Bargain Hunting Parents Share How To Save £100s On Maternity Pay
- Maternity leave can be financially tough for expectant parents
- Members of Latest Deals share their tricks for saving £100s
- Hacks include claiming free products, bulk buying and using loyalty schemes
Life can be tough for expectant parents when there’s less money coming in and an extra mouth to feed before too long. Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, said: ‘Statutory Maternity Pay provides the average person with £607.88 a month for the majority of their pregnancy. However, according to ONS data from March 2021, the average weekly expenditure per person in the UK is just over £245. This means that, per month, an average person spends around £983. This is over £300 more than expectant mothers will receive on Statutory Maternity Pay.
‘It’s therefore important to have some money-saving tricks up your sleeve - especially as you will want to ensure you have enough supplies for your little one when they arrive. Fortunately, parents from LatestDeals.co.uk have shared their hacks for saving £100s on baby costs, so here’s my pick of the best.’
Make The Most of Loyalty Cards - Claim Free Products Worth £24
Sarah B-Nickson said: ‘My Boots Advantage Card was great for freebies, and so were the Tesco sales and offers.’ Tom added: ‘The Boots Parenting Club is ideal for parents who are stocking up before their baby arrives. With the Advantage Card you collect 4 points per £1, but there are 8 points per £1 for baby products. Plus, you can pick up freebies depending on your baby’s development. For example, in the past they have given out a Child’s Farm Baby Essentials Kit worth £10.99, a MAM Bottle 130ml with soother worth £7.99 and Boots maternity breast pads worth up to £5.49. That’s already over £24 in freebies!
‘What’s more, there are regular coupons personalised for parents at major supermarkets, and even if you don’t get money off baby products you can stock up on points over time to get a majorly discounted shop when you need it the most.’
Find Coupons, Discounts and Freebies - Save £10 With Pampers Vouchers
Laura Kearney said: ‘I made the most of cashback websites and apps, and signed up to get free samples and coupons of baby products from various different baby companies.’ Bethany Earl added: ‘I found it helpful to claim money off vouchers online for Pampers. Every little helps!’
Tom said: ‘LatestFreeStuff.co.uk is a great resource for new parents. The site has a section dedicated to Free Baby Stuff, with recent offers including free Pampers vouchers worth £10, 1p toys and a free story book worth £14.99. Many savvy shoppers are also fans of cashback sites such as Quidco and Shopmium, where you can claim discounts and offers on everyday purchases - all of these savings will add up over time.’
Get Planning - Bulk Buy And Save 20% On Products Online
Sarah B-Nickson said: ‘I got all of the basics for the baby up to 9 months before I went off [on maternity leave]. While on maternity, work out how much you have each week after the bills are paid, then how much the baby will need from that budget.’ Emma Teresa Brown added: ‘I was organised before I gave birth. I'd bought enough wipes and nappies in different sizes to last a year. I also bought clothes [which would last] up to 12 to 18 months. The only thing I bought when it was needed was formula.’ Laura Kearney shared: ‘We saved from our monthly wages as soon as we found out we were expecting to help cover the shortfall from maternity pay.’
Tom said: ‘Being organised can pay dividends when it comes to buying baby gear. Amazon is a great tool at new parents’ disposal. Start curating a Baby Wishlist early on: you can save up to 20% off all your items if you spend a certain amount on baby products at Amazon.’
Shop Second Hand - Buy A £199 Crib For £50
Natasha Brooker Panaite said: ‘It's very difficult living off £607 per month. [Use] Facebook Marketplace, eBay and Vinted for baby clothes.’ Laura Kearney added: ‘I used a lot of second hand buying and selling sites, apps, and physical sales to both buy and sell things we needed for the kids, and to sell items when they were outgrown and no longer needed.’ Andrea Isabel chimed in: ‘Buy big items second hand - I really can’t get over how much people spend on prams. Babies love being in a carrier and for me it was so much easier than folding down heavy prams.’
Tom said: ‘While experts recommend you should buy certain things brand new for safety reasons, such as car seats and mattresses, there are so many things you can buy second-hand which are as good as new. For example, I got a Chicco Next 2 Me Bedside Crib for £50 on Facebook Marketplace when it costs £199 brand new from John Lewis.’
Shop Smartly - Buy 18 Packs Of Baby Wipes For £11.75
Natasha Brooker Panaite said: ‘When it came to bills I looked at what we could cancel and what we could cut back on. When it came to things like food shopping we chose basics brands over named brands for food and nappies. I also breastfed which helped to save on the extortionate price of baby milk. Plus not driving to work meant lower fuel costs.’ Aaron Harris added a father’s perspective: ‘We struggled a lot with paternity pay, yeah. Yellow stickers, cutting back on takeaways and luxuries helped.’
Clare Carslake made sure she was prepared: ‘I overpaid my rent while I was pregnant so my rent was fully paid for the whole of my maternity leave. I also stocked up on nappies in different sizes and lots of baby wipes then just bought small amounts to top them up as we went. I bought clothes in different sizes in the sales depending on what was available for the seasons and the right age. Instead of doing a weekly online shop I now do a monthly one for things I can’t get at Lidl or Aldi so we save on the delivery costs and then just top up fresh things from Lidl etc.’
Tom said: ‘Apps such as Latest Deals, the Black Friday app or the Supermarket Price Comparison app can help you to find the best deals when buying one-off products and also when buying in bulk. You can currently get baby wipes in bulk from Amazon, with a good deal being 18 packs for £11.75. Cotton wool balls are even cheaper. You can use the Supermarket Price Comparison app to find the cheapest price.’
Batch Cook - Get Meals For £0 With Food Waste Apps
Claire Clement shared how she saves on food: ‘Try signing up to OLIO. Food waste heroes collect food [which is about to expire] and distribute it for free to minimise food going to waste. I collect from Tesco and mostly get fruit, veg & bakery items. Sylvia Herbert added: ‘I bulk cooked meals and got [ingredients] as cheaply as possible so bills could be paid. Yellow stickers or value products - as long as we could eat healthily and not get into debt.’
Tom said: ‘Coming back from the hospital bleary-eyed and in pain, with a crying newborn is hard enough, but having to then do everyday tasks such as making dinner can seem impossible. Instead, make sure to batch cook before the baby arrives, so you’ll hopefully have a freezer full of meals ready to go. This will stop you ordering expensive takeaways on a whim to avoid having to cook.’
Buy Baby Clothes In Moderation - Get £45 Uggs For £20
Andrea Isabel said: ‘I always say don’t buy loads of cute outfits or crib shoes because my babies didn’t wear any of them. They grow too quickly and baby grows are just practical.’ Cj Hope agreed: ‘Get clothes second hand as babies grow so quickly and you'll be surprised how much they don't wear. My partner and I got loads of clothes like this. One bundle we got for £20 off Marketplace was full of Nike, Adidas, Converse and baby Uggs. The Uggs were still like new and were [originally] £45.’ Anna Monroe added: ‘Only buy minimum babygrows and no new outfits. It's pointless to overbuy.’
Tom said: ‘Don’t buy too many baby clothes before you have the baby: you’ll likely be gifted lots of clothes, and they grow out of them so fast that it’s a shame to have unworn clothes going into storage.’
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