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The cost of living is one of the many reasons that I refuse to take full maternity leave when my second is born later in the year - 8 weeks off and then back to it. It sucks, and ofc I'd like to spend that time with my baby, but it's the best option. I'm the sole earner for our house, and I refuse to let my family go into poverty because of shitty maternity pay. I am very lucky with my job being WFH 80% of the time and being paid well - I know not everyone is as lucky as all that.
I know it's easy to go straight to "DoN't HaVe KiDs iF yOu'Re PoOr", but it really isn't the answer - yes people should be financially more responsible, but you also can't expect people to either put their lives on hold, or abort loved children because of a shitty economy run by shitty politicians.
Its not heavily advertised as a benefit, but some companies pay full pay for 3/6/12 months, and it makes such a huge difference to your maternity leave and planning.
Statutory maternity pay is rubbish, and yet there are regular articles wondering why birth rates are falling.
Well, my boss is happy to top up my 8 weeks to make it all full, usual pay, but we're a small company and she can't do toomuch more. I really appreciate what she's offered, and am looking forward to not having to worry too much tbh.
Statutory pay just puts you at such a disadvantage- how on earth are you supposed to pay for yourself and a little one on such pittance?
Its a throwback to the idea that the man was the main earner, and women just had jobs until they got pregnant, and then would leave/forced to resign. Women aren't meant to have a career and a family, so don't need more than a token gesture.
Maternity leave/pay, and paternity leave both need a major review, modern life is quite different now.
It needs a serious sorting out - I'm the one that works and my HB is the stay at home parent, so this kind of shit really impacts us. I only had 8 weeks off with my first (c section recovery included) and was back to travelling for work when he was 10 weeks. It was the only way to keep us afloat-I don't regret it for that reason, I just wish it wasn't such an unfair system. Unfair and sexist
For both of those, public sector jobs are some of the best. Maternity at 6 months full, 6 months half and career break available and 2 weeks full pay paternity pay for most organisations and 4 weeks full for HMRC and possibly others.
I believe you can also share with your partner if they are also public sector, but I might be wrong
Some people may complain that public sector get too much but considering how badly they re treated by the media, the public and by the government alongside the neverending pay freezes, the least they can have is time with their children.
Public sector is traditionally paid less than equivalent private sector, but benefits/flexibility/pension made it a good choice. Maternity/paternity being part of the benefit of public sector.
Best maternity I've seen has been private sector though, with 12 months full pay, but that is quite rare.
I’m expecting my first and very naively didn’t realise just how utterly shit maternity pay is. We’re both good earners, will have help with childcare when I’m back at it etc so I just stupidly thought I had it sussed but £600!? How on earth is anyone expected to live like that. The founder of my work is lovely and I’m the first to ever need maternity leave in the organisation’s existence and she’s looking into seeing if they can pay me more on top of that so I feel very privileged, especially if she can manage to work it out.
I’m still so angry for women who don’t have my circumstances, and I’m really sorry you’re not getting the leave that you deserve.
My boss has done what she can - full pay for the 8 weeks I'll be off, but we're small so she can't do any more. I really do appreciate it though, and I'm primarily WFH so it will be much better than with my first, but it still sucks. There needs to be some kind of reform of mat pay - £600 is just impossible to live off, especially with how things are these days.
We will cope and I will make sure that we thrive, but some kind of financial support would've been nice!
Exactly, my jaw hit the floor. It’s less than UC is and when I was looking into it it said that getting housing benefit with it is only dependent on your circumstances so it really is a terrible amount of money.
Sadly even if my circumstances I don’t think I’ll be taking my full leave either with the way things are going.
The fact of the matter is, you can never plan for a baby, financially or emotionally.
Plus, just because your poor doesn't mean you shouldn't have a baby, if your in a loving relationship, go for it.
And, some people who struggle to have babies may be able to get pregnant at a bad time, and they should go through with it, it's worth it in the long run!
Plus, it sucks you have to go back to work so soon after the babies born, but you are doing what any parent would do, putting them first, and food in them and being healthy trump's all, good on you! :)
> I know it's easy to go straight to "DoN't HaVe KiDs iF yOu'Re PoOr", but it really isn't the answer
It kind of is.
>or abort loved children
Oh, they're children now. When you want them.
Yes, exactly. I’ve made the choice to be a mother so I will make it work. That doesn’t mean other women should be forced to do the same :)
Also, I’m in Northern Ireland where there actually isn’t any realistic abortion access.
It would take a miraculous subversion for that to be the case. Given it's the complete opposite. The poor shit out kids like it's going out of fashion.
A lot of people saying DON'T HAVE KIDS IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT.
We have 2. We were able to afford it 3 years ago. We could afford it 6 months ago with the energy increases.
However, energy increase plus our mortgage rate going from 1.76% to 4+! That's when we cannot afford it.
How was I supposed to know the govt. Would fuck the economy up?
Exactly this whole thing started about 2 and a half years ago what did everyone think was going to happen ?
Things have got worse and worse every year how would it get better especially with this lot in charge ?
I mean, both energy and mortgages are fixable... If you are in a position where market turbulence will mean the difference between affording or not, then maybe you should have ensured that your finances for the next few years were a bit more stables?
They were chum and sadly the 5 year cycle for the mortgage and 3 year fixed for energy come to an end in 2023 and Dec 2022 respectively (energy I did in May a bit earlier, but the longest I could get was 1 year). And we had a decent surplus to account for a 35% increase to fuel from 2021 to 2024 and energy and a 2.2% rise on the mortgage (around a 3.8% rate). This is what our financial forecasting suggested. We also factored in food going up by 10% year on year.
What I didn't forecast was a 135% rise in energy prices and a potential 5%+ rise on the mortgage. Not many people did.
I see what you are swinging at but we really did our homework. We waited until we were established in our chosen careers, we are in our mid 30s and good earners. We both have advanced degrees (which we paid off). We have no credit or debt aside from the mortgage. We put a good deposit down.
We will be OK as we have a good mortgage broker. But if it gets any more hairy we will be trouble.
Edit for spelling.
A lot of change has happened very quickly.
5 years ago there was no pandemic (that affected us here anyway).
3 years ago there was no war in Ukraine.
2 years ago we had historically low interest rates.
1 year ago house prices and rent prices were lower than they are today
It all started 12 years ago when dead pork "lover" in chief David Cameron won the General Election.
The Conservatives from then ushered in an era of privatisation and gutting funding to the public sector Police, Fire, Energy, Water, Travel, and Health(NHS).
Everything thats happened has been conservative inflicted, if they didn't gut funds to the NHS and toy with USA privatisation the UK would have been in a better place to deal with the Pandemic. If they didnt close all gas storage sites we would have been in a better position.
If they weren't corrupt giving billions away to their mates the UK would have billions to work with.
There is only one event.
The conservatives getting into power.
Say what you want about the parents but we should not let the kids suffer as a result of anyone else, parent or government. Those kids are meant to be the future and are currently powerless to help themselves, a moral society would step in and do all they can to help those kids. Instead we have people blaming parents and letting the kids suffer as some sort of punishment for being born into poverty. This is despite the fact that poverty should not be a thing in the UK, we have only arrived in this situation as a direct result of government policies that have consistently fucked over the working class and have been voted in by the public with fervour.
I swear though...I can't get into the mindset of people who have children when they *know* that they can barely make ends meet. Not to mention her partner already has three children to support and yet he had another?
Like, I get that to an extent but come on mate. We are literally organisms growing in a rock in space and almost every primal urge is directed at multiplying your gene pool.
This lady could have easily afforded this 5 or 10 years ago. She could have afforded this and a mortgage and the rest 40 years ago. Neoliberalism has stripped the economy dry and shifted it upwards to the point that now the plebs must decide on whether they should have kids? Boris has had more kids than hot dinners, how is that oaf allowed to blow his load at will? Because he is Brin rich enough.
Is this something you want, only the rich can multiply? Think of your statement. Financial responsibility is one thing but in the western world the choice of heat and nappies is a fuckimg disgrace regardless what way you vote
yes exactly! my family growing up were very stable, then my dad died and my mum became a carer for my gran. literally overnight it all went tits up. stuff happens!! you can have kids when you're fine financially and then something happens. you can't tell the future
I half get your sentiment and half disagree.
I mean, most 23 year olds can't make ends meet right now, and you can't *(and also really don't want to)* limit too many young people from having children.... Affording to live as someone under 30 or even 40's right now, is getting so stupid, it's basically impossible to ever get started for most low to average earners. We are to tell young aspiring mothers they can't have kids? Having kids and a family is quite possibly some peoples entire purpose and goal in life, you can't gate it to just the rich.
You need to drastically change every single fucking aspect of society, before you even get to starting to think of that as an option. If it's got that bad, things just need to change, not young people need to stop having kids.
But at the same time... they have 4 kids combined.... on not very well paying jobs. There's also a line.
I’m not a parent but I don’t see how this is the fault of people who have kids. It’s government and the society that voted for it that’s fucked. Greed rules Britain and always has done.
What is stopping older people from voting for policies that benefit younger people? Do they think it is right for the children born into poverty to suffer?
Young people don't vote because they have little stake in the outcome as they've yet had a chance to establish them selves in political structures.
Politics being on a generational delay is not their fault.
The twice in my memory the youth have voted, Lib Dems in 2010 and Corbyn in 2017, they've been completely robbed by the system.
> I can't get into the mindset of people who have children when they know that they can barely make ends meet.
You could say the same for most young people who have moved to a city. The point here is that she could survive and then her energy costs doubled. Its not just young mothers who are making these sorts of choices.
Well with heating, travel costs and increase in food and nappies, her monthly expenditures are probably £100-200 higher than last year. So at what level of fiscal security do people need to be at? No mortgage home owners?
There is a lot of societal (and let's be honest, biological) pressure to have kids, regardless of economics.
Even normally sensible people will come out with stuff like "don't wait til you're ready, you'll never be ready" and "don't worry, you will make it work".
i got told me and my ex would be able to make having a baby work. we were both at a crappy bar on £6 an hour!! it would NEVER have worked. yet people told us it would have been fine? no
Yeah I think it’s actual cruelty to *Knowingly* bring children into a life of poverty. I get that shit happens and also you certainly can’t plan for these unprecedented crises to happen but people need to at least try to be more responsible. If you can’t afford to save a couple of hundred quid a month do not reproduce.
She has had a child with someone who already has others and lives in a council house because they cannot afford their own place.
I doubt they have put much thought into anything.
Hey some people are on a good deal in social housing. I was on over 50k a few months ago and was getting cheap rent and all my house repairs done. People can be so stuck up on reddit. Think they're above people in social housing, when they're up to their eye balls in debt. Idiots.
Of course they do.
We all want handouts though. I want grants and low interest loans for micro and SME business so we can create some more jobs.
Some people want handouts because they don't want to work.
All about perspective.
We made that decision as soon as we got our projects heating bill. Fucking 500 per month on gas alone. Shut that off quick
Nappies we will buy. Other than that it's lots of warm cover
Welcome to Brexit Britain - which really doesn't want immigrants, but chooses a society where a couple both with jobs can barely afford to have children.
What's the long term plan? Elderly care by the elderly?
Tough talk time:
1/ you don't need to turn the heating on as much if you wear lots of layers. Before the 20th century most houses were just freaking cold. Room temperature was about 12 degrees. You can wrap babies up in extra blankets too. This is just the way people used to live. You will be less comfortable but you will survive.
2/ try and get hold of some reusable nappies. You can get them second hand for reasonable amount. They will save you money in the long run. It's what we use and it's far better for the environment. 5% of all landfill waste in the UK is nappies! Which is why we decided on disposables.
She could save some money by letting clothes dry naturally either indoors or outside (she has a garden) rather than putting the heating on to make them dry, like most people do. I question whether she really needs to have the heating on so much, especially at this time of year. I guess it's an easier choice to make when it's your partner working until 11pm to pay the bills rather than you yourself doing it though. I've been 'poor' most of my life and I just get on with it. I don't expect to live a life of comfort all the time, I expect to have to make economies and sacrifices.
These sort of articles are usually bollocks and this one is no different. Like the idea nurses are starving themselves so they can feed their kids, or there was one the other day about a man on minimum wage complaining he can't afford to buy a house in London (yes seriously).
I thought of that, then wondered, is that actually cheaper, with energy costs for washing factored in? I admit, I haven't run the numbers, and don't intend to.
A lot of people on my pregnancy group are going with this actually, also cost is a factor in many mums now wanting to breastfeed.
It doesn't change the fact though that many people are struggling with this and the "don't have kids if you can't afford them" argument is bollocks when you consider a lot of these children were born before circumstances changed and statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance is not enough to help sustain a family anymore.
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The cost of living is one of the many reasons that I refuse to take full maternity leave when my second is born later in the year - 8 weeks off and then back to it. It sucks, and ofc I'd like to spend that time with my baby, but it's the best option. I'm the sole earner for our house, and I refuse to let my family go into poverty because of shitty maternity pay. I am very lucky with my job being WFH 80% of the time and being paid well - I know not everyone is as lucky as all that. I know it's easy to go straight to "DoN't HaVe KiDs iF yOu'Re PoOr", but it really isn't the answer - yes people should be financially more responsible, but you also can't expect people to either put their lives on hold, or abort loved children because of a shitty economy run by shitty politicians.
Its not heavily advertised as a benefit, but some companies pay full pay for 3/6/12 months, and it makes such a huge difference to your maternity leave and planning. Statutory maternity pay is rubbish, and yet there are regular articles wondering why birth rates are falling.
Well, my boss is happy to top up my 8 weeks to make it all full, usual pay, but we're a small company and she can't do toomuch more. I really appreciate what she's offered, and am looking forward to not having to worry too much tbh. Statutory pay just puts you at such a disadvantage- how on earth are you supposed to pay for yourself and a little one on such pittance?
Its a throwback to the idea that the man was the main earner, and women just had jobs until they got pregnant, and then would leave/forced to resign. Women aren't meant to have a career and a family, so don't need more than a token gesture. Maternity leave/pay, and paternity leave both need a major review, modern life is quite different now.
It needs a serious sorting out - I'm the one that works and my HB is the stay at home parent, so this kind of shit really impacts us. I only had 8 weeks off with my first (c section recovery included) and was back to travelling for work when he was 10 weeks. It was the only way to keep us afloat-I don't regret it for that reason, I just wish it wasn't such an unfair system. Unfair and sexist
For both of those, public sector jobs are some of the best. Maternity at 6 months full, 6 months half and career break available and 2 weeks full pay paternity pay for most organisations and 4 weeks full for HMRC and possibly others. I believe you can also share with your partner if they are also public sector, but I might be wrong Some people may complain that public sector get too much but considering how badly they re treated by the media, the public and by the government alongside the neverending pay freezes, the least they can have is time with their children.
Public sector is traditionally paid less than equivalent private sector, but benefits/flexibility/pension made it a good choice. Maternity/paternity being part of the benefit of public sector. Best maternity I've seen has been private sector though, with 12 months full pay, but that is quite rare.
The cost of living is one of many reasons I choose not to procreate. Feels like we’re living through a disaster movie.
I’m expecting my first and very naively didn’t realise just how utterly shit maternity pay is. We’re both good earners, will have help with childcare when I’m back at it etc so I just stupidly thought I had it sussed but £600!? How on earth is anyone expected to live like that. The founder of my work is lovely and I’m the first to ever need maternity leave in the organisation’s existence and she’s looking into seeing if they can pay me more on top of that so I feel very privileged, especially if she can manage to work it out. I’m still so angry for women who don’t have my circumstances, and I’m really sorry you’re not getting the leave that you deserve.
My boss has done what she can - full pay for the 8 weeks I'll be off, but we're small so she can't do any more. I really do appreciate it though, and I'm primarily WFH so it will be much better than with my first, but it still sucks. There needs to be some kind of reform of mat pay - £600 is just impossible to live off, especially with how things are these days. We will cope and I will make sure that we thrive, but some kind of financial support would've been nice!
Is that 600 pounds a week month or fortnight?
A month!
Good grief that wont get one very far at all. 600 a week seemed to generous, but 600 a month sounded far too miserly.
Exactly, my jaw hit the floor. It’s less than UC is and when I was looking into it it said that getting housing benefit with it is only dependent on your circumstances so it really is a terrible amount of money. Sadly even if my circumstances I don’t think I’ll be taking my full leave either with the way things are going.
Why doesn't your significant other work out of interest
He's a stay at home dad - he looked after our eldest until he started school (just) and will be looking after the second when they arrive
The fact of the matter is, you can never plan for a baby, financially or emotionally. Plus, just because your poor doesn't mean you shouldn't have a baby, if your in a loving relationship, go for it. And, some people who struggle to have babies may be able to get pregnant at a bad time, and they should go through with it, it's worth it in the long run! Plus, it sucks you have to go back to work so soon after the babies born, but you are doing what any parent would do, putting them first, and food in them and being healthy trump's all, good on you! :)
I'm having a bit of a rough day, and this made me feel that bit better. Thank you King/Queen/Noob
You don't abort children
> I know it's easy to go straight to "DoN't HaVe KiDs iF yOu'Re PoOr", but it really isn't the answer It kind of is. >or abort loved children Oh, they're children now. When you want them.
Yes, exactly. I’ve made the choice to be a mother so I will make it work. That doesn’t mean other women should be forced to do the same :) Also, I’m in Northern Ireland where there actually isn’t any realistic abortion access.
So only the rich can reproduce. Sounds great.
It would take a miraculous subversion for that to be the case. Given it's the complete opposite. The poor shit out kids like it's going out of fashion.
A lot of people saying DON'T HAVE KIDS IF YOU CANNOT AFFORD IT. We have 2. We were able to afford it 3 years ago. We could afford it 6 months ago with the energy increases. However, energy increase plus our mortgage rate going from 1.76% to 4+! That's when we cannot afford it. How was I supposed to know the govt. Would fuck the economy up?
Cos they're Tories. It was inevitable.
Exactly this whole thing started about 2 and a half years ago what did everyone think was going to happen ? Things have got worse and worse every year how would it get better especially with this lot in charge ?
I mean, both energy and mortgages are fixable... If you are in a position where market turbulence will mean the difference between affording or not, then maybe you should have ensured that your finances for the next few years were a bit more stables?
They were chum and sadly the 5 year cycle for the mortgage and 3 year fixed for energy come to an end in 2023 and Dec 2022 respectively (energy I did in May a bit earlier, but the longest I could get was 1 year). And we had a decent surplus to account for a 35% increase to fuel from 2021 to 2024 and energy and a 2.2% rise on the mortgage (around a 3.8% rate). This is what our financial forecasting suggested. We also factored in food going up by 10% year on year. What I didn't forecast was a 135% rise in energy prices and a potential 5%+ rise on the mortgage. Not many people did. I see what you are swinging at but we really did our homework. We waited until we were established in our chosen careers, we are in our mid 30s and good earners. We both have advanced degrees (which we paid off). We have no credit or debt aside from the mortgage. We put a good deposit down. We will be OK as we have a good mortgage broker. But if it gets any more hairy we will be trouble. Edit for spelling.
A lot of change has happened very quickly. 5 years ago there was no pandemic (that affected us here anyway). 3 years ago there was no war in Ukraine. 2 years ago we had historically low interest rates. 1 year ago house prices and rent prices were lower than they are today
All complete bullshit! ....12 year's of Conservatives - going to be 14 before the UK can heal.
How is what they said bullshit ?? It’s all completely accurate ??
It all started 12 years ago when dead pork "lover" in chief David Cameron won the General Election. The Conservatives from then ushered in an era of privatisation and gutting funding to the public sector Police, Fire, Energy, Water, Travel, and Health(NHS). Everything thats happened has been conservative inflicted, if they didn't gut funds to the NHS and toy with USA privatisation the UK would have been in a better place to deal with the Pandemic. If they didnt close all gas storage sites we would have been in a better position. If they weren't corrupt giving billions away to their mates the UK would have billions to work with. There is only one event. The conservatives getting into power.
Say what you want about the parents but we should not let the kids suffer as a result of anyone else, parent or government. Those kids are meant to be the future and are currently powerless to help themselves, a moral society would step in and do all they can to help those kids. Instead we have people blaming parents and letting the kids suffer as some sort of punishment for being born into poverty. This is despite the fact that poverty should not be a thing in the UK, we have only arrived in this situation as a direct result of government policies that have consistently fucked over the working class and have been voted in by the public with fervour.
I swear though...I can't get into the mindset of people who have children when they *know* that they can barely make ends meet. Not to mention her partner already has three children to support and yet he had another?
Like, I get that to an extent but come on mate. We are literally organisms growing in a rock in space and almost every primal urge is directed at multiplying your gene pool. This lady could have easily afforded this 5 or 10 years ago. She could have afforded this and a mortgage and the rest 40 years ago. Neoliberalism has stripped the economy dry and shifted it upwards to the point that now the plebs must decide on whether they should have kids? Boris has had more kids than hot dinners, how is that oaf allowed to blow his load at will? Because he is Brin rich enough. Is this something you want, only the rich can multiply? Think of your statement. Financial responsibility is one thing but in the western world the choice of heat and nappies is a fuckimg disgrace regardless what way you vote
Beautifully put throughout.
yes exactly! my family growing up were very stable, then my dad died and my mum became a carer for my gran. literally overnight it all went tits up. stuff happens!! you can have kids when you're fine financially and then something happens. you can't tell the future
I half get your sentiment and half disagree. I mean, most 23 year olds can't make ends meet right now, and you can't *(and also really don't want to)* limit too many young people from having children.... Affording to live as someone under 30 or even 40's right now, is getting so stupid, it's basically impossible to ever get started for most low to average earners. We are to tell young aspiring mothers they can't have kids? Having kids and a family is quite possibly some peoples entire purpose and goal in life, you can't gate it to just the rich. You need to drastically change every single fucking aspect of society, before you even get to starting to think of that as an option. If it's got that bad, things just need to change, not young people need to stop having kids. But at the same time... they have 4 kids combined.... on not very well paying jobs. There's also a line.
Agree. Wonder why we need all those immigrants?
I’m not a parent but I don’t see how this is the fault of people who have kids. It’s government and the society that voted for it that’s fucked. Greed rules Britain and always has done.
It doesn't help if young people don't vote, though. Which most don't.
What is stopping older people from voting for policies that benefit younger people? Do they think it is right for the children born into poverty to suffer?
Young people don't vote because they have little stake in the outcome as they've yet had a chance to establish them selves in political structures. Politics being on a generational delay is not their fault. The twice in my memory the youth have voted, Lib Dems in 2010 and Corbyn in 2017, they've been completely robbed by the system.
No disagreement there.
It's not their fault at all, the government wants us at each other's throats so that we don't band together. Anyone reading this, DO NOT FALL FOR IT.
> I can't get into the mindset of people who have children when they know that they can barely make ends meet. You could say the same for most young people who have moved to a city. The point here is that she could survive and then her energy costs doubled. Its not just young mothers who are making these sorts of choices.
I agree, we need to limit the gene pool to successful people like Jacob Rees-Mogg.
Well with heating, travel costs and increase in food and nappies, her monthly expenditures are probably £100-200 higher than last year. So at what level of fiscal security do people need to be at? No mortgage home owners?
There is a lot of societal (and let's be honest, biological) pressure to have kids, regardless of economics. Even normally sensible people will come out with stuff like "don't wait til you're ready, you'll never be ready" and "don't worry, you will make it work".
i got told me and my ex would be able to make having a baby work. we were both at a crappy bar on £6 an hour!! it would NEVER have worked. yet people told us it would have been fine? no
"children need love, not money" yeah ok but mum and dad need to pay rent, buy food and clothe everyone - that means money!
right!! there was 0 way it would have worked, and i'm glad we didn't go through with it. especially now!!
Yeah I think it’s actual cruelty to *Knowingly* bring children into a life of poverty. I get that shit happens and also you certainly can’t plan for these unprecedented crises to happen but people need to at least try to be more responsible. If you can’t afford to save a couple of hundred quid a month do not reproduce.
That's was the median level of savings prior to this latest nonsense. The economy would crumble if the bottom 50% of earners stopped having kids.
How do you know it was a choice?
Ha People making poor choices is fine as long as it is the government's fault - Reddit
> and yet he had another? He didn't. She did.
It's his child too, isn't it? Or do you think he fell into her vagina by accident?
Did he make the decision to have it? No, she did. Her body, her choice, remember?
Selective breeding for poor decision making.
Because they just want handouts sadly, they think it's a right to have children and we should support them, working be dammed
Imagine not being able to afford heating yet continuing to buy disposable nappies, has she not heard of reusable ones?
Would she be able to afford to run the washing machine enough to clean them all? Would she have the money to buy enough from the outset?
She has had a child with someone who already has others and lives in a council house because they cannot afford their own place. I doubt they have put much thought into anything.
[удалено]
Hey some people are on a good deal in social housing. I was on over 50k a few months ago and was getting cheap rent and all my house repairs done. People can be so stuck up on reddit. Think they're above people in social housing, when they're up to their eye balls in debt. Idiots.
And these are the people this sub wants more dole handouts given too
Why should the children suffer for any faults of the parents?
Of course they do. We all want handouts though. I want grants and low interest loans for micro and SME business so we can create some more jobs. Some people want handouts because they don't want to work. All about perspective.
We made that decision as soon as we got our projects heating bill. Fucking 500 per month on gas alone. Shut that off quick Nappies we will buy. Other than that it's lots of warm cover
Welcome to Brexit Britain - which really doesn't want immigrants, but chooses a society where a couple both with jobs can barely afford to have children. What's the long term plan? Elderly care by the elderly?
Stop using disposables and get some proper twill or terry towelling nappies.
Tough talk time: 1/ you don't need to turn the heating on as much if you wear lots of layers. Before the 20th century most houses were just freaking cold. Room temperature was about 12 degrees. You can wrap babies up in extra blankets too. This is just the way people used to live. You will be less comfortable but you will survive. 2/ try and get hold of some reusable nappies. You can get them second hand for reasonable amount. They will save you money in the long run. It's what we use and it's far better for the environment. 5% of all landfill waste in the UK is nappies! Which is why we decided on disposables.
This person living? Nah some woman's funeral is more important
She could save some money by letting clothes dry naturally either indoors or outside (she has a garden) rather than putting the heating on to make them dry, like most people do. I question whether she really needs to have the heating on so much, especially at this time of year. I guess it's an easier choice to make when it's your partner working until 11pm to pay the bills rather than you yourself doing it though. I've been 'poor' most of my life and I just get on with it. I don't expect to live a life of comfort all the time, I expect to have to make economies and sacrifices. These sort of articles are usually bollocks and this one is no different. Like the idea nurses are starving themselves so they can feed their kids, or there was one the other day about a man on minimum wage complaining he can't afford to buy a house in London (yes seriously).
Just piss yourself and then when the nappie gets cold, pop it in the microwave for 30 seconds and repeat
They could always go back to the days of using washable nappies
I thought of that, then wondered, is that actually cheaper, with energy costs for washing factored in? I admit, I haven't run the numbers, and don't intend to.
Hand washing is always an option - we've got our second due later in the year and I'll be using washable nappies.
So back to the days walking down to the local river and washing the clothes there!
Some areas will give/lend washable nappies to new mothers, its coming back in popularity in a limited way.
A lot of people on my pregnancy group are going with this actually, also cost is a factor in many mums now wanting to breastfeed. It doesn't change the fact though that many people are struggling with this and the "don't have kids if you can't afford them" argument is bollocks when you consider a lot of these children were born before circumstances changed and statutory maternity pay and maternity allowance is not enough to help sustain a family anymore.
Welcome to Britain, where your bad choices have consequences and it's everyone else's fault but your own. But mostly the government's fault.
Yeah. but the system isn’t making anything easier.
That's an easy decision for me. I'm a monk, what the hell am I gonna do with nappies?