Please help

A question about : Please help

Hi all,

I am due our second baby any day now, my LG is 20 months so still in nappies. Our budget for food each month is Ј300, we have managed on this fine for 3 of us, but now we need to throw in to the equation a newborn who will be extra nappies and milk (BF is not an option) Milk will be Ј40pm for 5 tubs, plus nappies - up to Ј15pm depending on how many bump goes through.

I want to start having some sort of meal plan but to be honest I'm not really sure where to start and also suggestions on cheaper meals. For the first few months shopping around is going to be difficult so I am relying on delivery from Asda (I bought the 3 month pass just there for Ј15 to save on delivery charges as I would need a shop once a week)

Any suggestions would be appreciated. Also, my LG isn't great with feeding herself (co-ordination using spoon/fork not yet mastered) So if anyone can provide ideas on easy lunches etc that she can have and feed herself that would also be useful.

Thanks

Best answers:

• The additional amount you've mentioned is less than your additional child benefit for a 2nd child so it shouldn't matter (unless you're planning to use that money for something else for the little one?)
  Best place for meal planning advice and grocery spending/thriftiness is the old school thread...I always meal plan and shop weekly and take part in the grocery challenge. Anything left then goes into our Isa each month on the next payday.
  If you read the 'what's for dinner' thread fora. Few days you'll get loads of fresh/cheap ideas for meal planning.
• Thanks! Will have a look at them.
  I was planning for the extra child benefit to cover clothing/shoes etc, also I currently save Ј15 pm for my LG in to her kids ISA so will do the same for bump too.
• Have you tried the asda little angel nappies? 2 packs for Ј10. We've used these since my youngest (23mo) was born and they are just as good (IMO) as the leading brand. Obviously like all nappies they can vary from shape of child so what work for one, may not work for the other.
  We also stock up on wipes etc when there is a baby event on. You can get 12 packs of the huggies baby wipes for Ј12.
  We've always let our kids feed them selves. We did BLW so the child used their hands and ate whatever we had. I always place a spoon or fork with them and with my eldest who is 6 (and my youngest has started doing it too) using them more and more until eventually they use it all the time. Yes at first it was messy but at 20 months old your little one should be pretty much feeding her self all the time by now. Spoon/fork mastering will come in time
  For lunch we have sandwiches with different fillings, noodles, soup, beans on toast, fruit, veg sticks etc.
  Evening meals - Maybe consider bulk buying and try and do some batch cooking before little one arrives? Get some freezer meals ready so all you or your OH have to do is put them in the micro/oven to reheat. Things like bologanse, casseroles etc etc.
• Personally I would say Ј300 per month is very generous for two adults and Heidi small children. What is included in this budget? Is it food for all three meals everyday plus cleaning/toiletries/any pet food(?)/eating out?
  We budget Ј120 for us and our dog and don't plan on changing that much once baby arrives. Most months I actually try and stick around Ј100 as every 3/4 months we do a huge bulk shop and purchase chicken breasts, mince, toilet rolls, laundry detergent, fabric conditioner and a number of treat items to last us. With me going on maternity leave next month I'm hoping to continue with the same budget or less given I will have more time to shop around and cook more 'old style' meals (e.g casseroles etc) rather than just quick ones.
  Our Ј120 covers all groceries, treats I buy for us, dog food, toiletries and cleaning products. I know I could get this down a lot but bf is an athlete so can eat for England and also has two cereal bars a day for breakfast at work (not a great morning eater so used to have nothing but its better he eats something so he takes these) which I try to buy on offer but not always possible.
  I would recommend coming over to the old style section and perusing the threads there, especially the meal planning threads and grocery challenge. Everyone is lovely and lots of help plus you can always find out about a bargain or three! :-)
  I would
• I would really second doing some batch cooking now so that you can just pull a meal from the freezer when you're too exhausted to cook anything.
  Ј300 is quite a lot, is there anything you can do to cut the costs a bit?
  When I was on maternity leave I had the time to visit our local green grocers and butchers rather than the one-stop supermarkets and was amazed at how much cheaper (and nicer!) the food was.
  Meal planning is invaluable to make sure you don't waste food, the Old School board has lots of tips on this. I can also recommend a slow cooker - I've needed to do a bit of experimenting as to what works for us, but it's brilliant to be able to throw in a load of ingredients then 8 hours later dinner is ready with no extra effort!
  If you're looking for cheaper recipes, there's new book out by Jack Monroe called "A Girl Called Jack" which has the recipes she used when very short of money - some of them are inspired.
  In terms of saving money generally, I bought a lot of our baby/children's clothes from charity shops - they're in them for such a short amount of time that they're often in near-perfect condition. Nappies are an unavoidable expense unless you go for re-usable (I did, but completely understand why people wouldn't). If you wanted to give it a go, you could always put a wanted ad on freecycle or similar to see if someone was happy to pass theirs on.
  Also, although this may be location-dependent, there are a number of shops who have offers on nappies, tinned food, drinks, cleaning stuff etc such as B&M bargains, Quality Save, Home Bargains. It's really worth checking out their prices as you can save a lot that way.
• I have been meal planning for a while and I am still trying to get my head around it at times, as I feel we repeat meals quite a bit. Think I might have a look at the 'whats for dinner' thread as suggested by dingdongsaving!! With a new baby on the way I would suggest making more caserolls/lasagne/cottage pies ect... this way you either have a meal for two nights or you can freeze half and then you have meals ready for days when you are feeling more tired. As for lunch that your other child can feed herself what about doing things like boiled egg (then let it go cold and cut in half/quarters) with chicken strips and bits of salad that she might eat then its more finger food!! Keep an eye out on things like Groupon and Approved Food for good deals on items like toilet rolls/hoover bags/cleaning products/food that doesn't spoil... that way you can still order online and it will be delivered to your door.