This year’s Christmas Toy Dream Dozen for under £50 from the Toy Retailers Association

The Christmas Wishlist has been unveiled and the dream dozen are listed below, all under £50 which is encouraging!

I must say though, number 5 on the list, Go Go Pets Hamsters disturbs me somewhat, think i'll be giving that one a miss this year!

It is nice to see Lego still going strong after all this time although I still find the heads on the people a choking hazard even for me :-)

1. Bakugan Battle Pack, Spin Master (RRP £19.99)
2. Battle Strikers starter Set, Mega Brands (RRP £9.99)
3. Ben 10 Alien Force Kevins DX Action Cruiser, Bandai (RRP £29.99)
4. Bendaroos Mega Pack, Spin Master (RRP £19.99)
5. GO GO Pets Hamsters, Character Options (RRP £9.99)
6. GX Racers Tightrope Terror, Flair (RRP £22.99)
7. Kidizoom Multimedia Digital Camera, V-Tech (RRP £49.99)
8. LEGO Games Minotaurus, Lego (RRP £17.99)
9. Monopoly City, Hasbro (RRP £24.99)
10. Princess Peppa’s Palace, Character Options (RRP £39.99)
11. Sylvanian Families Caravan, Flair (RRP £44.99)
12. Transformers Movie 2 Voyagers Figures, Hasbro (RRP £22.99)

BaBeeCard will save you money at the following stores on the toys above:

ASDA 5% discount
Sainsburys' 5% discount
Argos 8% discount
Debenhams 10% discount
House of Frazer 10% discount

BaBeeCard gets a 5 star rating

Prepaid cards make great claims to save you money, but how do you know which one to go for? You can be reassured by independent reviews like this one for BaBeeCard. We were really pleased to hear that the reviewers at Prepaid365.com gave the card a 5 star rating. The review reads, “The BaBeeCard does exactly what it says on the tin - helps deliver excellent savings across a wide range of mother and baby products.”

Other plus points highlighted on the independent review site included the Moneyback Promise whereby you get back your initial investment of £9.95 if you have not saved that much in the first year. The only down point that Prepaid365.com found was that the card only come in pounds sterling: the rest of the world is just going to have to wait!

The BaBeecard has also won a couple of great accolades: in the Times Business Money Central feature on ‘Money Saving Tips You Never Heard Before’ the first tip is to ‘Get a BaBeecard’. And BaBeecard won the ‘Best Prepaid Gift Card’ category in the Prepaid365 Awards earlier this year. With this sort of endorsement, you really should check out how BaBeecard can save YOU money too.

Financial help to get a grip on your finances

It is not often that you can get a grant to help to sort out your finances so if you are in financial trouble or simply feel that your money skills are missing, check out the new grants from the Money Saving Expert (MSE) Charity.

The MSE Charity aims to fight financial and consumer illiteracy and is dedicated to educating and informing adults and children about consumer and debt issues. If you’re 18 and over you can apply for a grant of up to £500 to help pay towards a recognised and approved course that will help improve your ability to budget and manage your finances.

The grant can be used to pay for financial education course fees and other associated expenses. There are also grants of up to £5,000 for groups who want to run workshops and other innovative schemes that seek to educate people about money, debt and consumer issues.

Don’t delay: the deadline for the next round of group applications is 30 November 2009 and applications for support for individual courses is 15 December 2009. Visit www.msecharity.com/index.html?pid=21 to find out more.

Travel with Economy

Are your car bills making a big dent in the family budget? Petrol is costly, car insurance is expensive, and unexpected repairs can push you into the red.

Here are some simple tips to keep your car bills down:

• Keep your tyres pumped up. This actually makes your car use less petrol every time you use it.
• Check your route for jams before you travel. Avoiding traffic jams saves you fuel.
• To save further, take unnecessary loads out of the car. If you drive round with a boot full of junk you are making your car work harder. Taking the roof rack off unless you are using it helps too.
• For more reductions in petrol use, keep the air-con off unless you really need it.

You can get 5% off petrol from certain supermarkets when using your BaBeeCard.

Use price comparison sites to shop around for car insurance: I saved over £100 this year by doing this. I also saved 40% on my AA breakdown cover.

Old Fashioned Economy and Super Savings

If you are tightening your budget, why not look back sixty years or more for some simple savings tips. During the Second Work War rations were introduced and everyone was encouraged to ‘make do and mend’. If you ask your parents or grandparents they will remember being encouraged not to waste anything, and that’s a lesson we could all do well to follow today.

One big area of potential waste is food, and there is a simple way to save here. Just make a weekly meal plan and shopping list. When you shop ONLY buy foods on the list. You will soon work out a plan which includes regular family favourites which saves you time and stress planning what to cook each evening too. You can make additional savings on food from your favourite supermarkets by joining a discount club like BaBeeCard.

Snowballing to save

If you have debts, have you tried ‘snowballing’ to pay them off as quickly as possible? This is a simple way to make sure your money is working for you in the best way possible. Simply pick the debt with the highest interest rate and pay that back first. Then, when that one has been repaid, move your money on to repay the next debt.

This way you pay the least interest on what you owe. It is also cheaper than consolidating your debt. Just don’t forget to make the minimum payment on each debt or negotiate with the lender to spread payments in an affordable way. And think about why you have debts in the first place too: try to spend less!

Are you saving or spending?

The BBC has just reported that Brits have lost the saving habit and are paying off debts instead. The recession has driven savings rates down so more and more families are seeing little point in putting money in savings accounts. At the same time the cost of borrowing has risen. July was the first month where, as a nation, we paid back more than we borrowed.

This means it makes sense to pay off debts as quickly as you can. Look at your outgoings and see if you can find some ways to make savings. If you stop smoking or cut back, for example, you could use that extra few pounds each week to repay a credit card debt. Walking to work when you might have got the bus or used the car is a winning option too. You win three times over: you are healthier, you save on the cost of the cigarettes or travel, and you save again when you have less interest to repay on your debts. Give it a go and let us know how you get on.

The Mirror: Save on your petrol bills

Credit crunch crusader has some good tips on how to save on your petrol bills due to the 2p per litre hike in fuel duty.

If you have a Sainsburys' locally then it's worth ordering our Sainsburys' Gift Cards which will save you 5% on your petrol each time!

You can find your local Sainsbury's here: http://tinyurl.com/lhc6on

BaBeeCard is £9.95 to buy for 2 years, on an average weekly spend of £41.75 you would save £108 a year in fuel alone that's not including the additional saving of 5% on all your groceries, drink and other items you could purchase from Sainsbury's if it's your supermarket of choice.

Tescos' gives new meaning to buy one get one free!

Every little helps is Tesco's slogan, and in the case of handing out double at the ATM, it seems their slogan is ringing true.

Imagine the delight when putting in your bank card and requesting £20 and getting £40 back, I am sure some people must have thought there was a camera somewhere for a "youv'e been punk'd" episode.

I am such a worry wort and have a massinve guilt complex, so much so that I just put the last Smarties Mini Bite back in the fridge for my son when he wakes up from his afternoon nap, even though that little gooey chocolatey bite is a calling me and won't let up!

Just as Tesco launch their big PR campaign to inrease footfall by doubling the clubcard points they manage to give out an extra £5000 in cash due to computer blip at the ATM. It seems it would cost more money to chase each customer to retrieve the money so they have just written it off as a loss.

Technically, taking the money and not reporting it is theft, but the Crown Prosectution Service has said there is no crime that deals specifically with being overpaid by an ATM.

It's funny how things always seem to balance out in the end, some families are desperately struggling with the rise in food prices and general living costs. Life works in mysterious ways and some prayers are answered in the way you would least expect. It seems every cloud has a silver lining, so, ENJOY your windfall people and be grateful to Tescos' for giving you a helping hand.

You can read the full article here

Sainsburys': from paper voucher to Gift Card

We have now moved to a Gift Card from paper vouchers for the Sainsburys' 5% discount available to BaBeeCard cardholders.

You can still use your discount on petrol and can also use your discounted Gift Card to purchase other companies Gift Cards instore at Sainsburys.

Here is a link to the FAQs surrounding the Sainsburys' Gift Card.

With summer sunshine and BBQ's galore, I am sure the 5% discount on everything in-store will come in handy this summer.

You can use the Gift Card at the till against other in-store promotions or coupons from magazines and newspapers.

Phil & Teds 3-wheeler - Save 20% with BaBeeCard and Babyworld.com combined discount

Now that I have finally come to terms with having another baby (took me a while to get my head around my life turning upside down again), I have started to think about all the little hiccups that may present themselves whilst nurturing a newborn and a toddler tearaway. The pram issue is first on my list to solve!

I ADORE my Quinny travel system and bought it purely on the hydraulic system, the shape and of course, the acid green colour only a Shrek fan could love. I then bought a lightweight foldaway buggy which I hate, it's so flimsy, I have already broken it in a temper when trying to fold it away and worst of all, it's black, which I find totally boring. Give me colour, stripes or polka dots, anything but boring black but after seeing a Phil & Teds on http://www.babyworld.com/ with a 10% discount, coupled with my BaBeeCard 10% discount, I may just have to settle this time for something a little more understated. (wonder if they do any diamonte or blingtastic accessories?)

I really don't want to spend another £400 plus on a new buggy system but it'll be sods law that once I make the decision to buy a toddler board for the Quinny, my son will decide he doesn't like walking anymore at all and will be a total pain to take anywhere. He is already displaying some early signs of "carry me mummy, walking is tooooo much like hard work" with arms stretched upwards, big puppy dog eyes and blocking my path whenever I want to take a few steps forward, so heaven knows what he will be like when his rival sibling is cacooned in the buggy and is being pushed.

I have heard some very good reviews about Phil & Teds and a few bad ones but then even my Quinny drove me mad occassionaly as I live in the country and the woods really don't like the pram wheels, also it says up to 3 years old but the straps are impossible to release to accomodate even a 2 year old!

Original price: £426.45
Babyworld members price: £383.00 (10% discount)
Additional BaBeeCard discount: £38.30 (10% discount)
Total: £344.70

You save a total of £81.75 when purchasing from babyworld.com and using the BaBeeCard discount code - if you don't have a BaBeeCard then paying the £9.95 to get one will STILL save you £71.75.

Before I take the plunge, do any of you have a Phil & Teds 3 wheeler and what are your views on it's usability, value for money etc?

Post retail sex - trip to the sausage counter at the butchers anyone?

According to mycelebrityfashion.co.uk women feel more in the mood for sex after shopping for themselves, erm, now I don't know about other people but shopping for "myself" these days consists of a bigger bra, maternity clothes, flatter shoes and bio-oil!

Even before I became pregnant again, shopping for myself was occassionally a new dress to shoe-horn my post-baby body into, a pair of high heels that I look nice but I can't actually walk in or some new underwear that is "comfy" rather than sexy. (Oh the joys of motherhood!)

A study of 2062 women between 18-35 shows that 38% of women and more likely to have sex with their partner after a good spree.

"When asked “are you more likely to feel ‘in the mood’ for sex after shopping?” 38% of respondents said ‘yes’."

I wonder what percentage of the 38% had children running amok at home?!

Shopping these days leaves me tired, frustrated and longing to escape the bright lights, assault on my cash flow and disappointment that the mirror trickery in-store doesn't work in the same way as it does at home. The shock of finding out that I am actually 5 foot 5 and slightly larger around the bottom and thighs than the shop mirror led me to believe always leaves me feeling depressed and determined to "get in shape", in fact, those blooming mirrors give me a complex!

The overiding feeling post retail these days is one of "guilt", imagine how many nappies I could have bought with that money......

Ladies, I would LOVE to hear your comments on this research as it really can't be true, can it?

Every body needs a dream and mine is Barbados!

Foul Bay, Barbados

“You are never too old to set another goal or to dream a new dream.” C S Lewis

Dreams keep us sane amongst the madness of every day stresses and strains. With being 6 months pregnant, dealing with a toddler, running a business and a home it's enough to drive me to gorge on triple chocolate fudge cake all day and keep me bed bound curled up into a ball watching Come Dine With Me back to back.


One thing that really has kept me focussed this year is the post baby, post tantrum toddler thought of planning another trip to my favourite destination of all time; Barbados! Now, I have been lucky enough to travel to some of the most beautiful countries in the world but there is something about Barbados that makes me feel as though I am home from home.

I have been twice so far, once back in 2002 with a best friend who convinced me to take a charter flight to a series of beautiful islands even though I am PHOBIC about flying. After much coercion I agreed and nearly fainted when I saw the pilot was younger than me, I was only in my mid twenties at the time but this guy looked a complete pup! even worse was to come, he fancied my friend so promised to let her sit in the pilot’s seat on the way home and take control!

The islands are stunningly beautiful and we sailed on a catamaran all day drinking rum punch and listening to reggae, on the way home my friend did as the pilot promised and sat up front, hands on controls. She took one look back at me, saw the sheer terror on my face, my hand clutching the door lever and decided she had put me through enough.

I will never forget that experience for as long as I live! To make it up to me I made her drive a mini-moke across the island in blazing heat to what I can only describe as heaven, Crane Beach (voted one of the world’s best 10 beaches), this is on the Atlantic side of the island and is everything you would imagine of paradise, beautiful blue seas, white surf and sand so bright it’s blinding.

The second time I visited Barbados was in October last year for my honeymoon, one week of absolute bliss (hubby’s idea was solely baby making but my idea was copious amounts of sleep, pina coladas and Caribbean food!)

There are lots of things to do in Barbados and the people are so beautiful, smiley and welcoming. We drove to Sunbury plantation house, swam with turtles (although I was a complete baby and wouldn’t swim far enough out for fear of Jaws), went on a night time cruise, stopped at Foul Bay (only me, hubby and our two friends on the entire beach) and to top it all off, had Sunday brunch at the Crane Hotel whilst being sung to by a gospel choir.

If you are a fish lover, you must go and visit Oistins on a Friday night where they have fish stalls selling the most scrumptious food alongside a party atmosphere, my hubby hates fish so I made sure he had eaten before and then made all his nightmares come true with the smell of fish, fish and more fish! to say he left me alone that night was an understatement :-)

Even after 10 days I didn’t want to leave and had already starting talking about “how much would a villa be to buy” but I had an 18 month old to get home to and missed him sorely. I did promise myself that I would be back again for another holiday as soon as I could and my husband seems to have found the perfect excuse. The cricket in 2010!

The newest edition to the family will be 6 months old, Granny can spend some “quality time” with her grandchildren, mummy can have a much earned break sitting in the sunshine whilst daddy watches the cricket. Heaven!

So here’s to my new saving plan, taking my trusted BaBeeCard with me to keep my money secure and enjoying the sound of steel drums and surf lapping the shore. The taste of the freshest fish you could ever hope for and another unforgettable experience on my favourite island.

My travel tips would be to experience the following:

· Rent a mini-moke and drive up the cost to Bathsheba
· Visit Sunbury plantation house
· Swim with and feed the turtles
· Take a night time cruise with limbo dancers
· Sample the local lobster
· If your budget can stretch – visit the surrounding islands for the day
· Go to Oistins fish market on a Friday night and eat until you have to be rolled home
· Sunday brunch at Crane Beach Hotel with gospel choir singing harmonious notes in your ear
· Dinner at Daphnes (they do the most amazing granny smith sorbet, that really is indescribable!)

London, a cheaper city! you sure?

Well, before I fell head over heels with my now husband (yes, it really was one look and ooeer missus) I used to live in East London in a bubble, yes you read that right, I literally lived in a bubble called Bow Quarter which had it's own fitness centre, underground shop, bar, restaurant, estate agent, telephone box and statue in memory of all the little matchbox girls.

If someone had told me then that London was inexpensive to live in I would have laughed them outside the big iron gates that seperate "the bubble dwellers" from the real world but apparantly London has droped 13 places to number 16 in the annual worldwide cost of living survey from Mercer.

It seems that the recession and the weak pound have helped London become more affordable.

Now that I live in the countryside and have a son and another baby on the way, I view my cost of living in a totally new light, my money used to be spent on me, me, me and now it's spent on the family so I tend to equate things to how many nappies, wipes and toys could I buy with the same money I just blew on a light bite or meeting a friend for lunch.

When I think back to my days of singledom, I cringe at just how much money I spent on completely unecessary things like another handbag, going out 4-5 times a week and an obscene amount on convenient and tasty food & drink!

I am still not convinced London is really cheaper than it was, I think people have altered the way they live and are consuming less and tightening their purse strings more.

It will be interesting to see where London sits on that list in the next couple of years as we slowly claw our way out of a recession.

Some London facts:

- Over 300 languages spoken
- In 2008 52 Michelen stars were awarded to London restaurants
- 5 airports server 155 worldwide destinations
- Every week the 409 escalators in the London tube cover equivalent of several trips around the globe

What are your thoughts on London, do you still find it a very expensive place to live or have you noticed (apart from interest rates dropping) a decrease in your living expenses day-t0-day?

Check out the TimesOnline for London living on the cheap http://tiny.cc/livingcheaplyinlondon

If you already have a BaBeeCard then why not take advantage of the London based offers we have available to you, some examples below such as:

Taste London:
Eat well, pay far less! Taste London membership gives you half-price meals at 400 of London's best restaurants for 12 months.

Annual membership normally - £69.95
BaBeeCard special rate - just £34.95!

Supermarket discounted vouchers
Save 5% on every shop at ASDA, M&S and Sainsburys' (all in-store products)

Clothing:
10% discount at GAP
8% discount at TopShop, TopMan, Dorothy Perkins, Outfit & New Look
5% MotherCare

Department stores
5% discount at Selfriges & Co
10% discount at Debenhams & House of fraser
8% discount at John Lewis

Out & about
8% off at London Eye & London Zoo, Theatre Tokens, Madamme Tussauds, London Dungeon

Plus many many more offers at over 100 retailers.

BaBeeCard first tip of 20 money saving tips you've never heard before

As seen on Timesonline.com Money Central Blog

Dinner party conversations are dominated by ways to reduce the amount we spend. We are now all familiar with cheap restaurant deals, or the benefits of shopping around online. We all know someone who is growing vegetables in the garden or darning their socks.

But do you know how to store your fruit so it lasts longer, or what to use instead of washing powder? We have scoured the internet to find 20 money saving tips we think you might not have come across before. If you are already practicing these thrifty tricks, use the comment space below to share other suggestions.

1. Get a BabeeCard
Parents should join the BabeeCard (http://www.babeecard.com/) prepaid card scheme, which offers discounts of up to 20 per cent at a number of high street retailers.

2. Join fixture Ferrets
For 10p a week you can join Fixture Ferrets (http://www.fixtureferrets.com/), a website which will keep you up to date on the various offers available at supermarkets across the UK. It will even send you text alerts about the latest deals.

3. Visit the deal centre online
Sign up to http://www.dealcentre.co.uk/ or http://www.searchfreebies.co.uk/ for a comprehensive guide to the best promotions available across the internet.

4. Ask for a "rain check" voucher
If a special offer has run out, ask for a "rain check" voucher. Tesco, Sainsbury's and a number of other supermarkets offer the vouchers, which allow you to benefit from the offer the next time you are in the store, even after the promotion is over.

5. Do not assume that bigger packets mean better value
Some items, such as dog food or washing powder, can be more expensive in bigger packs. Check the price per 100g on the shelf label before buying in bulk.

6. Use vinegar in place of whiteners in your wash
Adding vinegar to your wash ensures your whites emerge from the washing machine whiter than white at a fraction of the cost. It also doubles as a stain remover if applied directly to your clothes.

7. Use baking powder in your wash
Add baking soda to your washing machine powder or dishwasher powder to make it last longer.

8. Use glycerine as a moisturiser
Glycerine is an effective moisturiser and is the foundation of many more expensive products on the market. However, it can be bought for next to nothing from you local chemist.

9. Create your own "mulch"
You can prevent soil from drying out around flowers and plants in your garden by adding "mulch", effectively a layer of any material used to cover the garden bed. However, instead of expensive options such as wood chippings or peat, collect fallen leaves or grass clippings and
store in a black bag with some water until it is rotten then spread over the bedding.

10. Keep your fridge full
You can help your fridge work more effectively by keeping it full - use bottles of water to fill empty shelves. However, if you rarely fill your fridge, downgrade to a smaller model. You will save energy and are likely to buy and waste less food.

11. Make "mop-up squares" from old T-shirts
You can save money on kitchen cloths by cutting up old T-shirts to make square cloths you can use to wipe up spillages, suggests thrift expert Rebecca Ash.

12. Store bananas separately
Bananas release a gas which hastens the rate at which other fruit goes off.

13. Protect your apples in paper
You can keep apples for several months by wrapping each one in newspaper as it makes it much harder for rot to spread.

14. Do not put some fruit and veg in the fridge
Do not keep satsumas in the fridge as the cold can turn them to mush. The same is true of peppers, cucumbers, courgettes and marrows.

15. Store mushrooms in a wine rack
It may sounds silly but if you store mushrooms in a paper bag and keep them in a wine rack they will stay fresher for longer, according to experts.

16. Watch TV live
Instead of paying for theatre or cinema tickets, get free tickets to the filming or recording of TV or radio shows. Visit http://www.bbc.co.uk/tickets/ or http://www.itv.com/beontv/tickets/ for more information.

17. Save on train fares
Buy train tickets over the phone, even if you are already at the station - prices over the phone can be cheaper than buying from the ticket office directly.

18. Stay in a halls of residence
University halls of residence are much cheaper than hotels for city breaks.

19. Swap your old books for new
The website http://www.readitswapit.co.uk/ allows you to exchange the books you've already read for the books you want to read next. Postage is around £1.40 per book.

20. Buy eggs from your local farmers market
Farmers markets have become synonymous with expensive organic meat and cheese, but some items on sale at your local market are markedly cheaper than the supermarket, namely eggs. In some markets, you can buy a dozen of free-range eggs for half the price of the supermarkets.

By James Charles

10 top money saving tips when preparing for your newborn

1. Furniture
Try not to buy anything until you have checked with family and friends to see if they have any old pieces going for free, borrow or to keep. Freecycle is a neat little site to find freebies in your area that you can go and collect; it’s great way to keep the landfill sites down whilst furnishing your nursery absolutely free.

Top tip: Always buy a new mattress for a cot or Moses basket and always buy a new car seat as it may have previously been in an accident and be unsafe.

2. Breast v Bottle
If you can breastfeed it is by far the cheapest option. Formula milk is a money sponge and is also pretty fiddly with all the bottles and teats, not to mention the added cost of all the sterilising equipment.

As they say, breast is best!

3. Clothes and baby shoes
It’s SO easy to spend a small fortune on all those cute little outfits for your newborn.
But babies don’t need shoes, they are perfectly happy kicking about in their teeny weeny socks, plus what parent doesn’t love kissing the soles of their baby’s feet? I learnt the hard way as my son didn’t wear one pair, they either fell off or after getting him all changed putting them back on seemed pointless as I would only have to take them off again.

SAVE your money for when they start to cruise and really need shoes!

4. Toys
Save your pennies, don’t buy toys for newborns. Babies mainly sleep, eat and need a cuddle. Car keys, wooden spoons, Tupperware, TV remotes and a phone handset will be more than enough to keep them fascinated.

5. Thoughtful and practical baby shower gifts
Guess the birth weight? Guess the size of clothing? Now that is a waste of money. Why not ask friends and family to club together and buy you either store vouchers or supermarket vouchers that you can use over 6 months to buy your essentials like nappies, wipes, and formula (if bottle feeding).

You could put a list together of your absolute essentials that would take the financial burden off you if they were bought as gifts? These need not be expensive items and you will be surprised how chuffed your givers will be when they buy you something that you really need.

6. Burp clothes and other fancy non-necessities
Walking into a baby shop can be completely overwhelming. The range of items available is staggering, but how many of them are actually necessary? Do you really need patterned burp clothes, or would a clean flannel or tea towel do? It is easy to overspend on the non-essentials and before you know it, your budget is straight out of the window. Make a list of what you need and see if there is a cheaper alternative to each item.

7. Nappies and wipes
Reusable nappies work out the cheapest and some local authorities will give you a small grant to offset some of the cost. If you are going to go for disposables then supermarket own brands are just as effective as well known brands and are a lot cheaper. Buying in bulk will also save you money, but you do need ample storage space for this kind of purchasing decision. For your local incentive scheme visit BabyKind.

8. Changing table
There are many great looking changing tables out there, but the top of a waist height dresser will do just the same job and you can use it for storing blankets, sheets and baby clothes. You will get years out of it, whereas the changing table facility will cease being useful once your baby can stand and is cheeky enough to wriggle about and climb.

9. Baby baths - back to basics
Newborns need topping and tailing for the first few weeks and then they can snuggle up safely on your chest getting skin-to-skin contact when you bathe. A kitchen sink is big enough to bathe your baby in if you don’t feel comfortable being in the tub. Baby baths are a waste of money as they grow out of them so quickly and I am sure there have been quite a few “Oops who put that toy there?” when carrying a full bath to empty it.

10. The best things in life are free
· Your soothing voice as you sing your little one a lullaby.
· Your warm skin and motherly embrace as you hold them close to your beating heart.
· The stories you can tell them about all the things they are going to see and experience.
· The love and affection from all those around them that care.
· A baby needs warmth, love, food & security – this really doesn’t have to cost the earth.

If I didn't laugh - I would cry...

Tears of joy that is as my son will be having a little sister in early November, well that's what the sonographer told me. Don't buy anything pink she said, just in case.....that's like telling a child not to put his hand in the cookie jar when you leave the lid off and at mouth height!

Anyway, have been missing my blogging with so much going on and have been trying to save the general public from any hormonal ramblings I may be tempted to post. I seem to have them in check at the moment hence daring to come on here and share my good, albeit disruptive news.

I have only JUST got my head around a wobbly throwing 2 year old and am now thrown in at the deep end, it's sink or swim baby!

I think I might just make a swim for it.

Mummo Mag features our top 10 money saving tips

Mummo is a fantastic new website for mums to share experiences and network. Mummo is supporting the Million Mums Campaign to help maternal mortalities in developing countries.

We were lucky enough to get a Mums Money Tips double page spread.

Check out Page 66 here to read up on our top 10 money saving tips.

Spare £200,000? - that's the cost of bringing up baby until they are 21.

My son had better be the best behaved teenager in the whole wide world, make his mummy umpteen cups of tea, breakfast in bed, settle for any old trainers I decide to buy him, tidy his room on a daily basis and be a straigh A student, if it's going to cost me £200,000 then I want my monies worth!

£200k! - that is the cost put on raising a child to the age of 21.

According to LV the insurance group who carried out the research we spend around £7,415 on them on leisure and recreation alone until they reach 21. Does that include the iPhone, iPod, iWhatNext and nike trainers that speak to you and turn you into a superhuman that they will want when growing up? or is that just for straight cinema, swimming, football, afterschool clubs, ballet, piano lessons, school trips etc?

The biggest cost factors in order are:

- Childcare
- Education
- Food
- Clothing

Saving money where you can by planning, budgeting and putting some aside is going to be vital to make sure you have enough for your essentials and any extra.

There is help out there, you just have to go and look for it and set aside some time, fill in all the forms and do a bit of research and claim:

Benefits
- Child benefit
- Tax credits

Contact: call 0845 300 3900 or visit http://www.hmrc.gov.uk/

Child Trust Fund Account
Child Trust Fund Account with a £250 government payment to kick start it with another £250 when they reach 7.

Contact: visit http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/

Childcare vouchers
The Children’s Information Service has the names of all registered childcare providers in your area.

Contact: call 0800 234 6346 or visit http://www.childcarelink.gov.uk/

Healthy Start Vouchers
If you are on certain benefits you can claim Healthy Start Vouchers that you can put towards fresh fruit & vegetables, milk and formula.

Contact: visit Healthy Start Vouchers

Freecycle
A global community that is made up of 4,675 groups with 6,407,000 members. Their message is simple, it’s all about reusing things and not throwing out stuff you don’t want anymore leading to landfills overflowing. It's free to join and it's great for baby / child stuff and furniture.

Contact: visit Freecycle

Portion control - frozen & canned vs fresh

I have never been a big fan of the freezer (tucked away in a really awkward place) unless it was holding Hagan Daaz strawberry cheesecake icecream, a bottle of vanilla vodka and some fishfingers (not my staple diet I hasten to add!) but recently I have started stocking up on things I wouldn't normally buy frozen such as cod, tuna steaks, prawns, croissants, herbs and cauliflower.

I have also been heeding my own advice (posted on Mums Money Tips section Freeze, Freeze, Freeze) and have been opening and shutting the freezer door more times than i've had hot dinners due to freezing every leftover I can find; herbs, bread, fruit, meat, banana, grapes, pitta bread and berries!

Banana???!!! yes, banana! not any old banana, one that has been peeled and rolled in desicated coconut, frozen bananas are great for teething babies and a really fun desert or late night snack instead of biccies. Check out the chocolate dipped frozen banana

I still struggle with buying canned food over fresh as there just seems to be something strange about vegetables in a tin, although canned food is great for value for money and portion control. If you are anything like me, my eyes are ALWAYS bigger than my belly.

According to The Grocer magazine canned soups account for 95% of the soup market, I have to tell you, I can believe that when Baxters bring out such scrumptious recipes such as Tomato with roasted garlic and parmesan, er hello! bring me more. You are also doing your bit for the environmant as Baxters cans are recyclable and are already 35% recycled.

Supermarkets 'use discounts to disguise price rises'

Interesting article about how supermarket promotions discount prices and then push the price up higher than it was previously when the deal is over.

http://thescotsman.scotsman.com/uk/Supermarkets-39use-discounts-to-disguise.4982727.jp

On my next shop i'll have my toddler in one hand, a calculator and notebook of all my old shopping prices in the other :-)

The many talents of the humble cucumber

I often read my newspaper in the bath, it's seems to be the only time I get to myself, once my husband and son have been fed and watered and the younger of the two is safely tucked up in bed.

It is certainly not the best way to read a newspaper as I often drop it in the water, as I did the other day when I read the price of cucumbers have risen nearly 46% this month due to a reduced harvest in Spain - I nearly laughed out loud!

Has the world gone totally mad?!

After googling this fact I came across many forums about people complaining about the rise (gone up to £1.24 apparently), so I thought I would post about the many talents of the humble cucumber - so you can justify the cost if you do dare to purchase one.

Cucumber recipes (no I am not joking!)
Cookitsimply

Cucumber beauty regime
1/2 peeled cucumber and puree in a blender, add 1 tablespoon of plain yogurt, apply to face and leave for 20 minutes. Wipe off with a damp cloth.

Grow your own cucumbers
Lets go gardening

Packed lunch
Good ol' cheese and cucumber sarnies!

Jamie saves our bacon

It's one of those programmes I wish I hadn't watched but just couldn't help myself. I am squeamish at the best of times and although I tend to buy organic meat, I still don't feel 100% comfortable with eating it, the smell of lamb makes me feel sick, I can't eat roast chicken anymore since forgetting to remove the insides before roasting and getting a nasty shock when I removed the lemon and onion out of it's bottom! Now bacon I can get my head around with lots of brown sauce but beef, after a few chews (as the Dragons say) I'm out!

Jamie's programme about pigs was certainly the last nail in the coffin for my meat eating diet.

The programme was fascinating, upsetting and informative. Apparantly cheaper cuts of pork are up 270% at Waitrose thanks to Jamie educating the public. What an amazing acheivement. Good work Jamie!

Sales over the weekend following the airing of the show were up 20% according to The Grocer Magazine due to Jamie hammering home the importance of buying British to support our farmers, the better standards of animal welfare and the cold weather, hmmm yes, nothing like snuggling up to a piece of pork shoulder to keep you warm on these snowy, wintery days :-)

His website has a piggy illustration where you can click on the numbered part of the pig and find a recipe: http://www.jamieoliver.com/bacon/

Right, off to rustle up a veggie breakfast!

50% off Gourmet Society Membership

If you are a foodie and like to eat out, then BaBeeCard will save you 50% off a Gourmet Society membership. Gourmet Society has over 1,500 restaurants on their scheme around the UK.

Membership lasts for 14 months (which includes 2 months free) and offers you 2 meals for 1 or 25% off your bill which includes drinks.

Membership should be £53.50 but BaBeeCard will give you access to the membership for only £25.00. You can also buy the membership as a gift for a loved one or friend.

Great savings for social animals....

I need to eat out more this year, think I should add that to my New Year resolution list.

As a nasty woman once told me "A moment on your lips, a lifetime on your hips".

Perhaps I could stick to salad and water? Yeah right!

BaBeeCard listed under MyEggNest's recommendations

Great website for all you need to know about saving for your family. The logo is really cute too. Apart from my best friend who is "bird" phobic, I will be sending all my mummy friends in their direction for up-to-date comparative advice on family savings.

BaBeeCard has been listed under "this weeks MyEggNest's recommendations" on how to save hundreds of pounds with our discount portal.

MyEggNest are giving away free coupons for grocery shopping that can be redeemed at Asda, Tescos, Sainsbury's, Morrisons & Boots. You can register with Couponnet and stock up on coupons.

Top Tip!
Use your coupons at the till to get the deduction and then pay with your BaBeeCard discounted supermarket vouchers or gift card as they are the same tender as cash. That way you get a double whammy of savings.

Emmas Diary welcomes BaBeeCard under the Family Finance section

I am extremely pleased to announce BaBeeCard is now a feature under the ""Family Finance" section of Emmas Diary.

Emmas Diary is a fantastic website and on-line resource for pregnancy and beyond where you can particpate in the forums, enter exclusive competitions, get a goody bag and much more.

They are now offering £40 worth of Argos vouchers for all new members, by the way, joining is completely free!

The Guardian Reader Offer shop....Buy with BaBeeCard

I have been browsing the Guardian Reader Offers site to see if I can find out where you can save by using your BaBeeCard and I have put together a list below of some of their bestsellers and popular offers:

Guardian Reader Offer: Edge of Darkness (Complete) - £9.99
DVD.CO.UK 6% BaBeeCard discount: Edge of Darkness (Complete) - £7.83 + free UK delivery - Save £2.96!

Guardian Reader Offer: Balanzza Digital Luggage Scales - £22.99
Gadgets4travel 10% BaBeeCard discount: Balanzza Digital Luggage Scales - £18.98 includes UK delivery - Save £5.91

Guardian Reader Offer: Power Monkey - Portable Power Pack - £34.99
Powertraveller 20% BaBeeCard discount: Power Monkey - Portable Power Pack - £34.26 - Free p&p - Save £4.16

Guardian Reader Offer: Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards - £42.98
John Lewis 8% BaBeeCard discount: Joseph Joseph Index Chopping Boards - £39 - Save £7.10

If you bought these 4 items with BaBeeCard you would save £20.13!

Happy New Year - What are you looking forward to in 2009?

With such a bleak outlook for 2009, recession, falling house prices, rising food prices, companies going bust left, right and centre. Not to mention the rapidly increasing unemployment level it is going to be hard to stay positive this year.

So I have set myself more realistic resolutions for 2009 rather than the usually obscure and totally unacheiveable ones such as:

• run the London marathon (I hate running)
• give up chocolate
• get into the size 8 clothes hanging in my wardrobe (when I used to wear them 10 years ago and hadn't stretched my tummy beyond recognition by having a baby)
• learn how to roll a cigar on my thigh (living in Buckinghamshire and not Cuba - it's hardly suprising I didn't tick this one off my list)

So, with a financially and personally challenging year ahead for most and the desire to succeed I have set my resolutions at a more comfortable level:

This year I want to:

• be grateful for things I have in my life right now
• say thank you more
• stop my mind wandering back to the past or thrusting me into the future worrying about things that haven't happened yet - to focus only on the present moment
• find time to do 20 - 30 minutes of exercise each day (hula hoop on Nintendo Wii does count!)
• spend more time with family and friends

I wish you all a happy 2009 and hope this year brings you more love, light and happiness.

Now where is that Wii remote????