight grocery budget...are you getting the most out of the money you do have to spend on groceries? (There are a couple of online coupon clubs that could help...The Grocery Game www.thegrocerygame.com and Coupon Mom www.couponmom.com are the ones I am most familiar with.)
Gas prices are going up - is there any public transportation available in your area? My area doesn't have a ton of public transportation - just one so-so bus system. But you know what? I started using it to commute to work, and its not that bad. And I save $200 a month by doing that!
There are probably other unnecessary expenses you could trim if necessary...sure, its nice to have the Internet, but its not a basic need either. You get the idea...start looking for places to trim expenses out of your budget, to make the most out of the money you have already.
Is it possible for you to get paid to provide before/after school care for school aged children in your area? (I know you said that you tried watching other kids, but it was hard to tell if you were talking about other toddlers full time vs. school aged kids for an hour or two a day. Watching a few older kids for an hour or two while they waited to catch the school bus would certainly be less hectic than taking on several toddlers for a full day.) :)
Do you have any skills as far as something you could make to sell for profit? (Some people are better at craft or sewing type stuff than others...I don't have a talent for it, but someone who does could earn some extra money that way!)
And, of course, I'd gently caution you to start preparing for what you plan to do after this baby is born...it sounds like you guys have your hands full already, and if you think you're stressed now, imagine how much more stressed you'd be if another baby came along after this one. Yikes.
Good luck though...remember that at least it will get easier once the kids all get in school. Then you can try working part time while they are in school. (Or even if the older kids were in school, you might be able to afford a part time babysitter for the younger ones.) You and your husband just need to work together as a team to make it through these next few years...it may get rocky and stressful, but it can be done.
what baby stuff is the best? worst? (brands/styles of strollers, carriers, car seats, etc)?
Ember Halo
i'm trying to figure out what i would need to get my baby when it's born. i need things that are inexpensive, but good quality and easy to use.
in your opinion, what baby products are best?
are there any you found to be annoying?
thanks!!
oh, and breast pumps, too!
that one's really important to be quick & easy.
Answer
When it comes to breast pumps, i learned the hard way an electric Medela is the only way to go to make sure you're successful at breastfeeding. Those weenie little handpumps by Evenflo, and Avent and such, just don't do the job well enough to help up your milk supply in the early days. You can actually rent a hospital grade pump for a couple months to help establish your milk supply, that's what I would do. Or buy a pump in style, especially if you intend to do your baby the great benefit of breastfeeding for a long time, it will make things much easier.
Car seats - Britax is one of the best ways to go. Sounds expensive up front, but b/c the seats have high weight limits and tall harness slots, they last twice as long as other car seats so you save money in the long run. Another great contender is the brand new Evenflo Triumph Advance (NOT the Triumph, the Triumph Advance is different.) At $150 or under, its an awesome seat that will rear face to 35lbs and forward face to 50lbs, and has 17" tall top harness straps, should last most kids till they are 5 years old!! A sling is also a worthwhile investment, I love the Mei Tei carrier someone gave me, you can nurse in it, carry baby in the front, back, cradle style, or hip, and works with a newborn and still works with my 39lbs almost 3 year old. Ring slings are great too. Babies love being held close, and slings allow you to do that and still have your hands free. Much better than sticking baby in one of thoe car seat carriers all the time.
MY all time favorite baby product is one that can actually be rather hard to find, b/c they don't make them anymore, its called a 'soother'. Playskool (hasbro) made this vibrating clip. Takes batteries, you can clip it on the crib (clip to the spring thing underneath the mattress, not the railing), car seat, swing, playyard. My son loved it. I took it everywhere and clipped it all over the place. Check kids consignment places and eBay. I couldn't find a pic to include, but do periodic searches on eBay for "Playskool soother" and one pops up now and then. Its not the same as the vibrating thing that hooks to the crib rail - these don't do much except make noise. It looks like a giant white chip clip. :)
When it comes to breast pumps, i learned the hard way an electric Medela is the only way to go to make sure you're successful at breastfeeding. Those weenie little handpumps by Evenflo, and Avent and such, just don't do the job well enough to help up your milk supply in the early days. You can actually rent a hospital grade pump for a couple months to help establish your milk supply, that's what I would do. Or buy a pump in style, especially if you intend to do your baby the great benefit of breastfeeding for a long time, it will make things much easier.
Car seats - Britax is one of the best ways to go. Sounds expensive up front, but b/c the seats have high weight limits and tall harness slots, they last twice as long as other car seats so you save money in the long run. Another great contender is the brand new Evenflo Triumph Advance (NOT the Triumph, the Triumph Advance is different.) At $150 or under, its an awesome seat that will rear face to 35lbs and forward face to 50lbs, and has 17" tall top harness straps, should last most kids till they are 5 years old!! A sling is also a worthwhile investment, I love the Mei Tei carrier someone gave me, you can nurse in it, carry baby in the front, back, cradle style, or hip, and works with a newborn and still works with my 39lbs almost 3 year old. Ring slings are great too. Babies love being held close, and slings allow you to do that and still have your hands free. Much better than sticking baby in one of thoe car seat carriers all the time.
MY all time favorite baby product is one that can actually be rather hard to find, b/c they don't make them anymore, its called a 'soother'. Playskool (hasbro) made this vibrating clip. Takes batteries, you can clip it on the crib (clip to the spring thing underneath the mattress, not the railing), car seat, swing, playyard. My son loved it. I took it everywhere and clipped it all over the place. Check kids consignment places and eBay. I couldn't find a pic to include, but do periodic searches on eBay for "Playskool soother" and one pops up now and then. Its not the same as the vibrating thing that hooks to the crib rail - these don't do much except make noise. It looks like a giant white chip clip. :)
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Title Post: worried about money...?
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Rating: 92% based on 925 ratings. 4 user reviews.
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