I was in a fair amount of debt when we first discussed ttc. I've now work really hard in the past year to clear this and should have paid it all off by the end of this year. I'll only come back to work 3 days a week, we have no family locally so will need to use nurseries. Would love to be in a situation not to have to go back to work at all but doubt that will happen!!

Now I just need my bfp!

I know what you mean hun - I was in £14k of debt 7 years ago cos of him and have worked hard to get it down to under £7k now (might even be just less than that possibly about £5k)

would love not to have to work too but it's just not gonna happen!

Hi

Me and DH have a bit of debt too - we have a mortgage on a house that has decreased in value with this whole recession carry on, we have a car payment, a loan that we got for our honeymoon, 5 visa cards between us (2 of which are nearly paid off) and to top it all off my DH just got a letter saying he will be made redundant and my office will be closing in August - and the chances of either of us getting a job that will pay us what we are getting now is slim to none - so all in all Im pretty freaked out about our finances. But at the same time I dont care, as long as I can get a BFP everything else will fall in to place Im sure. I'll just breastfeed until the baby is 3 (kidding), but im sure we'll survive - if all else fails I will declare bankruptcy!

yeah the recession has been a nightmare for a lot of people, luckily OH works for his Dad's printing firm so would be the last to be laid off if things went tits up, and I work in a law firm and we rake in pretty good profits and are expanding. I'm very lucky that way!

I'm glad I'm not the only one that has credit card/loan debt! You sorta get used to paying it out and I've been working out how much money I'd get on statutory maternity pay (which would only be for the last 3 months of the 12 I plan to take off). I'd have enough to pay my £230 debt per month, my mobile bill, and travel. We'd just have to manage mortgage wise! OH sorts the mortgage stuff out and think it's about £700 a month but his current mortgage ends early next year so we would remortgage, hopefully pay my debt off too.

I do think things will work out for the best, they have a funny way of working out! If not I'd have to come back to work sooner! x

look at it this way, if you were a single (nothing against single mums btw) mum, still in school, or college, you would manage somehow, when you have a child, they come first. end of, so you will cope now too!

Good point well made Schnoodle!

I definitely fret about how we will cope, or at least how much of an adjustment it will be! I always had it in my head that I would have gone up a grade at work before starting a family so I could afford to go down to 3 days a week afterward and still be comfortable. Sadly I got bitten by the recession redundancy bug last year and although I am lucky enough to have found another job, it is with a paycut and no real hope of promotion. But I realised then there is no way I am putting our life on hold and ttc because of that. We will manage fine and more than happy to give up shopping and meals out and more expensive holidays if I am lucky enough to have a baby!

Maternity leave will be the biggest struggle as will only qualify for SMP but have saved up so we can afford that.

I think SMP is still only payable for 9 months, although you are entitled to leave from work for up to 12 months. I know it was thought the SMP for the last 3 months would come in this April but I would say with things they way they are it is anyone's guess whether it will.

We won't get any help except child allowance either and it is the childcare costs that are the main challenge. Was hoping childcare vouchers would help but haven't been liking these proposals to get rid of them! Although I did see today, that there is new proposals meaning basically that the tax and NI relief is capped at the saving a basic rate taxpayer would receive so fingers crossed they do that instead.

Just wish I could give up work, still hoping for the lottery!

My mum said something years ago which has always stuck with me. If you wait until the "right" time financially, you will never have them! Very true. It doesn't matter what someone's financial situation is, they will always say that it could be better.

Fortunately my DH and I are very lucky. I went back to work in April last year after having three years off for numerous surgeries on my spine (DH was a mature student at uni and sharing the full time caring role with my mum). We managed without benefits for most of that time and lived off our savings. We went without a lot to pay the mortgage, but now, we are both working full time and have worked really hard to save up around £15k in savings for when a little one arrives so that I can stay at home. It wasn't easy, but we got there.

Things can and do turn around, but you will always cope in the mean time

Kitten I'm lucky that I will be entitled to maternity pay through work as I work for a law firm and have been here 5 years, I will go down to smp after 6 months on maternity leave though I think I get half pay for the first 3 months, then a quarter of my pay, then down to smp!

we are the same and kept putting off ttc cos of this but is there ever a right time to ttc you never no whats around the corner?