how do you all do it?

Ok im living with my parents at the moment as there's no way i could afford to rent etc at this point in time(being a 19 yr old single mum), also having their help and support has been a life saver i know.
I'm just really feeling i want and need to move out next year and rent a place (i need to feel like i can look after my DD and provide for her and look after her on my own etc as its getting to me abit) but i dont no exactly how to go about affording house equiptment, bond etc, ive saved atmost 3k and i will continue to save as much as i can this year and thought for xmas asking family instead of other gifts if it could be little bits n peices to help out for wen i move out, like cutlery,house stuff etc not anything astronomical,

I Guess i need some tips on how i can do this , and how i can afford to rent on $800 or so a fortnight on my own, how does everyone else do it?, i also want to study next year i just finished my hsc last year, (being 6mnths pregnant didnt stop me)but i dont see myself affording to do it now! i just want to make a great life for us, even though its been a really tough year i want to make the best life possible for my daughter and myself..

Ok... thinking back: DH and I had a 'whoopsie baby' together and I wasn't working. We didn't have much other than a few personal possessions. We needed to buy everything from scratch and it was tough... we also had to find bond for rent. Then as my DD got older we decided to send her to a private school.... huge school fees.... plus i wanted to return to uni... pressure pressure! And then we wanted more children... and I also wanted to be a SAHM (have been for 6 years). So i am pretty used to scrimping and saving... these are my tips:

* Learn to love Op Shops. Live by the philosophy: "Use it up, wear it out, make it do or Do without!" I made a cross stitch sampler using this saying!

* Learn to cook from scratch. Convenience food is too expensive. Want a biccy? Don't buy them, make them... a batch of shortbread can cost about $2... for 3 times as many biscuits as you'd get in a box bought from the supermarket and MUCH yummier!

* Learn about keeping a house warm and cool without needing to spend a fortune on heating and air-con. Don't rent a hot box or a cold dungeon. Make sure it has good natural light so you aren't always turning on lights to see in the day. This is a big saver if you can get this right.

* Join the library. Maybe you can use the internet there for free?

* Learn to use public transport. I don't drive but manage to get me and my 3 kids around ok. We spend about $5 a week on petrol. My DH trains it to work. You will however need to buy a good pram and comfy walking shoes.

* Try to resist spending lots of $ on toys. Know that in even the best private Early Learning Centres (I worked in one) prefer to give the children natural things like smooth stones, sand, driftwood, seed pods etc for the kids to play with. They never bought expensive Fisher Price toys. You are not being a bad mum if your kids doesn't have the same toys as other kids. I regret spending too much on toys... but I don't regret buying open-ended good quality toys like Duplo/Lego. Less is more with toys!!!


If I can think of anything else I'll add :)

I agree with buying from op shops, it's amazing what some people don't want anymore....we don't need the best of everything.
As for toys etc, kids will play with anything, make your own or also get at the op shop. Lay by where possible.

Not only is making from scratch nicer & more affordable...you don't have all the nasty ingredients etc too. I'd rather make my own pizza than buy one from the shop that will cost $20 & not taste any good most times.

You can clean most things with stuff such as bi-carb & vinegar, no need to spend $$$ on bulk cleaning products.

One thing I do & I swear by, I get $$$ to automatically come out of my bank account at particular times for things such as ph bill, house pymt, car rego etc....so the bills get pd automatically. Or when they do come in they are not a huge shock as $$$ have been already pd off. This also allows you to know what you then have left to spend.

If you are needing things for a house, check out second hand shops or even somewhere like IKEA or Fantastic Furniture........not always best quality but great for beginners. You can always fix things up, paint etc to make them look nicer or different.

errr think that's all from me.

*just back from cleaning my kitchen*

Y'know, being frugal becomes a habit/mindset groove that once you get into it's hard to drop. I just dried my dishes with a raggy old tea towel that was a hand-me-down from my MIL who passed away a few years ago. That tea-towel was probably made in the 1950's. It's 100% linen so has lasted. My DH is on a very good wage now... and technically I can afford to go out now and buy a brand new tea towel LOL ...but no... i'm going to use it right up until it can't be used any more. Sure it looks daggy hanging on the handle of my oven... but you know what? Who gives a rat's! I have better things to spend our money on! French lessons for a start.... ;) A lot of women I know would have chucked it out ages ago despite it being still functional... hmmmm.

I was able to furnish my house for under $300
I got all my items from ebay and got my dad and dh to go get them for me, most items I picked up were in top condition from people who were just upgrading or moving into a smaller home.
Also, try freecycle on yahoo, people are giving away their unwanted items for free. I have not used this service but some of my friends have and they love it. There are also a few auction houses in my area that I go to for fun.. Last week I picked up a whole bedroom setting for $5!!!! I plan to sell it in peices on ebay, so maybe look around for that kind of thing?
My dh and I are paying off a mortgage with one steady income and we are doing well. Although we dont have a bub, dh is a messy and hungry boy all the time. We do most of our work on the house by ourselves too and that saves money.
The only things we buy are grocerys and paying for our bills. We dont go to shopping centres in fear of tempting to buy things. If you have people that will baby sit for free then you should be fine:) One of my friends has a 2 year old and a one day a week job. I dont know HOW she does it, but she manages!

Good Luck to you!

Thank you so much Bathsheba, Erin and poopie for all your help means alot im kinda freaking out as its abit scary but i know i need to make the move but i want to stay in the same area as my fam too

Bathsheba- Wow thanks so much bathsheba you have given so many amazing tips!
especially these two which are my favs making sure theres good lighting in the house to save on electricity, silly me would have never thought of that.
aswell as use it until it can't be used any more..
Thanks again for your help suggestions means alot

poopie- thats a great idea about finding furniture on ebay and freecycle ill have to check it out, Im lucky too my dad loves looking after grace so theres my free babysitting wen i decide to venture back to work even though that scares me big time :(

Erin_25- I love your tip on using bicarb and vinegar as cleaning products thats a great one and IKEA is great i love that place :) thanks heaps for your help!!

You're most welcome darl :) I learnt that thing about renting the right place with good light/insulation after renting so many different places with DH over the years... the last place had such a dark kitchen (it was in the centre of the house) that we had to have the overhead lights on there all the time, no matter what time of the day... such a waste of money! Doesn't matter so much if maybe the bedrooms are dark... all the better actually... but not the main living areas.

The main thing is just not to be too proud IYKWIM. My DH's parents never shopped at Op Shops because the idea was just too embarrassing... what a shame... they had 5 kids on a single income and money was always tight... they really would have benefitted. Pride is a very expensive thing to maintain... as long as things work, fit and are not dangerous then they'll do... don't get caught up in the perfection myth or the fashion treadmill. The best things in life are free... and all that ;)

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Also, try freecycle on yahoo, people are giving away their unwanted items for free. I have not used this service but some of my friends have and they love it.

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I completely attest to this! I have given away heaps on freecycle and received this over the last few years:

- A double bed and a double mattress
- A queen sized bed and a queen sized mattress
- A complete fish tank
- A spare toddler car seat
- A three seat sofa bed for the playroom
- A two seater couch for DP's business
- A small desk for the granny flat
- A sandpit, Fisher Price doll house, various other toys and little table and chairs set for DD

Some of the stuff we've given away includes fax machine, printers, toys, double ensemble, pram and stroller, and more stuff that I can't even remember! In our area, people are using Freecycle because of the speed and convenience of getting rid of things that are too good to throw out and because they can't be bothered with ebay. We have been so surprised at the quality of stuff we've picked up, in no way is it second-rate.

Look for your local group and hopefully that will help enormously.

if you have space at your parents place pick up the big stuff as you see it.. and store it until you need it.
even eachweek as you go shopping buy utensils (hardly notice it when its with your groceries)

i often think of my early days and how i afforded living on my own.
I earnt a total of $240 a week and my rent in a studio flat (one large room) was half that.
I didnt have a phone - i would walk to the phone box down the road if i need one, and had a prepaid mobile for incoming calls.
I would go to fruit and ve shops and bought very simply.
Didnt go out , found free activities on the local council websites to attend for fun.
I owned a washing machine but no dryer - used a clothes horse to dry things.

I had a car loan (which was the worst thing ever to have so go rid of it quickly) and drove around a cheap old car.

I was studying (so could get rent assistance - something to look into) full time too.

It was doable. I actually didnt realise until years later how i managed to live on nothing. it was normal to me back then.

I think once you realise that you can do it, just need to give up some pleasures in life you will be fine!

and good work on the 3K this is great!

Great ideas!! I think it is very easy to get caught up in the idea that things have to be the latest release and brand new - buy the basics you can add things as you go. We don't buy things if we don't have the $$ - so we don't get caught in the buy now pay later cycle (fine if you do - but not so cool if you can't). We have old mobiles on prepaid plans and limit their use. Being organised helps - so I do a meal plan to max food use each week, plus try to shop once a week rather than always picking up extras. DH also does a weekly review - so checks the upcoming bills and adjusts his projections (annoys me but it works). Factor in a treat for yourself - it will help you keep on track, a bit like a diet!!!!
Good luck - you have heaps of great advice here - I am sure you can do it!

We avoid using credit
We have $20 a week come out of dh's bank for our electricity so that at the end of each quater we only have a small amount left to pay. We have tried to space our bills out so we dont have everything due at once.
I buy cleaning products in bulk, saves heaps.
I layby christmas pressies to space out the cost, my mum has a christmas bank account
I have spoken with family and we are doing secret santas this year for christmas and it should save as all a couple of hundred dollars as it was getting out of control and our family has expanded with partners and kids etc
I always welcome second hand clothes when they are ofered, 9 times out of 10 the clothes are in fabulous condition and as they aren't 'this seasons' you dont see every second child wearing the same clothes as your child. I always get 2 new outfits or each of my dd in summer and winter but I wait until they have the 25% off sales. (and always buy them a bit big so hopefully they might last 2 seasons)

making your own food saves heaps and tastes soo much better. I buy a lot of my meat in bulk packs or from the butcher in bulk when he has good specials then i portion it out at home and freeze it. I love our chest freezer, it costs a little bit to run but it means we have been able to buy a 1/3 off a cow butchered to freeze, dh has a friend who can get cheap frozen chickens so we buy them by the dozen and my dad always brings as frozen fish he has caught (he only likes to eat it fresh :rolleyes: but it saves us money and doesnt go to waste). We also share fruit with fmaily members depending on who has what ripening at the time.

when I first moved out all my towels, kitchen utensils etc were second hand, I did buy a new fridge and cheap microwave but that was it.

good luck

My theory regarding second hand items is that if it can be thoroughly washed then buy it secondhand. Some people might cringe at secondhand cutlery but that's what ours are! Pop them through the dishwasher and voila! Clean! It's what you use when you eat at a restaurant isn't it!?

My mobile phone is a late 90's model... ie a grey screen BRICK! No one I know has a mobile phone older than mine. I soooo don't care though. I don't have my ego linked to my phone or my car and that saves me heaps! Once again, I could buy a new phone, but *meh* I'd rather spend the money going to the Canberra Birth Rally if given the choice.

You know what? It's often battlers that struggle to keep up appearances ;) My DH is a private banker to seriously wealthy people and the "old wealth" especially are amazing in how they don't need $ to feel good about themselves. It's a common thing for him to go round to millionaire's homes and find them sitting around in tatty old thread bare cardigans (not because they are scrooges and tight, just because they don't really care that much about what they wear at home)... but the next day he'll have to make a call to a struggling client and find him in the latest Armani suit... interesting isn't it?

bath - you made me laugh. Up to about 2 months ago - i still had my unclaimed lost property mobile phone (from a nightclub) i got in 1999 !

i am not coping with having photos on my mobile now! lol!!!

As for 2nd hand. Even now i still go 2nd hand everything. I love recylcing and especially clothes.

I dont think i have bought clothes for myself in about 5 years (underwear excepted). Either passed on or 2nd hand and no one can tell.

My kids have wonderful 2nd hand clothes. i have only bought 1 item for each of them in 2 years (their christening outfits). they dont know the difference.

Hehe, yeah, no one should have to suffer second-hand undies though... I do allow myself that luxury! I buy the Bonds undies in a box though... their Premium range... cost more but the elastic NEVER goes and they are comfy, never ride up :thumbsup: Oh and I wouldn't cope with photos on my phone either... I don't like multifunction devices... don't know why. I'm probably will buy a new phone soon... but that's just it... I just want a new PHONE, not a camera etc.

lol you girls are hilarious, no i dont do second hand underwear thats for sure haha, i love op shopping too you can find somee great stuff :)

Thanks girls,Bathsheba,PinkPalace,Sararose, Mak,PinkPalace,doudou,Jennifer13,Poopie,Erin_25 for the suggestions and help given me some great ideas on wat i should do and wat i should watch out form Its means alot as i need all the help i can get :) xx

I always think that by using secondhand you're doing the environment a favour too. ;) All that stuff that would otherwise be in landfill and then all of the resources to make 'new' things when the secondhand will do. I like to think I'm going something about leaving the planet for my children! Plus, much more community minded to go to op shops and pass things around.

just thought id bump this for anyone else who wants tor ead all the great bidgeting tips i got from alot of ppl :)

Ive created an excel spreadsheet that keeps me ontop of my bills, i enter them in when i get them and when they're due so i can make sure they're paid off on time and we dont cop and over due fees!

There is some great advice here!

I also have all my bills come out of my bank acc fortnightly, I never have to pay a huge lump sum for electricity or phone at the end of the billing cycle. It makes life easier.

I also agree with not having things you can't afford. Don't use credit!

Don't buy toys - join a toy library. It costs a small amount per family a year, although I think some may be free. It saves having millions of toys lying around the house that never get used. My kids loved it, every week they would pick out a 'new' toy, it was like going shopping for them.

A girl I knew a long time ago who was the same age as you BC with a young boy, she used envelopes to manage her money. On payday she would take her money out of the bank and divide it up between envelopes. I was amzed at how well she managed her money.

She had envelopes for bills, clothes, gifts, car, food, luxuries etc. She was amazing!

don't forget garage sales. i have picked up some great toys (yes exxy fisher price etc) for 50c - in great condition. And heaps of clothes, most hardly worn. You can usually get all the home stuff you'd need and you can bargain with them as well to stay within your budget.
and i agree, don't get a credit card. they are a lot more trouble than they are worth - a visa debit will aloow you to shop on the net without owing money. Also consider putting some of that $3K inot a term deposit that will earn money for you.
also, shop around. if you arelaly want something a little research and scouring different sellers will usually net you a great deal. and don't forget that laybys are great too.

hehee, I'm just giggling at Bath's old '90s phone compared to her iPhone now!!!!

ROFL ahhh yes!!! Well DH bought me the latest iphone for Christmas last year... I didn't ask for it mind you ;) I had no clue how to use it but we did save alot by holding off upgrading my phone for about 10 years!

ATM we have decided to save money by delaying turning on our central heating. We have moved the tumble dryer out into the main living area near the kitchen... it has floor boards so no carpet is getting ruined. With all the rain we've been having i have had to use it anyway so might as well benefit from the heat coming out of it instead of having it wasted in the laundry. We also have been getting free heat from firewood. We asked the nieghbours to throw any branches over into our yard over the warmer months so had quite a stockpile. We also gather up any wood left out on people's nature strips after they prune their trees. if we can avoid turning on the heating we'll save a few hundred dollars this winter.

We have also saved thousand of dollars recently by avoiding upgraqding our old car for 15 years. A few weeks ago it started to become very unreliable and now with 3 kids (two in car seats) and an upcoming move to the country we have decided to upgrade our car. We bought a 7 seater All wheel drive Kluger Grande 2008 model. Originally over $70,000 drive away... we got it for a little bit over $40,000.... due to it having HAIL DAMAGE! So yes it has pock marks on the bonnet but that doesn't bother us! We've got a bloody good car (low Kms too) for nearly half of what it was worth a year ago! Stoked!!! Moral of the story is don't be proud to drive an old daggy car as long as it is safe and fulfills your needs... hold off for as long as possible then buy a new, but not brand new car and haggle just before the June stocktake sales... we bought ours in Late April / May and knew the dealer was keen to offload stock.

Sorry to go off topic here...Bath did you find it hard to insure your new car with the hail damage history? I said it would be such a bargain to my dad and he mentioned that it might be difficult to have the car insured?

No trouble at all (car insurance). RACV insured it quite happily... the pock marks are totally superficial... didn't break the surface of the paint... the dints you get on your door in the supermarket from other car doors bashing into your car are worse as they usually remove paint therefore can lead to rust. These pocks are much more shallow. We intend to buy a new bonnet as soon as we can afford it... only $800 apparently. Certainly worth the $10,000 saving (compared to comparible cars on the market).

Awesome bargain! Ive wanted to do the same!

Something I have found works well for us, is to figure out what our bills are annually (water, electricity, insurances, phone etc) and divide it fortnightly, and just pay off via B pay each fortnight, so that I never have a big bill to pay- it usually comes in paid or in credit, I find this easier knowing exactly each fortnight what I need to pay, rather than having to find $200 all in one go.
I also think meal planning makes a big difference, because if you buy everything you need for your weeks meals in one go then you don't go back to the shops, thus eliminating that extra $5-$10 you spend each time you go to the shops.
Buying cleaning/ beauty products 1 or 2 each shopping trip rather than waiting until they run out helps, because they are exspensive and if you need to get lots in one shopping trip it makes a huge difference to the bill.
Not having credit cards makes a big difference for us, because trying to pay them off is really difficult and you get stuck in the pay and use cycle, for us if we dont have the money to buy something it has to wait, we always think twice before dipping into our savings, but never did when we would spend on credit.

Hey hun, where abouts do you live?
I have lots of furniture im trying to get rid of - cant be bothered putting it on ebay as its in a storage shed and im purely to lazy.
So i am paying $40 a week for it to sit in a shed, im on the goldcoast tho.
but im happy to hand it along :)

Hey, Brookies, she's not that far from you... definitely do-able. Maybe if DH and I do get that ute we've been talking about, I can be the missing link ;)

oooh :) well id be happy to help out. i have a couch, fridge a whole house really lol. so Emma if your interested pm me and we can all sort something out :)
xxxxx

oh my gosh hun that sounds AMAZING i live near byron bay but ill pm u see if i can figure something out thank you thank you hun ! im currently trying to get my hands on a fridge, as ive applied for a place and waiting for if ive gotten it fingers crossed and thats the main thing i need.

Audux- your AVY is absolutly breathtaking i love love it! :)

well you will be happy to know im also willing to throw in my boxes of plates, bowls, coffee cups, knives, forks, spoons as well :) i have a whole box full and there extremly decent looking :) im extremly happy to give you anything you need providing i have it! I know how hard it is being a single mummy trying to afford to just live. Us single ladies need to stick together and look out for eachother!

What an amazing example of something I am just about to start a new thread on: Collaborative Consumption. It's a new forecast trend in how we as consumers of goods and services are changing our ways SIGNIFICANTLY since the GFC in 2008. I'll link here when I have it up.

Well done girls :thumbsup:

Oh and regarding credit cards... the main thing we use ours for is to pay school fees. They can't wait. But we usually get some free flights each year because we have linked our credit card to the Qantas FF program. If it wasn't for the school fees we could easily live without one. Lucky we don't have to pay the service fees of a CC because DH is "staff" at the bank we have ours through.

The link to the thread is HERE

Definately make your food from scratch. Buy fruits/veggies that are in season. That will save you heaps of money, too. Also, stick to 'simple veggies' aka carrots, potatoes etc. They are HEAPS cheaper than 'fancy' ones like bok choi etc (and last longer in the fridge... hehehe). Every couple of days we do a 'fridge raid' where we go through our fridge to use up all 'old' food/ingredients before they go off. It's amazing how much food and money you can waste, if you don't pay attention to your fridge content.

Also, shop around when you are looking for a rental property. Prices can vary enormously! We managed to snap up a well maintained HOUSE (not unit!) for 220.- a week. It had 3 bedrooms and and a small garden. It was cheaper, because it was a little further away from the city (as in 25min drive instead of 10), but that didn't bother us.

Another tip: mention to your friends and family what you need/are looking for and if they can ask around for you. My Mil needed a new couch and asked family members if they new anyone who wanted to get rid of theirs. Sure enough, one uncle just bought himself a new suite and had to get rid of his old one, as well as a coffee table and a cupboard. So my Mil not only got her couch for free, but also additional furniture! There are always people who know people....IYKWIM

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Hey, Brookies, she's not that far from you... definitely do-able. Maybe if DH and I do get that ute we've been talking about, I can be the missing link ;)

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Dont have anything to offer but i wanna be apart of the big move day (if anything goes ahead hehe) we can make it a mini meet up ;)