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There are many essential costs that come with looking after a baby. Combined with reduced working hours, many parents find themselves financially struggling. Below are just a few tips on how to financially survive with a new baby.

Check which benefits you’re entitled to

There are all kinds of benefits you may be entitled to as a new mum, depending on your circumstances. On top of maternity pay, you should be getting child benefits – this is the first benefit that you need to sort out. There are also maternity grants and allowances available that you should also read into. You can explore government benefits for parents online to see what you are eligible for. Your local citizen’s advice bureau may also be able to point you in the direction of any local assistance programs. 

Take advantage of discounts and freebies

You may be entitled to all kinds of discounts and freebies without knowing. This includes everything from free packs of nappies to discounted baby food. Check out some of the discounts and freebies available here at this site. It’s worth also hunting around for your own discounts and freebies too – sometimes you can find free second-hand baby clothes or equipment in your area simply by pursuing Facebook or Gumtree. 

Use your close network

Friends and family may be able to help you if you are financially struggling. This could include helping with food shopping or being able to offer your free hand-me-downs to save you money on baby gear. Of course, friends and family can also help with childcare, which may be important if you feel you need to go back to work or need to handle other responsibilities (or simply need a rest) – there’s no need to hire a babysitter. Be prepared to reach out and ask the people around you for help.  

Know your legal rights

Many new parents that go through difficult births don’t realise that they may be due compensation. A lot of birth injuries are preventable and could be the cause of negligence. If your birth was difficult and there were birth injuries caused, consider whether it could be worth hiring birth injury solicitors. You could end up getting some money from a legal claim (in some cases hundreds or thousands of pounds) to help put towards caring for your little one.

 Find ways to make extra money online

You may not feel that you have a lot of time to earn extra money as a new mum, however there are plenty of small easy ways to make money online that you can look into while juggling parental responsibilities. This includes selling unwanted clutter, selling crafts, answering surveys or doing some paid blogging. This extra money could be useful for helping you to get by. You can find plenty of sites online listing easy ways to make money online – consider checking these out.