Anyone TTC in July 2006?

Gal, I thought normally expenditure will just double instead of taking the existing and divide by half when there are 2 kids? Cos things like medical bills, diapers, milk powder etc those kind of things how to share?

Yes indeed, really must plan. Cos never know the seriousness and never know if will get retrenched... just do our best to save and plan for now.
 


Mich,
Yeah. Double provided hubby or/and wife got increment. What if times are bad and no pay rise then must cut on something to get others. I was reading in the papers, it's normal not to have pay increment and no bonus for the bad times. Sounds big storm again. One is lucky if they are not retrenched.
 
Gal, yes indeed, the sky has no limit! So we try our best to be thrify and be debt-free and only spend on necessities plus a limited amount of "luxuries". I think most importantly if the "luxuries" can easily be removed when required, then its ok. I think the car and maid is a luxury for now, so if really necessary, we can get rid of that and cut back on expenditure.

As for the kids, I keep wondering where to cut back. But things like medical and food quite hard to cut back. So only thing to scale back on is enrichment classes, and shopping for them?? So fewer toys and clothes but I guess they don't really need that many toys and clothes. Infact, sometimes I get a headache thinking of where to store their stuff!
 
mich, your arrangement with hb is very good! i like the mentality of surviving on hb's salary for everything and the $$ u earned is extra so at least in times of difficulty still have something to fall back on
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gal, hmm the arrangements on car, household exp will still be the same. probably each party will just need to fork out more when #2 comes along.. coz difficult to cut back on trishelle's share liao...
 
Sweet, that mentality has stopped us from doing crazy things cos if we want to buy a big item and realise hubby's salary cannot cover, then can drop the idea totally.

Remember I was telling you some pple suggested I buy a 2nd condo for investment since no need to pay for HDB flat? That will mean I have to be stuck at work to support it cos condo usually is very exp and takes our combined salary to support, so that's a big no-no.

Like you, I also cannot figure out how to cut back also on the kids... cos already quite minimal on them. Only thing that is really expensive is their fish which they eat. My MIL keeps buying all this expensive cod fish and threadfin and she cooks such a large piece for the girls. She says fish cost her $80/week *faint* I suggested to her that she half the size to save cost.
 
mich, yup it's a good way to keep onself in check! hehe.. i remembered the condo thingy ;p wa, the fish so ex?! i didnt realise that leh.. my granny also never feedback. trishelle also everyday eat threadfin for dinner, but she eats very little, so maybe not so ex?!
 
Sweet,
How much do u set aside for Trishelle momthly?

Mich, Sweet,
Yes. If buying a expensive property means you have to have double income forever then I think it's not worth the additional stress.
 
Sweet, I also got a shock when I found out about the cost of the fish! Yup, Trish probably eats a small piece only. Joy doesn't eat that much, but Serene can eat more and then my MIL seems to be cooking fish for them everyday. I have been suggesting to her that sometimes can substitute with tofu, cheaper and also nutritious! Also think the girls eat the fish so often, they are sian already :p

Gal, yup for that reason, I'm quite happy to live in a HDB flat all the time.
 
gal, we dun purposely set aside a sum for her every mth leh.. we just spent on what we deem fit. so far, her "savings" is all from those baby shower, 1st yr birthday, CNY ang baos and the $$ given by govt. we never throw in extra $$ to her bank on our own ;p
 
Mich/Sweet, threadfin and codfish very ex hor. One piece will cost like $10 and its those normal size which you see at supermarket and I think its only enough for our toddlers' 2 meals.

Gal, your sahm life really very good leh. I am very envious!
My hb will transfer a fixed amount of money to the joint account every month and all the bills will be paid from there. If I need money to pay my own bills, I can get from there too.
Other things like when we go out to eat, he will pay.

So hor, my hb is holding most of the money! But whenever he gets bonus, he will give me a small percentage.

Mich, I also agree with you that whatever we make is extra and we should try our best to just survive on hb's income.

Gal, need to ask you something...
If we were to go Australia for holiday, can we bring our own FM? Any idea if there's any other restrictions which might caused inconvenience when we bring a toddler there for holiday?
 
mich, ya man when she first started on fishes, she was ok for the initial 2 weeks. then suddenly 1 fine day, she vomitted out the fish, so we stop her fish intake for about a mth. now ok again, so back to eating fishes everyday on weekdays for dinner ;p sometimes my dad does feedback that she looks rather sian with the fish dinner hahahhaa
 
Sweet, what kind of bank account did you open for Trish?

Think the kids really dun know how to appreciate expensive fish lor!!
 
irene, yes $10 for 1 piece, if my MIL buy for 1 week, that's why can spend $80/week. Yes, if we can survive on 1 income, means I have the liberty to become SAHM in future, which is a great option to have.

You're also going to Australia on holiday ah?
 
Sweet, i see, think i need to open bank a/c for my 2 girls soon cos so far, I have been too lazy.

Ha ha, I think they are all fussy about fish. Serene dun take cheap fish like batang, she says not nice :S and then salmon must have honey on it, or else she also dun want. Think after a while, just feed her with rice can already cos so mah fan!
 
Mich, we just found out my FIL could be having cancer. Not sure what cancer so the whole family is planning to materialise a trip to Australia.

I don't give Joshua fish all the time. He eats pork, chicken, duck and beef too.
 
Sweet, I think he is 71.
So now I got alot of things to think about. I am not keen on the Australia trip as they are thinking to go next Mar which will clash with my phuket trip.
 
irene, oh dear, sorry to hear about that. Didn't know your FIL lives in Australia. Cos I thought your MIL lives in Singapore? When is the Australia tripped being planned for?

Joshua also tried duck, that's interesting. I have never given the girls duck, cos I seldom eat it.
 
Mich, no lah...my FIL stays in Singapore. Its just that my BIL and SIL has been talking about going to Australia for holiday together since mid this year but they didn't go in the end. They went Taiwan instead with my FIL. So now they wanna plan for the Australia trip and they want all the siblings to go too.

My hb and his eldest sis didn't join the Taiwan trip.

Hahaha..hb and I like to eat braised duck so when we do eat, we will just feed Joshua.
 
Sweet, I think I should be in my 2nd Tri in end March. Sian lah..!!!!!! Coz preggie and still got toddler is no joke lor!
That time I was nearly 7 mths preggie when I went Spain but it was ok as there's no toddler.

I was complaining to hb why always go holiday when I am preggie????!!!
 
irene, I see, so this is sort of a family trip to spend time with your FIL. But since you already booked for Phuket, you can ask them to shift the Aussie trip? Cos you may end up forfieting your Phuket tickets which is such a waste.

It must be quite hard to organise a family trip with so many pple. Which part of Aussie are they thinking of?
 
Mich, my hb is saying if I cannot get airasia in time then just forgo the tix!

Yah, I think they have always wanted to go for a holiday together but its really super difficult to materialise it since everyone has their own family.

I am not sure which part and what's the itinerary is like as my SIL will plan.
 
irene, its so annoying that these budget airlines cannot be reached! Almost like you have to go down to their office just to find them. Giving up $400 is like quite a lot of money
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Sweet, no worries, hope the premiums won't be affected too much. I also heartpain to think of losing my NCD after my last accident.
 
mich, the 20% NCD confirm gone liao.. my dad was saying that if the renewal premium go up, just look for another car insurance co...

still cant believe it man! not suppose to go out de, somemore already have pre-lunch appt with another ex colleague just opp my office! i went to postpone it and went out... haiz...
 
Sweet, you are ok rite? I think the premium from other car insurance co won't be very much different.

Mich,yah lor...$400 is alot of money! Will get my hb to call the M'sia office to see can get or not.
 
irene, yup it's just a small accident. my car not even damaged but the other party car got scratches, dents and he told me his car boot open liao, cannot close! walau.. somemore his new car, only 3 mths old niah..

my dad asked me to try NTUC, probably cheaper.. see how first..

dun forgo the airtixs lah.. schedule the australia trip before or after it lo.. dun need to must go on the same dates as your phuket trip right??
 
I think I will faint if I need to travel twice a month. Hahaha..the packing is enough to kill me.
Now I think of this weekend need to start packing for HK trip I wanna faint already.
 
irene, think you'll be feeling much better in March cos 1st trimester is over and you'll be energetic again! So maybe going to 2 places won't be so bad. Is there room for negotiation with ur hubby's family? Say go in April instead?

Sweet, maybe I should also consider changing my insurance co. next round of renewal. But I know my insurance is like one of the lowest de so I guess I have no choice but to stick to them.
 
Back from my JB trip, surprisely it's quite interesting. Maybe because we are like mountain tortise and never adventure to JB before. This trip, not so much of shopping and food but we finally get to spend some time with one another and actually laugh and talk a lot. It's been such a long long time that we didn't chat to another one like this. Usually the conversation goes on for total 10-12 statements or so, today it's the longest for months and months. How I wish our dream property can appear soon so that we can have our own home back again just like in Australia. I am happy.
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Irene,
Your SAHM also good. Always get to eat GOOD food.

Re: Milk powder
No problem bringing your own FM. U must carry a child to prove this is for the baby. Best to open an unopened can with clear english label words. Only bring for own consumption during stay and not too much.

Re: Australia trip
If you are planning to somewhere in australia. Best to plan somewhere not too far if all dun have objection. Like perth? Longer trips will make you feel tired esp u are preggie now some more.

Sweet,
Oh dear. Hope u are alright physically and mentally. Which insurance company are u with now?
 
Gal, hahaha...you got the impression that I alays get to eat expensive food because Joshua's birthday, our anniversary and my birthday are all very close to each other. All these special days are only away from each other by 2-3 weeks only.

You didn't notice I very long didn't eat expensive food liao ah? The last one was my hb's birthday few weeks back. One year 4 times nia ah!

Okie..thanks for your advice.
 
Irene,
Yeah Yeah. I got this impression that if I want nice expensive food. I have to ask you for advise.
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Ladies,
Re: Food
I heard of this new place called keppel bay in Singapore. Anyone been to keppel bay for food? Any nice food there?
 
Gal, can't help you on this one already as I've never been there. Hahaha...

I think since you have help you should try to go for a date with your hb once or twice a month to rekindle the relationship!
 
Oh yah, yesterday I overheard my SILs and BILs planning the initerary for the Aussie trip. I hear liao wanna faint as they are planning to go for 2 weeks! I heard what white-water rafting, climb what Sidney bridge or whatever and I already damn sianz.

I already plan to get my hb to take one month of AL to stay home with me when the no.2 comes along as I can forsee I need alot of help and will have lots of stress. Now they say go holiday for 2 weeks meaning my hb has to take leave for 10days???!!! I know my hb has 20 plus days leave plus those childcare leave the most also 30days mah. So if go holiday 10days, he will be left with 20days. Where got enough for emergency like our kid sick or need to go for checkup???

I am really quite upset leh...how to tell my hb I don't want us to go for the holiday? How to say no when we dunno how long more my FIL will live????!!! The idea of abortion keeps coming into my head and the other nite I was crying away for this evil thought.
 
Irene, in the first place, its definitely not possible for you to be white water rafting or climbing bridges when you are preggy. Can your hubby not explain that to his family, and with that, they definitely cannot force you to go on the holiday.

Als, you need to tell your hubby that the expectation is that he take 1 month leave (20 days) after you give birth, so at least he can plan in his head how much leave and how to allocate. Cos now he probably has no idea how much help you need after no 2 is born.

Its not because you dun want to go to spend time with FIL, but in the current situation, it is not so convenient. Nothing to do with filial piety. Also, can spend time with FIL while he is in Spore.
 
gal, i m fine physically but mentally i keep asking myself "wat if i didnt go out that day?" "what if i was careful" etc etc guess it will take a while more for me to fully recover and not cring whenever i see the "accident site" again..

irene, your ILs side hasnt know u r preggie is it? why not tell them and "excuse" from this aussie trip? some more if your FIL confirm have cancer, he also cant do all these activities mah, sounds more like the SILs and BILs enjoying themselves like tat..

is your hb very close to his father?
 
Mich,
Actually I am not fussy. Just somewhere near and not too expensive. The property prices are ridiculous these days. Also, been very unlucky as what ever balloting also can't get.

Irene,
If they want to go for 2 weeks then you , Josh and hubby can come back earlier. Just cut short the days and divert back to SIN lor
 
Mich,
AIiiiii.. I tried all areas (tiong bahru, bedok, kallang, tanjang pager, yishun.. so on and so on). All can't even get. So, when beginning of next year. I will start to look after resale or condo. Still thinking.... Dun know what luck hor..
 
Gal, wow, I didn't know that balloting is such hot property now. But think economy next yr will cause condo and resale prices to come down, so should be a good time to buy.
 
gal, property prices should have come down liao, next time might be a better time to buy property. same like u, my sis has also tried balloting for all the new flats but no luck at all
 


yeah. I didn't think it is so hard. It's more like winning million dollar jackpot that sort of situation. Was it just like that for you all ?

Sweet,
Glad you were alright from the acciddent.

Btw,Your sister been balloting since?
 
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