Pressure to return to work

Budget. We didn't think I'd be able to stay home for as long as I have but I've been at home for over 3 years now.

Recently we never seemed to be getting anywhere money wise. I've redone our budget, worked out exactly where our money goes, reduced our food bill by half pretty much and we are now saving quite a bit a fortnight. Within a couple of months we have enough savings if extra bills come up whereas before we really struggled. When I redid our budget I sat down and got quotes for all our insurance needs and power etc to find the best deal and I saved quite a lot of money that way.

As kebakat says budget - reduce what you are spending or find alternative sources of income.

There are ways of earning an income that don't mean you have to return to work full time, thinking outside your previous line of work and looking for something that fits in around DS.

Thanks everyone.

We are on a really tight budget as it is. Even if I can save a few dollars a week at least it will help if something unexpected comes up. I just love those annual bills that increase with no warning! It stresses me out thinking about it though and it can be quite depressing.

Unfortunately part time work wouldn't be worthwhile for me because we would lose our WFF and have to pay for childcare. I would have to work full time to make a difference - and I really don't want to do that.

hehehehehe Becks you should be scared but really its not that bad

Buying things in bulk rather than small amounts, like I use to get 4kg spuds, now I get 10kg bags. 5kg of flour instead of 1kg lots..

We don't use lots of cheese, I know lots of people who go through a ton of cheese which is expensive and fattening

I've added way more vege to our meals. It may sound more expensive but its not. We get a mixture of both fresh and frozen (probably 1/2 each).

I've started actually using my cookbooks. Its my aim to try 1 new thing each week from them.

I use to buy premade pasta sauces but I'm using herbs and canned tomatos instead now. I'm just experimenting with the amounts to get it tasting just as good.

I don't buy coke or any drinks like that.

We are making loads of simple meals and just making them extra tasty with herbs and spices and in how its cooked. DH found a dairy in town that sells spices and herbs (owned by an indian couple) for a fraction of the price of the supermarket.

We aren't chucking things out like we use to. If I see some vege that looks like its going to go off in the next few days I make something using that for dinner rather than wasting it. I have also got our portions down to a fine art so we don't have leftovers sitting in the fridge forgotten about (which was a bad habit of ours).

I'm vego so that saves us loads. But then I won't touch raw meat so I buy loads of prepackaged meat that I don't have to do anything to, to feed the boys during the week so that more expensive in that way.

I don't buy prepackaged meals. I make our own pizza which is cheaper than buying it. If I feel like being lazy we have a "breakfast tea" which is sausages for the lads, eggs, spaghetti, hash browns. Its cheap and really only takes 10 mins, shove the hash browns and sausages in the oven and 10 mins for the eggs and spag.

Sez25 Kebakat is now over in the budgeting section giving good advise