This ThanksgivingThursday (and Friday because I forgot to post this yesterday!) I am thankful for maternity leave – which starts today!
I am thankful my work is flexible, I am my own boss and I haven’t needed to commute everyday.
I am also thankful that despite the maternity pay being a bit measly, it is available and accepted that a woman needs time off to spend with her baby.
Maternity Allowance
As I am self-employed I am only entitled to maternity allowance which means I will receive £135.45 a week for up to 9 months. I will also start getting £20.30 child benefit each week to add to that and can work up to 10 days without losing my allowance. Those days will make a big difference to my income and if my calculations are correct I should average £950 a month.
That’s still not going to go very far so this is the time that Frugal Farmhouse really comes to fruition!
Money saving tips
In the past few months since I started this project, here are the main things I have learnt:
- Meal Planning – It makes such a difference to the weekly food budget and I have not felt at all deprived. I still buy good food and make great meals, but I waste less.
- Brand Drop – Some things are as good in value ranges, some are not but it is worth giving them a go as you can get the same taste for half the price. Take away the packaging and no-one knows!
- Cashback sites – We have to spend a lot on train travel for work so 6% cashback each time soon adds up. Always check these sites before buying anything online.
- Buy Secondhand – I have always loved secondhand furniture and charity shop buys anyway but if you are savvy you can buy so many things as good as new of Ebay too.
Congratulations on the start of your maternity leave – Spanish mother that I am I can’t help but say “relax, rest and EAT, Eat, eat!” When I had our first baby, (our youngest is a teenager) I was working. My maternity leave was only 6 weeks! I would be entitled to 8 weeks if I were to have a c-section. Living in manhattan then, my salary wouldn’t have been enough to pay for someone to take care of a baby, let alone save a little money. I was very lucky because I was able to stay home. Some of my teacher friends only take 6 weeks off and they are so tired, poor things. I don’t think you body has enough time to adjust to so many changes.
My husband is American and I am so glad were are having the baby here in the UK as I just can’t believe how bad maternity rights are in the US.
Yes, they are pretty bad. I believe my sister in law got 5 months leave in Spain, which isn’t bad at all. Looks like you picked the best place
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