Spending in maternity leave

Most baby classes are free, I’ve never been to one where you have to pay. I suppose it depends on where in the uk you are. Stay and plays cost around £3 per session and they’re available once or twice a week in most areas. You really don’t need any more than £20 per week for coffees and activities. Whilst babies are small you don’t really need to do anything, even just going for a walk would be good enough. I don’t spend anything day to day for classes or days out, she’s 4 months old & all the classes in our area are free ( Norfolk coast), apart from the classes, we go for walks on the beach, stop for a coffee or 2 during the week, I never spend more than £15 per week to be honest x

@Ashley that’s amazing! I was hoping to hear this, because money will be very tight with SMP 💸

I went to the free classes run by the local council.

I’m going to be honest and say I spent a fortune while on maternity because I found my mental health better while being out & about rather than st home. We joined numerous classes (story babies is amazing) would pay for the term but I think it worked out at around £7 for the session. Also some other classes too which worked out at similar price. Visited soft plays that had baby sensory areas, would stop for coffees most days if we went for a walk and would often go shopping to the local retail park. Now if friends have babies I gift something for baby but also gift cards for Costa etc just because I know it gets pricey. I was lucky and had maternity for the year so would also go to local farms towards the end when she was old enough to take interest. Admission for her would usually be free but would pay for myself and end up having lunch/coffee there too x

And also to add onto this I sold loads of babies bits on Vinted for extra money to cover the cost of things and bought some bits off there too

So this week I’ve spent; Monday - £15 breakfast out with old colleagues and the kids. Tuesday - £0 KIT day at work baby at childminder (I did pay her her fee obvs) Wednesday - £4 baby group is free but I grab a coffee for the walk home. Thursday - £30 nail appt. Friday - £5 we have swimming lessons that I pay £150 for the term and then a friend is coming for lunch and I will just buy us some cakes Saturday - £0 day indoors Sunday - £6 soft play

We try and do a mix of free and paid for sessions and try to do at least one per day. Currently each week we pay for Sing and Sign (£8 a class), music group (£7.50) and post natal Pilates (£10). Between those our local football club runs free fitness sessions for mums which we do twice a week and then we attend stay and plays and walk and talks with the local breastfeeding support groups. I tend to have a coffee out every day and occasionally lunch so probably averages out £8 a day on that but it could easily avoided. When I go for coffees with other mums we tend to go towards cheaper coffee shops.

Damm y’all do so much for y’all babies that can’t even walk yet. I feel like I did none of these

@Ema what did you do then..

@Elena I wish I did more. We went into town, window shopping mostly, 1 or 2 soft plays but she was too young to really know what was going on as she mainly cried and there isn’t much for a 5/6month old to do at soft play anyway. She was born spring so it was warm enough to go to the park, I took my niece and nephew and she just watched them play. We played/read to her at home and she had kids around to play with her. I feel like you are more likely to do more when you have an other kid as they are more likely to enjoy it than the small baby who prefers to bite the remote control.

@Ema you sound like you done enough for you guys 🤷🏻‍♀️ each persons different I need to be out everyday doing things otherwise my mental health would go mad! I only have my son no other siblings x

@Elena that’s fair enough, I’m the opposite, I couldn’t do everyday. I am hoping to do 2-3 days of activities per week this time around as my oldest is at nursery 1day a week.

@Ema just do what’s best for you at end of the day everyone is different! X

Thanks for your replies! I’m hoping to do 2-3 planned activities per week and then the rest of the week, long walks, going to the park etc (hoping for a sunny summer 🌞)

I think it depends on your area. There aren't that many free things to do around me and the paid for classes can be expensive, anywhere for £2 up to £10 per session, and they're normally only 45 mins. I never really went out for coffee or anything. We're budgeting for about £50 a week this time round which hopefully will be more comfortable

This week... Monday - £0, day indoors Tuesday - Sing and sign (£85 for a 10 week term) Last week I got lunch while out at the cafe but didn't this week. Wednesday - Little Music Stars (£48 for a 6 week term), then Baby Group at Children's Centre (£0) Thursday - food shop, which now includes lots of blueberries for baby haha. Other than that £0. Friday - £0 day at home, I did think about a trip to the local wildlife park (£6.75/month for a 2 adult membership, unlimited entry) but weather was rubbish. Saturday - deep tissue massage for me (£30) Sunday - swimming lessons (£18.50/wk, pay monthly) The local children's centres all run a free baby group on different days but we only go to one. We often, in okay weather, walk to the local garden centre and have a wander around, look at the fish etc and often I'll grab a hot drink too but otherwise that's free. Have a look locally at what is available and what you may like to do. See if there's yearly passes or memberships for places you'd like to visit regularly.

I went out a lot during Mat leave! Lots of baby classes, lunches with other mums, coffees out, also I went on lots of day trips and took baby with me! Museums etc. national trust houses. We also went abroad a lot as I had 12 mths annual leave! I went away with just the other mums as well as my partner. It depends on your lifestyle pre baby. You can budget for sure. You could spend £100 a day or £100 a week any anything below and above!! Lots of free things but equally lots of paid classes. Do what you need to do.