Raising children isn’t cheap. That said, they are a necessity for some parents who have busy schedules but wouldn’t think of leaving their children with someone who they don’t trust or isn’t accountable. Daycare centers, however, aren’t the only places that know how to care for children. If you’re on a very tight budget or are living frugally, you need something that works for a much lesser cost. In this post, we’ll take a look at some of the ways for saving on childcare costs.
Ask a Family Member to Help Out
Grandmothers and grandfathers relish in the opportunity to bond with other family members. By enlisting their help, you get to kill two birds with one stone: you’re able to have your children taken care of as well as help the two bond. In exchange, you might want to offer to foot their fuel or transportation costs or even offer free lunch and dinner as an extra incentive.
Look Into Daycare Centers that Receive Grants
Daycare centers, especially those that are in big cities receive grants from the government meant to improve service delivery. As a result of these grants, these centers are able to keep their costs low, making them a much cheaper option. If you have a choice of government-funded daycare centers to choose from, make sure to check out their policies on things like sick days so you know whether your child is also eligible for free care should they fall sick.
Form or Join a Mommy Association in Your Neighborhood
Neighborhoods across the nation have come up with ways of getting their children the care they need without having to pay an arm and a leg for this. Mommy associations designate certain days to different individuals who take turns taking care of a bunch of kids. This is a much safer and virtually free way of providing care to children while at the same time getting to know your community members in a holistic way.
Saving On Childcare By Bartering Your Services
If you have a skill that you think will benefit a child care center, offer to provide it to them in exchange for free or discounted child care. Great examples include accounting skills to help balance the daycare’s books or offering to provide the center with free advertising for a set amount of time. This is a win-win situation for all parties involved.
Flex Scheduling or Working from Home are Options
If you absolutely feel like you and your child would benefit from constant care, you might want to ask your boss if it’s possible for you to come in much later and still work the mandated eight hours. Alternatively, you can work from home and telecommute, giving you all the time in the world to care for your child as you work.
Sign Up for Offers
If money is tight and you’d still like to keep your child at a certain standard, you might want to look into cutting coupons as well as signing up for offers online. The free stuff you get puts extra cash in your pocket, money that could go to other more important things such as setting up a college fund for your child. We hope these tips have opened you up to some easy ways you can lower your child care bill with little to no effort.