‘We’re so broke I need to use our baby’s birthday money for essentials’

“I feel terrible, but I have to think about every penny we spend so carefully… the money from his aunt is just sitting there in an envelope,” the stressed mum reveals.

This will be a familiar scenario for so many families: your power bill arrives, it’s much higher than expected, your youngest has a growth spurt and needs new school shoes, then you run over a nail on the way home from grocery shopping and the spare tyre doesn’t match your set and you need to buy a replacement.

Sometimes the expenses pile up and there’s not enough money in the kitty to pay for everything.

So what do you do?

Do you use a credit card and sink further into debt? Do you ask a family member to help you? Do something drastic like sell the car or move to a place where housing is cheaper?

Families are struggling, and Fern* is no different.

The UK mum is facing serious bills and doesn’t have enough money to make ends meet and she wondered if it would be so bad if she used her infant son’s birthday money to cover costs.

“My son is one and last month for his birthday, my aunt gave him $57,” she wrote in a Reddit post.

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The family was facing so many bills, they were considering spending their kids' money. Photo: Reddit

Mum wants to spend baby’s birthday money on essentials

“Money is very tight for us and every penny we spend has to be thought about carefully,” she continued

“We are hoping this will ease a bit over the next year as I am due a pay rise in February and our childcare costs will likely go down a bit in September.”

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The birthday money was tucked away in an envelope, and she wondered if it would be ethical to spend it.

“He has lots of toys and books, we probably wouldn’t get any more now until he’s outgrown some of the ones he already has.

“Is it wrong to use his money towards daily essentials?”

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Parents came to the comments with words of support and encouragement.

“What does he know?” one person asked. “She gave you cash for a reason. She’s stood in your place before and knows that you know best what he needs. He needs nappies and wipes and, if he’s like mine three kilos of strawberries a week.”

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“This is exactly why I give cash,” said another. “Because I don’t want to be rude and buy wipes, but I want you to be able to do so if you want/need to.”

“Do what you need to do,” said a third person. “It would be wrong to spend it on yourself as the money was gifted to him, but if you need to spend it on his daily essentials that will keep him happy and healthy, then there is zero reason to feel guilty.”

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One person suggested putting an IOU in the little boy’s money box.

“I put an IOU in my baby’s piggy bank and forgot about it,” one mum revealed. “When she was older she found it and I paid it back.”

*Names have been changed

Originally published as ‘We’re so broke I need to use our baby’s birthday money for essentials’