Tight?
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Category: General Chat
Forum Name: General Chat
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URL: https://www.ohbaby.co.nz/forum/forum_posts.asp?TID=16327
Printed Date: 01 October 2025 at 7:09pm
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Topic: Tight?
Posted By: busymum
Subject: Tight?
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 8:46pm
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Our mortgage rate is due for review - think up $50/fortnight - and our accomodation supplement/tax credits both are not due to change for the year. (Well to be accurate, we got a $2/week increase!) Groceries costs have risen something crazy in the last few months and on one income, the 'pinch' is starting to get to me lately. Let's not even talk about rates! Anyone else, and what are you doing to make it 'all better'? -------------  |
Replies:
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 8:48pm
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Petrol was up another 3c today! I am soooo glad we signed a fixed term till next March or our rent would be going up now too. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
 (02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 8:53pm
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Oh yes we are. I don't even want to talk about rates One good thing for us is that we are renting our place out in July and we qualify for a rates rebate so that will help a little. So our mortgage will be taken care off for us. As for the rest OMG yes. I think us living in the middle of nowhere will help a bit as I won't just be able to go to the supermarket as I want a packet of chips. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: BessieBear
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 8:55pm
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arrgh don't you hate the morgage ours goes for review in september, and have you seen the price of cheese at the mo. OMG!!!!! hate to see what happens when i finish work and our bubs comes along things are going to get tricky. ------------- Sarah Mum to, Boy 07/2008, Girl 03/2010, Boy 05/2012, Angel 07/08/2014
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Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:09pm
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Don't forget to shop around for mortgage rates... and talk to your bank on if you can stretch your mortgage out a little longer to ease on payments.
One of ours comes off fixed middle this year not looking forward to it - even with staff rates its a huge jump. when will it go down?? I wish before then! And yeah bloody food prices just keep going up... and don't get me started on petrol prices - here we have one of the cheapest prices in NZ and its still bloody expensive! ETA: used bloody cause if the aussies can I can LOL  ------------- Ann 
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |
Posted By: Bizzy
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:17pm
i saw the heading and thought "hmmmmm, tight as in tight arse or tight as in nuns"....? 
i love cheese and spent more time at the cheese section of the supermarket yesterday trying to find the cheapest but not the yuckiest!!! ------------- http://www.myfitnesspal.com/weight-loss-ticker"> 
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Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:20pm
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oo correction: just got a letter today and our accom is going up $3/week. So that's a govt increase of $5/wk for this financial year!
*insert lame woohoo here* LOL! ------------- |
Posted By: busymum
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:22pm
lol Bizzy I thought it might look like a waistline reference  ------------- |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:41pm
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That's better than us Teresa, our WFF is going up $0 per week *rolls eyes* Not sure about accom supp yet.
But when baby arrives, WFF will go up like $50 a week - what a pity I won't be working then so it won't be "extra" money, it'll be making up for part of my lost income. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 9:51pm
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I thought WFF for was going up this year?? Probably not and its just my mind playing tricks on me. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: jack_&_charli
Date Posted: 14 April 2008 at 11:55pm
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WFF pisses me off....DH got a payrise of buggerall at xmas, so i rung to tell them to adjust it, and it came down the same amount DH's wage had increased by! so we are no better off for the payrise.
we'd actually be better off if he refused it, because WFF isn't taxed  ------------- http://www.alternatickers.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: my2angels
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 6:32am
| we have just fixed our mortgage again, horrible 9.3% but we were lucky cos the next week the rates when up yet again. I fixed for 30months, keep an eye out sometimes banks have special deals for that sort of time frame, also we stretched it over 30 years rather than the normal 25 and we changed from paying monthly to fortnightly and thats saving us at least $100 a month in interest! |
Posted By: Mama2two
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 7:36am
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Really tight here too. We rent our house and have signed up for another year with only a slight increase but OMG if we had a mortgage we would need to extend it to buy a block of cheese or butter!!!!
Add to that petrol prices - ugh. It costs over $120 to fill my car now and there is no point down grading because I still owe to much on it to make it worth selling in the near future. They were saying at the beginning of the year that gas would reach $2 a litre this year and I think now that they have said that it is like a target for them to reach  Also I love that no one's pay has gone up even though groceries are up like 30%!
OK, so now that my moan is over. We have just started having a grocery free week once a month as DH is on monthly pay and we usually run out of money in the last week anyway. So apart from the absolute necessities that we might need to get (milk etc to a max of $10ish) we go through the freezer and pantry and get inventive! It is amazing what yummy things you can make 
------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: newmum
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:06am
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I'm trying REALLY hard to ignore it But not wirking... stressing out here too ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:29am
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Its terrible! I am dreading our mortgage coming off fixed in October. I worked out the other day that at todays rates and with a lump sum of $30,000 added to the mortgage AND stretching it back out to 30 years it will still cost us $30 a fortnight more....WTF???? So I am really hoping that election time might lead to some funny interest lowering behaviour.
and dont get me started on the price of groceries!!! We have had to increase our budgeted amount as we were never achieving it! |
Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:35am
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We have to redo our mortgage in June sooooo not looking forward to it!!!!!
And groceries, grrrrr. We WERE spending $200 a fortnight max and now its $250. At least for us with the new financial year we are finally receiving WFF. Last year we didn't because of the way DH got made redundant/went to a new job. I'm loving our budget though. I wish I had done it sooner! |
Posted By: peanut butter
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:45am
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We wont get WFF this year as I will be working part time. I hope we might get a little from last year as I stopped the payments when DH got a new job that took us close to the threshold.
Stacey, you are a legend with groceries. We are on $200 a WEEK. and I took on board your post about budgets, talked to DH and he agreed we can have our own spending accounts and one for Tom. I get more as I have "higher needs". YAY!!!! I am so excited but I am not allowed to spend mine on Tom.....what am I meant to spend it on then? |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:53am
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Our mortgage has gone up almost $500 a month and believe me, we don't have a big mortgage for Auckland!
Obviously, my shopping budget has gone bye bye. There's no spare money at all! ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: ginger
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:54am
OK, scrub that. I just saw what Stacey spends on groceries. Apparently there *could* be spare money!  ------------- Cuinn Lachlan 23.1.09 - 22:00 Antonia Helene 4.8.11 - 09:41 |
Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 8:54am
We refixed our mortgage late last year - was gutted at the time, but knd of happened it came up then and not now. I really want to look at sorting out paying more principal off our mortgage - in the last year we paid $8k in interest and just under $1K principal  Just about cried when I saw that.
And yesterday I was moaning to my mum about how our groceries cost $85, and she couldn't get over how we can live on that! And the petrol price is definitely making me rethink any trips out, and walking to town more. Yay for online shopping, but then they put the post prices up too! ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: Jay_R
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 9:27am
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Ugh, mortgage rates, yuck.
Everything for us is getting tighter. Luckily, I have just started a new job, and I now work in Onehunga as well as live here - my previous job was in Takapuna, and was costing $120 a week in petrol We spend heaps on groceries - at least $250 a week. But we don't go out much, and I am not a shopper (for myself... but for Joshie, thats another story )
DP has just started a postgrad course at Uni which is surprisingly expensive, but I can't begrudge that. Yuck money, yuck interest rates... YUCK! |
Posted By: Roksana
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 10:44am
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Clare we should catch up for lunch on day...lol I work in Penrose!!
Any who...my Mortgage is coming up in May...YAY!! Not looking forward to it!!! I am actually abt to tear all my hair out. I calculated I will have to pay $200 more a FN thaN I do now!!! Aarrrgggg!
And akl trfc sucks and I waste more petrol on standing still in one spot for 10 min at a time!!! We dont qualify for any govt help as both of us together we earn tooooo much. I am still waiting for my boss to tell me what my pay rise will be, he seems to be ignoring me!! I am not telling him that I am pregnant untill he tells me...LOL And we spend around $220-$250 a FN shopping but this does not include Meat/Fish. Which my DH buys fresh when we need it. And oh should I mention that we attend more weddings and other family related function than any one (atleast 4 a month)...BH!! I better get a huge pay rise or we are screwed!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> 
http://lilypie.com"> 
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 10:47am
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hehe I still think we overspend in groceries mostly because I've been lazy and buy jarred food for Daniel. It would be sooooooo much cheaper if I actually made his food.
Aimee, I almost cried too when I saw we spent $13k on interest and only $1.5k on the principal 
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Posted By: yummymummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 10:47am
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Gah! I'm so so sick of us paying soooo much for the mortgage, petrol, food, rates, power, water etc etc
My solution was to get me my dream pram - at least now we have an exciting reason for not having money ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 10:55am
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Argh, here are our finances finally looking on the up and I go to turn the tv on and it doesn't work, it makes a horrible hissing noise so I think it's gone.. if it is, that's gonna be a bummer to pay for a new one
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Posted By: fire_engine
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:02am
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I don't know how I'm going to stick to our grocery budget once we have to buy nappies (will force me to swtich to MCNs ). Our mortgage is renegotiated in March next year and we'll probably have to take a mortgage holiday to get through to then or I come back to work early, or sell my soul and start working in the private sector (I work in health). I just find it really frustrating that no matter how hard I try and plan my weekly shop, it goes over budget so easily. Didn't help that this week I needed cheese, parmesan and butter (and parmesan IS one of the essential food groups!).
I so want to win big Wednesday! ------------- Mum to two wee boys |
Posted By: My3Sons
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:03am
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groceries are what gets me!! ------------- Mum to Mr 10, Mr 6 and Mr 4
 
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Posted By: NeoshasMummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:14am
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Girls how do u guys live on $85-$100 in groceries?? Before Neosha we would spend like $65 a week on groceries now its like $180-$250 Nappies, formula, wipes, nappy bags, canned fruit alone costs me about $70 a week!
EDIT: yes dont get me started on the price of CHEESE and bread for that matter, although I do only like the expensive one. ------------- https://secure.fertilityfriend.com/home/30c4ec/" rel="nofollow">  Mrs Te Kani ❤️ Neosha 26/5/2007 |
Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:37am
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I dont buy nappies, wipes or nappy bags. Formula gets paid out of Greers disability allowance. We buy a little canned fruit, but I did some of my own a few months ago as it works out way cheaper. Oh and we dont buy cheese, biscuits and we dont eat much bread now - if we do I make it instead. We eat meat every night but not heaps and I make stuff so that it goes a long way. ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: NeoshasMummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:43am
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Wow I guess ur right it can be done but we are in the habit of it. We dont eat too much meat, just sausages and chops and stir fry meat and I guess the rest gets spent on toilet paper, cleaning products, yoghurt and crackers and frozen stuff ------------- https://secure.fertilityfriend.com/home/30c4ec/" rel="nofollow"> Mrs Te Kani ❤️ Neosha 26/5/2007 |
Posted By: aimeejoy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:50am
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Sounds like our meat! We buy cheap toilet paper (still nice and soft tho!), I dont buy many cleaning products (but it is usually the more expensive ecostore versions). ------------- Aimee Hannah 22/10/05 Greer 11/02/08 |
Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 11:57am
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I am a bit of a tight bum here and am determined to not go back to work while still having quite a substantial mortgage to pay, so I try to save as much money as possible on things I can do/make myself.
To save money (and because I enjoy it) I make my own yoghurt in the Ezi-yo, make my own MCN's, use cloth wipes as opposed to wet ones, I make all Lauren's food myself, and I am still b/f! I also shop at 3 different shops, Countdown for general groceries, Green Grocers for fruit and veges and The Mad Butcher for meat. I shop once a month and spendaround $400 - 500. When we are getting low on food when I am due to shop again, we just have things like stir frys which are easy peasy and you add odd things and they still taste quite nice! I think the price of food is shocking, especially to eat healthy, its cheaper to eat junk food and drink Coke!! ------------- http://lilypie.com">  http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:04pm
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We don't buy nappies, wipes or nappy bags.. such a waste of $$. We buy 2 tins of formula a fortnight. We don't go through much meat cause I'm a vege, but DH can't live without it lol.
Meat is easy to save money on. Don't buy it from the supermarket.. go to export meat/mad butcher and buy it in bulk each month or two and then bring it home and split it into smaller lots to freeze or whatever, it works out way cheaper. Or make friends with farmers and buy a beast to be butchered. And get fruit and vege from weekend markets, that's also way cheaper. |
Posted By: AliaDawn
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:09pm
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We only spend $50-60 a week at the supermarket usually. Don't buy formula anymore (and it was only one a month till a couple months ago, where he dropped his morning bottle, and then it was expiring when it was half full so we got rid of it) Don't buy nappys (Gods, I LOVE skipping through that isle, not buying anything!) Soon won't have to buy pads/tampons, as I want a mooncup (waiting to see if I'm pregnant first though!) -------------  
 
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Posted By: BellaBoo
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:21pm
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We are having a vegetarian month just to save a bit of dosh and be a bit healthier.
We dont have a mortgage yet(wouldnt be able to afford one, not even close) and pay cheap rent but still things are tight. We dont go out much and very rarely have takeaways. We now try to buy house brands at the supermarket which can really save quite alot. I think wages really need to be increased as they are not rising the same as inflation. Maybe we should all move across the ditch! ------------- http://lilypie.com">   http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:22pm
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Stacey that is exactly what I do with our meat, buy bulk and split it up into meal sized portions, also helps me to contain my meal sizes which aids my weight loss!! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:29pm
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WOW we spend $125.00 on food a week ... although Issy is breastfed so thats a saving We dont get any government help as DH is not a resident yet ... so things are pretty tight! I dont know how you guys with mortages cope ... in saying that ... the way things are going, I will never get back into the housing market! ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year  http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: daikini
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:35pm
Well, we're considering moving to Southland! DH has applied for an HOD position at a school down there... it comes with a school house, and the rent savings alone are significant. As it is a middle management position there would also be a pay raise. Plus the shift there would be paid for by the Ministry of Education - who would also pay for the shift away if we stayed a minimum of 3 years as the school is in a hard-to-staff area! Umm... we spend $300/fortnight on groceries for our family, including buying milk throughout the next 2 weeks as required. To help? Cloth nappies/wipes, make our own bread (in a breadmaker), make our own yoghert (in a similar thing to the Easi-yo maker), I'm going to breastfeed Jackson as long as possible, the kids wear lots of hand-me-downs or second-hand stuff (I love Savemart!), Nat takes the train to work (works out cheaper than driving), I walk as much as possible. ------------- Becca, mum of 2 girls & 3 boys |
busymum wrote:Posted By: BellaBoo
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 12:36pm
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Oh and we bought the 4 Ingredients cookbook which should help with cooking on a budget.
There is one thing I cant live without that is pricey is my Complan-love the stuff! ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 1:03pm
| Ohhhh what is that 4 ingredients cookbook actually like? |
Posted By: mummy_becks
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 1:10pm
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I want to know too. Maybe I should talk to Katherine about getting this book reviewed. ------------- I was a puree feeder, forward facing, cot sleeping, pram pushing kind of Mum... and my kids survived! |
Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 1:35pm
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I have a copy, it's OK, but have never tried any of the recipes. ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: NeoshasMummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 2:21pm
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Oh yeah I got given that book by MIL (her way of making us save money and eat less takeaways) to be honest I have never tried it lol but SIL has tried a couple of recipes and said its OK.
Its interesting to see how much people save on their groceries! I talked to DH about changing to cloth nappies for the new bub but he was appauled by my comment and grossed out by the fact that he would have to help clean them. He then went on to say he doesnt work 7 days a week for nothing and I shouldnt be tight about nappies eek was just a suggestion!!! I couldnt live without wipes though:) I guess when I think about it I always buy magazines and junk really lol. I dont have a mortgage (DHs Idea) but we have steep rent $350 a week. But we dont really have any other bills. ------------- https://secure.fertilityfriend.com/home/30c4ec/" rel="nofollow"> Mrs Te Kani ❤️ Neosha 26/5/2007 |
Posted By: BellaBoo
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 2:27pm
I only just got it but looking through it it seems ok. I think it will be the cookbook that I am more likely to use rather than the bookshelf of other ones that require a thousand ingredients. It is really basic so probably not good for those who like to eat gourmet. Will def make cooking cheaper I think. ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: lilfatty
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 2:27pm
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That cant be in Auckland ------------- Mummy to Issy (3) and Elias (18 months) I did it .. 41 kgs gone! From flab to fab in under a year http://www.femininefitness.co.nz/category/blog - LFs weight blog
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Posted By: peachy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 2:30pm
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NeoshasMummy, my DH was exactly the same about MCN's, but now I have made a set of 12 and he has noticed how much we can save at shopping time, he thinks MCN are pretty cool ------------- http://lilypie.com"> http://lilypie.com">
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Posted By: kebakat
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 2:36pm
My DH was the same and now he hates sposies with a passion. He complains like crazy when there is even a suggestion at sposies being needed (for immunisation time). Washing ain't hard. It's not difficult to throw them in the washing machine and turn it on lol
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Posted By: NeoshasMummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 3:01pm
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Lol no $350 in GISBORNE lol its very steep here but a beautiful brand new 2 storied house very kool. we r shifting to that one on friday. People are shocked to hear rent that high here but when we were in Auckland we paid $400 just for a average house lol so we dont mind those prices
Hehe I know it would be easy to go with cloth nappies Kellz showed me her ones and talked to me about the benefits so I went online to get some and got a earful lol so I said what about buying just one to try Also nappies take up huge amounts of room in rubbish bags and with $2.40 a sticker to get rid of rubbish its adding extra costs------------- https://secure.fertilityfriend.com/home/30c4ec/" rel="nofollow"> Mrs Te Kani ❤️ Neosha 26/5/2007 |
Posted By: NeoshasMummy
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 3:04pm
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[/QUOTE]Washing ain't hard. It's not difficult to throw them in the washing machine and turn it on lol[/QUOTE]
We bought a brand new washing machine the day after I had Neosha, since then I guess he has used it twice MAYBE, doing the washing for him is chucking it on the floor and saying "they r dirty hun" or "theres the dry cleaning pile " for his suits Honestly I must train this man ------------- https://secure.fertilityfriend.com/home/30c4ec/" rel="nofollow"> Mrs Te Kani ❤️ Neosha 26/5/2007 |
Posted By: sally belly
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 3:05pm
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Topsy, I can't live without complan either but have been buying the double choc flavour as you only need to use 2 scoops rather than 6 in the other flavours. I do get bored with the flavour but it must mean that the box lasts quite a bit longer.
I have become better at buying more "home brand" food items. Most of them are no different to the other brands & can save you quite a bit of dosh. The last couple of months I have started writing down everything we spend our money on, on a list on the fridge. The first month we spent $600 less than the previous month & last month $250 less. It's a bit of a hassle but worth it, especially for me as it means that I won't buy little things such as chocolate & drinks when I'm out as I don't want to have to write it on the list. I am also starting to work out what we'll be eating for dinner for the week before I go to the supermarket. This way we throw out less rotten veges as I only buy the things we really need for the week. I too am not wanting to rush back to work just yet so I'd rather find ways for us to save $$. For us, cloth nappies & wipes have allowed us to save a lot. The only baby item I buy at the supermarket is body wash & that's probably not even essential -------------    
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Posted By: Maya
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 4:13pm
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Hey, I've got an idea - I'm going to bump up my Rampant Consumerism thread from this time last year!
LOL @ your DP Neoshasmummy, mine is the same. I have the gremlins in cloth and he has only just this past weekend learnt how to actually put a cloth nappy on, I am not stupid or naive enough to think he's EVER going to learn to wash them!  ------------- Maya Grace (28/02/03)
(02/01/06)
The Gremlins:Sienna Marie & Mercedes Kailah (14/10/06)
Lil miss:Chiara Louise Chloe (09/07/08)
Her ladyship:Rosalia Sophie Anais (18/06/12)
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Posted By: AnnC
Date Posted: 15 April 2008 at 7:52pm
Fortnightly or weekly is better than monthly you are right as there are 26 fortnights and 52 weeks where as there is only 12 months - making a few more payments a year.... IYKWIM ------------- Ann
Also Mum to Josh (15) and Brooke (10) |