I’m a struggling single mum who has had to ration baby wipes so my kids can eat – it’s humiliating
THE idea of reusing baby wipes may make many feel queasy, but it’s the stark daily reality for one struggling single mum.
The mum, 27, from Hertfordshire, regularly rations hygiene products, as well as making her own washable, reusable wipes, so that she can afford to buy her children clothes, food and school essentials.
“It sounds gross but I have to save money where I can,” the mum tells Fabulous. “It’s humiliating and scary being this skint. The cost-of-living crisis has really affected me and I’ve had to resort to drastic measures.”
The mum-of-two survives on Universal Credit. She says her children’s father left when she was six months pregnant and is “not in the picture”.
“I can’t afford to put my son in a nursery and I have no additional help. After the rent, grocery shop and gas and electricity bill is paid, I am left with £20, which is earmarked only for emergencies,” she says.
“To save money I even cut my own hair. I have no savings.”
- Give clothing, toys and essentials to a baby bank, wherever you are in the UK.
- Give your time volunteering. To find your nearest baby bank, visit .
The mum started rationing baby wipes in March 2022. Exclusive research of 2,000 mums for Fabulous’ Baby, Bank On Us campaign found that she is not alone. 27% have had to ration nappies and baby wipes, while 53% don’t have any savings to fall back on. 68% say the cost of living crisis has had a negative impact on their mental health.
The single mum says she knows how these mums feel. “In an attempt to save money, I actively started using fewer baby wipes when changing my son,” she says. “I hated how that made me feel.
“For me, baby wipes became a luxury, even at 50p a pack for supermarket own-brand wipes. I used to always use a handful of wipes when changing my son, but now I make sure I only use one or two every time.”
After the rent, grocery shop and gas and electricity bill is paid, I am left with £20
The dedicated parent has also made her own baby wipes out of old clothes that no longer fit to save money.
“I cut them into squares, then put them in a plastic container with a few drops of baby oil,” she says. “When I tell friends, they always screw up their noses. But it works for me and I reckon it saves me about £50 a year.”
What are baby banks?
- Baby banks provide essential items for babies and young children whose parents are living in poverty – including nappies, wipes, clothing, bedding, Moses baskets, cots, blankets, toys and books.
- There are over 200 baby banks in the UK, and they run out of shops, community centres, warehouse units and even people’s living rooms and garages.
- Last year 4.2 million children in the UK were living in poverty and 800,000 children lived in a household that used a food or baby bank.
Like the 39% of mums surveyed, who have missed meals in order to feed their children, the mum regularly has only one meal a day and says this, coupled with the stress of her money worries, has caused her to slim down from a size 24 to a size 12.
“I skip meals so my kids can eat,” she says. “I’m so stressed with worry about how to pay for things. The only thing that matters is that my kids have what they need.”