Kate Middleton begins her maternity leave today, one month before her due date on the 13th July, and it seems that UK mums are following her late maternity leave trend.
Parenting on Female First
Fifty three per cent of UK mums-to-be will leave it until the late stages of their pregnancy to start their maternity leave, and one in ten will return to work as soon as they can.
Unlike Kate, UK parents will begin saving for their child over 12 months before the birth as a new arrival will cost, on average, £1,800.
Sadly, over a third of couples have had to delay having a child because they were not financially capable.
For those desperate to have a child, 14 per cent said they would be spreading costs with a credit card and 6 per cent said they would take out a loan.
To try to keep costs down, 33 per cent said they would only shop during sales and 13 per cent bought second-hand from sites such as eBay.
Friends and family were a big help when it came to keeping costs down, with 14 per cent of parents-to-be rely on presents from them to beat financial worries.
Obviously, hand-me-downs came in use with 18 per cent of parents saying that they relied on them.
Peter Turner, Managing Director at Experian Consumer Services, UK & Ireland who conducted the research, said, “A new arrival is an exciting time – but it can be an expensive one. The key is to think carefully, and honestly, about how much a baby will cost.
“Start planning sooner rather than later, spread the cost over the course of your entire pregnancy, and try to make sure your credit score is in the best possible shape, so you can spread the cost of large one-off payments.
“Your little bundle of joy can come with a large price tag, but there are ways to give your child the very best start in life without breaking the bank.”
Tagged in Parenting Money Pregnancy Parenting News