Baby Talk
30 October 2002, 10:46 AM
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Ok, here's the deal. Me and my fella want an ankle biter next year. Problems facing us are: Neither of us earn a great deal and are pretty much crippled paying back the loan on the Scooby which means after sprog is born I will have to go back to work. This causes another problem. Child care. It's gonna cost around £400 a month minimum to get the baby looked after which we can't afford either. Any serious ideas on how to get around this?!?!?!
30 October 2002, 10:52 AM
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I once worked out that to break even, couples who put their kids into private nurseries need to have the partner on the lower income earning about 35k 
You will get child benefit (something like 25 quid a week) as well as childrens tax credit if neither of you are 40% tax payers. (Actually you still get some if either of you earns up to about 40k, IIRC, but it decreases the higher you go). Depending on your earnings you may qualify for working families tax credit, and there's one that pays a proportion of your childcare costs too.
There's an online form to find out if you qualify at https://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue...Household.aspx
You will get child benefit (something like 25 quid a week) as well as childrens tax credit if neither of you are 40% tax payers. (Actually you still get some if either of you earns up to about 40k, IIRC, but it decreases the higher you go). Depending on your earnings you may qualify for working families tax credit, and there's one that pays a proportion of your childcare costs too.
There's an online form to find out if you qualify at https://www.taxcredits.inlandrevenue...Household.aspx
30 October 2002, 10:54 AM
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I know, we thought of that. We have only had it a couple of months and don't really wanna get rid. Just wondered if anyone had any other idea's?!
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30 October 2002, 10:55 AM
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Get your priorities sorted. Scoob or kid?
If scoob comes 1st, then you should not even bother having a kid!
Sorry for being blunt, but people(me included) sometimes miss the obvious questions!
Try and find another job before you are expecting that has creche facilities or would not object to your child being at work.
Do your parents work? Any family friends that would do it for less, ie nothing?
I am fortunate, my wife works for her father, does not get paid alot (less than £10k) but can take both the boys with her, and leave them there if need be so her mother can look after them.
Steven
If scoob comes 1st, then you should not even bother having a kid!
Sorry for being blunt, but people(me included) sometimes miss the obvious questions!
Try and find another job before you are expecting that has creche facilities or would not object to your child being at work.
Do your parents work? Any family friends that would do it for less, ie nothing?
I am fortunate, my wife works for her father, does not get paid alot (less than £10k) but can take both the boys with her, and leave them there if need be so her mother can look after them.
Steven
30 October 2002, 10:56 AM
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Don't sell the scooby!
There are ways around it!
Work part time and get your earnings increased with the tax credits scheme. Basically I find that it pays for Stevens childcare and some left over! What you have left over could be for Optimax
Seriously though, start to put money aside just now and what I did when I was pregnant was get all the buy 1 get 1 free offers on wipes etc and also stock up on nappies too, even just once a month buy a large pack of Huggies (I recommend them, tried both and they are imo the best!). This cut down on the initial outlay and I am sure that your families will buy the bigger items like pram, cot and Recaro for when the wee one is older! BTW the Recaro doesn't fit too well in the front seat!!
Drop me an email if you want some more advice. My son is 3 now.
Amanda x
There are ways around it!
Work part time and get your earnings increased with the tax credits scheme. Basically I find that it pays for Stevens childcare and some left over! What you have left over could be for Optimax
Seriously though, start to put money aside just now and what I did when I was pregnant was get all the buy 1 get 1 free offers on wipes etc and also stock up on nappies too, even just once a month buy a large pack of Huggies (I recommend them, tried both and they are imo the best!). This cut down on the initial outlay and I am sure that your families will buy the bigger items like pram, cot and Recaro for when the wee one is older! BTW the Recaro doesn't fit too well in the front seat!!
Drop me an email if you want some more advice. My son is 3 now.
Amanda x
30 October 2002, 10:59 AM
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Work part time and get your earnings increased with the tax credits scheme. Basically I find that it pays for Stevens childcare and some left over! What you have left over could be for Optimax
30 October 2002, 10:59 AM
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I am sure that your families will buy the bigger items like pram, cot and Recaro for when the wee one is older
30 October 2002, 11:01 AM
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No, MarkO - you're not.
I can't afford X, so the state can buy it for me...
Britain is in a bad way because...........etc.
<High Horse Mode ON>
Sell the car...it's either the car or the child - if you can't afford both, get your priorities sorted. At the moment, you are putting the car before the child...so maybe you shouldn't have a child.
<High Horse Mode OFF>
I can't afford X, so the state can buy it for me...
Britain is in a bad way because...........etc.
<High Horse Mode ON>
Sell the car...it's either the car or the child - if you can't afford both, get your priorities sorted. At the moment, you are putting the car before the child...so maybe you shouldn't have a child.
<High Horse Mode OFF>
30 October 2002, 11:03 AM
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Far better, environmentally, too.
30 October 2002, 11:03 AM
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I wish i had went for the Kooshie nappies now, it would have been cheaper in the long term.
You learn by your mistakes!
I don't have a Scooby yet and to be honest it's none of your business, somebody asked for some advice and I told her how I do it!
You learn by your mistakes!
I don't have a Scooby yet and to be honest it's none of your business, somebody asked for some advice and I told her how I do it!
30 October 2002, 11:05 AM
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Carl - boil wash them in a huge pot (specifically for the nappies and nothing else) on the oven for a start, use Environmentally Friendly detergents and they can be washed at 40 degrees more than happily.
30 October 2002, 11:07 AM
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I've got a 5 year old already (from my previous marriage) and my mum looks after him when he's not at school but she can't do it any longer. She is really ill and it isn't fair. My parents made it very clear when I had him that they wouldn't look after any other child I had, so it's not worth asking them!!
I know we need to prioritise..... Child or Scooby but they are pretty much on an equal!!!! I know that sounds sad but it's true! Our dream car!!! B*llox, I'm p*ssed off !!!!!
I know we need to prioritise..... Child or Scooby but they are pretty much on an equal!!!! I know that sounds sad but it's true! Our dream car!!! B*llox, I'm p*ssed off !!!!!
30 October 2002, 11:07 AM
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Interestingly, once you factor in the ridiculously high temperatures and detergents you need to clean them, they aren't any better environmentally
I don't have a Scooby yet and to be honest it's none of your business
Bear in mind that I got rid of my own STI earlier in the year because it was becoming uneconomical to run - despite not having any kids and having a high enough income where I would never qualify for tax credits at all.
30 October 2002, 11:08 AM
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This 'needs tax credits' thing isn't as bad as you make out, MarkO. If a couple both work and earn about the same each then they can earn up to around £80k (£40k each) and still get children's tax credit. I reckon that accounts for a fair proportion of the people in the country (some of whom will have Scoobs )
)
30 October 2002, 11:08 AM
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Urgh! And then put food in the oven afterwards?
Put the nappies in a huge pot ON the oven, not IN and then boil-wash them... The pot is one that has been bought for this purpose and nothing else...
30 October 2002, 11:13 AM
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Child or Scooby but they are pretty much on an equal!!!!
If you're serious about having kids, and the money isn't there, then selling the scoob should be totally natural and a no-brainer.
[Edited by MarkO - 10/30/2002 11:13:43 AM]
30 October 2002, 11:14 AM
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I'm single and don't have any kids so maybe I'm not the best to comment...............but I will.
If you don't see selling the scoob as the obvious and surely only option to take then I think you have your priorities totally screwed up! It's only a car FFS........
I must live on a different planet to you
If you don't see selling the scoob as the obvious and surely only option to take then I think you have your priorities totally screwed up! It's only a car FFS........
I must live on a different planet to you