During the summer months, child care costs can skyrocket for families with kids getting out of school. What are your tips for saving money on child care?
By Jaclyn
Until I was able to work at home full time, my daycare was my next door neighbor. She watched my baby Ethan from the time he was two months old and is like a second mom to him. She charged me less for my two kids than I was paying for one toddler in Boston. She doesn't advertise, just word of mouth but she is pretty much always full. Look around your neighborhood or ask your circle of friends if they know anyone like this.
By Jess
By Billie Jo
By Slransom
By Sara
Several couples that I have met manage child care expenses by working different shifts. A nurse I know works the night shift at the hospital. Her husband works days.They never need a sitter for longer than 1-2 hours in a day. It works for them.
By Coreen Hart
By Mesarobins
This page contains the following solutions.
School is almost out. It's great for about a week or so then your down to keeping your kids busy and out of your hair! If your a stay home parent, it can drive you crazy.
Here are the questions asked by community members. Read on to see the answers provided by the ThriftyFun community.
We need extra money so I am going to need to go back to work. I found a job that will likely have me working similar hours as my husband. Anyone have some childcare tips? Its looking quite expensive at the moment.
Where are you in SC I just moved to Greenville and are looking for stay at home work. my email is dhwilliamsiii@yahoo.com
Tammy,
When considering childcare, the best advice that I can share is listen to your instincts. If it doesn't feel right, it sounds too good to be true, then it probably is. If you are considering in-home care, be sure to check each individual out carefully. If they have pets, ask if the pets will be around the children. If you are considering a daycare center, again, check out the people who work there. Check out the center with the BBB, the Chamber of Commerce and most importantly, check it out with the other parents. You can find really good daycares or in-home providers at reasonable rates. Again, if it looks too good or sounds too good, then it probably is too good and not a good suggestion to go with. If your child doesn't like being there and cries everytime you drop them off or even if you just drive by, then there is something wrong and don't go back. I can speak from experience that what I thought was a good center turned out to be a nightmare for my child. He cried when we dropped him off and even when we just drove by the center.
I am a single mom and I have found it very very hard to get good child care. I have had bad babysitters who put me thru alot of STRESS. I had a in home babysitter who STOLE my IDENTITY. YES. 18 year old girl. HER mother also called CPS on me because I FIRED her for stealing.
Just a thought. GET online and do a BACKGROUND check.
I am a childcare provider myself. But never got into it seriously.
I found a job just in time.
I am fingerprinted thru the POLICE dept. and also
have ADULT and INFANT CPR training.
I have found that people also want MONEY PAID up front.
I DON'T write checks, unless it is a STATE certified company.
I carry a receipt book from any MAIL BOX store.
I paid same day and get a receipt for my records.
With all of my experience and working nights and weekends.
MY LESSON I SHARE with everyone. DO A BACKGROUND check.
YOUR CHILDREN ARE PRICELESS. NO ONE cares for them like you do when you are with them.
GOOD LUCK.
if you have any questions where to get information,
you can email me directly:
Does anyone know of any good daycares here, in the bay (925) area? I need to go back to work, but I am worried about leaving my child with people I hardly know anything about...people that may or may not abuse/neglect my child.
Hi, I'm jill and I run jilliejellies daycare out of my home in simpsonville SC I only keep babies 4 wks to 24mo. not sure of the age of your child but if interusted contact me anytime day or night weekends does'nt matter 313-8116 or email me at jilliejellie@yahoo.com thanks Jill
There is a good article on finding a babysitter that has a lot of good tips here:
Check out this new website http://DaycareTrade.com Tell your friends about it too. The more people who know about the site, the more likely we are to find the right person to trade daycare with. I'm searching too.
I am having a very hard time finding cheap child care. The day care people here ask way too much money and think we are being selfish by saying it's too much. With their rates, I may make $1.00 an hour myself, while the rest goes to support the sitter. Any ideas please? I have to go to work.
Just call around. use goodle maps to find day cares in you're area and call all of them. I have found the prices are very different! I'm in Louisville and I was taking my boys to kindercare (big chain but nice) just for a good social day for them once a week. It was crazy. Almost $50 a half day per child and $70 a year registration, which I had to renew every time they were away for more than 2 weeks.
Anyhow I finally took the time to call around and found a really nice place called Genesis for half the price. It's like anything, you really have to shop around and don't let them guilt you into feeling like you have to spend a million dollars on your child all the time. I love my kids, that is why I work hard, I save money. Working moms are a staple of the economy. We are the modern Rosie the riveter!
P.S. If you are reading this and you live in Louisville check out genesischilddevelopment.com/
ThriftyFun is one of the longest running frugal living communities on the Internet. These are archives of older discussions.
I am having a very hard time finding cheap child care, The day care people here ask way too much money and think we are being selfish by saying it's too much.
