Today  is a rainy day. Well it’s a rainy day for me. Actually it is rather snowy here so I’m not being accurate at all!

Today on the way to school the car started to judder (a lot) I had to pull over and call my sleeping husband to come to the rescue. The kids thought being  late and having daddy come to the rescue was very exciting. I really didn’t. I just saw £ signs, Turns out I had a flat tyre but wouldn’t you believe it 3 were in a bad state so I actually had to fork out £150.

That was not all.

A job I thought I had totally in the bag was reallocated today costing me several hundred pounds.

and…

My son just put a big hole in the last pair of school trousers he had that didn’t make him look like an audition for Oliver Twist.

I am a bit fed up .

We live very carefully financially and just manage, when extra money is needed that’s when it can all start to feel really tough. I so wish I had a big rainy day fund for times like this. I have tried a few times.

One year I had a terrimundi by the front door that had Mums Rainy Day Pot written on it. I would throw in all my spare change. Trouble was once I broke into it the pot was broken for good and my hubby (who bought it me) was cross I had opened it before it was full (well it cost him £16 and I think I broke into it when there was only about £20 in it!)

So next time I used a jamjar and I just kept putting money in and taking it out daily. The savings never grew. This was far too accessible.

Photo credit: Alamosbasement

Next I started a rainy day account with my bank that you couldnt access for 30 days. But when I needed to pay a plumber for an emergney washing machine repair that wasnt too handy.I had to borrow the money elsewhere first before I could access my savings.

So what is a girl to do?

I ‘d love to hear your rainy day saving suggestions. Do you stash your spare cash under your bed, give it to your mum, swap it for gold? I need your pearls of wisdom please.

The boy has always been referred to as ‘the infant’ and they have kept his sex secret from everyone apart from a few close friends and relatives. He has been encouraged to play with all kinds of toys including dolls and Lego, he has slept in a yellow room and he’s been allowed to wear both girls’ and boys’ clothes. With many not actually knowing the gender of the youngster, over the years people have had to purchase personalised baby gifts that are non-aligned.

Beck Laxton and Keiran Cooper explained that typecasting is senseless and that they were desperate not to prejudice their child’s life with gender so they never asked the sex of the baby until after 30 minutes he was born.

The parents argue that gender affects what children wear and play with and that it shapes the kind of person a kid becomes. They state that it skews a toddler’s potential and that it is only now that Sasha has started school that the secret has become impossible to keep. However, the boy is yet to encounter any bullying despite wearing girls’ clothes at times. Lot sof Baby gifts tend to be neutral but as a child grows older, this becomes harder to affiliate.

An American child psychiatrist has argued that the parents are misguided and that when an infant is born they are not a blank state. The doctor says that as a mankind, people have male and female brains and therefore there is a scientific reason for boys playing rougher and why girls have better language development skills.

 When buying christening gifts for a child; you could avoid stereotyping or labelling by buying neutral presents such as a bible, white cuddly toy or a teething box.

What do you think about this?

Sponsored guest post.

King Colin has some rather fabulous golden underpants and they go missing. He’s distraught…

I’m lost without my underpants

My umderpants of gold

and besides its rather draughty

and my bottoms getting cold

Sir Scallywag, an unlikely hero, (age six) comes gallantly to his rescue  and take on the giant who had pinched them to wear on this head. It is a very funny-poem story that rhymes becutifully and that will really make you chukle. The pictures are superb, full of comic details and the more you look the more you will see.

Sir Scallywag and the Golden underpants  is an out and out delight and a real pleasure to read out loud.

This book is on general release on February 2nd.

Competition

To win a copy of this fab book simply tell me your favourite childrens book

T&C’s UK entries only, 1 entry per person, winner picked at random on February 9th.

After a tough 2011, the outlook for 2012 unfortunately does not look any better. With the Government pushing through benefits caps, the rising cost in petrol prices and insurance also on the increase, it has never been more important to get your finances in check.

So why not start the year off with a money make-over and try and save you and your family over £1000.

Price comparison site MoneySupermarket.com has launched their new advert urging families to switch to a better deal on their insurance, energy and money products. The advert can be seen at the bottom of this article.

Kevin Mountford, head of banking at the website said “Significant savings can be made by switching to a better deal and you may find it could be the best resolution you have ever made.”

Save on your insurance

Both car and home insurance have been steadily on the rise over the last couple of years.

According to consumer intelligence it is possible save over £500 by finding a cheaper deal on both your car insurance and home and contents insurance at MoneySupermarket.com.

Here are some extra tips on how to save on your insurance costs:

• Raise the excess payment. This can reduce your annual premium but remember this is the amount you will have to contribute to any claim you make so make sure it is an amount you can afford.
• Fit an alarm to your car and your home. Insurance is all about the risk involved and by reducing this, it will reduce your premiums. For example by fitting a standard NACOSS alarm to your home it can reduce your premium by up to 7.5%.
• Get rid of any expensive add-ons. Do you really need accidental damage on your home insurance or legal cover on your car insurance? If not then remove these from your policy.
• Maintain your no claims bonus. The more years you have under your belt, the bigger the discount.
• There is an extra charge that the insurers levy when paying by monthly direct debit. If possible pay annually in full.

Save on your credit card and loan

The banking sector is becoming more competitive, so lenders are fighting tooth and nail for your business with new and attractive deals on credit cards and loans.

If you have any outstanding debts, then transferring them to either a 0% balance transfer credit card or a cheaper loan rate can save you hundreds of pounds in interest payments.

For example, on an average loan rate of 11.75% on a £7,663 loan, switching to a cheaper rate of 6.4% can save you £220.

“These savings don’t even require a change of lifestyle, but simply a few minutes of research to check what deal you are currently being offered, comparing it to other products and changing it to a more competitive deal if necessary.” said Kevin Mountford.

Save on your utility bills

Gas and electricity is a hot topic at the moment. Whilst energy suppliers have now announced price reductions, they pale into comparison to their price increases at the back end of 2011.

Many households are still stuck on a suppliers ‘standard tariff’ which is usually one of their most expensive tariffs.

By using an energy comparison site, it is possible to save up to £341 by either switching to a new supplier or even by opting for a cheaper ‘online tariff’ with your current supplier.

The same goes for your home phone and broadband deal.

Usually you are tied into a contract for between 12 and 24 months, but if you are outside of this either shop around for a new deal or even haggle with your current company for either a cheaper price or more for your money.

Here is the MoneySupermarket advert to help inspire you.

How gorgeous is this…….

Personalised ‘… Loves’ Typographic Art from www.notonthehightstreet.com is such a top idea. Look at these we made for our children this Christmas time:

I think these are FAB! , they captutre all that my two love at this particlular time in their lives, We are framing these for now but later they will go in their treasure box to hold memories for the future. How nice to do this for someone you love this valentines day, just pick 50 things your loved one loves.

Prices range from £45

We were provided with these items for review

Zoe Woods, nice to meet you!

Any kids?

Yes, one daughter called Ines

Do you work? FT/PT?

I’m a full time mum and also run two businesses from home, Baby Dubois (www.babydubois.co.uk) making baby clothes and slings, and Crafty Baba (www.craftybaba.moonfruit.com) teaching sewing and knitting from home.

Why do you work?

Partly to pay the bills but also to keep myself sane and in the game workwise.

What are your child care arrangements?

I work when my daughter’s asleep but when I have a show or classes to teach, my daughter goes to her Grandparents for the day.

How do you manage for money?

Ummmm… just about.

Do you worry about money?

Worrying about it won’t make it appear! I try not to worry and channel my energy into making more of it.

What do you waste money on?

Buttons! If I have one extravagance it has to be haberdashery but to justify it, it can turn an outfit into a super gorgeous one, and your kid into a little cutie pie.

Have you made any big financial changes since having kids?

It’s hard to say if the recession or having a child has changed things, probably a bit of both. I have downsized my house which was a big change and the car is being repaired, not replaced.

How do you make extra cash?

So many ways! I give sewing and knitting lessons, I take in dressmaking jobs, I design websites and I pop my daughter’s clothes into NCT Nearly New Sales, a great place to snap up a bargain!

Can you share 3 top budgeting tips for other parents?

1. Learn to sew a simple kid’s t-shirt from some jersey fabric. Kids get through so many of them and they are easy to customize.

2. If you can’t make them, learn to repair them. Reinforced knees on a pair of jeans will make them last a whole lot longer.

3. Homemade birthday cards are so much nicer than shop bought ones and treasured. I try and keep them a little “rustic” so they keep their hand crafted appeal.

My dad loved Johnny Cash. I once heard his sister sing in a cowboy church in Nashville . He is a legend. He makes me think of winters and my dad whistling as he comes down the street.

Part if the Little Legacies Project