Financial expert and mum-of-two Gemma Bird has shared the three rules she says helped her stay afloat during maternity leave — and they all come down to planning ahead. Government guidance on Gov.uk states that Statutory Maternity Pay (SMP) can be paid for up to 39 weeks.
For the first six weeks, eligible parents get 90 per cent of average weekly earnings (before tax). In the 33 weeks that follow it is paid at either £194.32 per week or 90 per cent of average weekly earnings - whichever is lower.
Reflecting on her previous situation with maternity pay, Gemma explained that when her son Brody was born she was earning around £1,500 a month, but she knew that wouldn’t last once her income dropped to about £650.
Planning ahead and saving
Wanting to be on maternity leave for a year, Gemma strategically planned for the remaining three months when her income took a steep hit. Talking about her own experience, she explained that her maternity package varied between jobs.
“I had a really good maternity package the first time, the second time I didn’t. I had three months full, three months half, three months statutory, but I was taking a year off, then I had three months with no pay,” she said.
Gemma, known to followers as Money Mum, said three simple rules helped her avoid money worries later in her leave, reports The Mirror. Gemma, in partnership with Amazon, said she treated the paid part of maternity leave as her chance to build a buffer, putting away as much as possible to cover the final unpaid stretch.
“If you’re looking at taking a year off, don’t forget you only get nine months of statutory and anything that your work tops up,” she warned. “Try and think about that before you go off, so that you’ve filled your three months as well.”
Budget-friendly days out
She added that she’s always tried to be strict with spending — searching for bargains, buying second-hand and snapping up reduced items — while cutting back on “nice-to-haves” such as gym memberships, takeout coffees and unused subscriptions. Gemma has previously credited those habits with helping her save significant sums over time, including paying off a £225,000 mortgage by the age of 37 on a £25,000 salary.
She also said one of the biggest ongoing expenses after having a baby can be the cost of “doing things” — especially if socialising starts to revolve around cafés and paid activities. Gemma said she found a weekly baby group at her local church that cost just £1.
“I got a coffee, I got a cake, we did singing time, I met loads of friends,” she said. But she admitted she couldn’t keep up with more expensive meet-ups. “They also wanted to meet up at coffee shops, but I was literally on maternity pay, I was self-employed, I was unbelievably poor,” she added.
Don’t buy everything in advance
Her final tip is to resist splashing out on baby items before you know what you’ll genuinely need. Gemma said products like breast pumps are a good example — because not everyone ends up breastfeeding and many items can be ordered quickly later if required.
“A lot of mums don’t know if they’re going to breastfeed or not, so I always say don’t buy the breast pump, don’t buy everything until you’ve had that baby,” she added. Instead, she encouraged parents to accept hand-me-downs and shop second-hand where possible — from baby clothes to bigger-ticket items like Moses baskets — adding that many families end up buying far more than they actually use.
