Childcare can be one of the most expensive services that families have to pay for. With a global economy crisis happening, many families are feeling the crunch of trying to reduce their household expenses. Beyond coupons and finding opportunities to buy for cheap, the need to greatly reduce their budget to make ends meet is a very pressing issue for many. But, there are other ways to get cheap and reliable childcare, even as families are going through the economy crisis.
Here are 2 ways to reduce the overall expense of childcare and still ensure that your child is safe and happy:
Develop a babysitting “co-op” with a few close families that also have children. Together, create a plan that will allow for you all to realize a financial saving on childcare by watching each others’ children. If you are already close, then your children will know each family and will feel safe and comfortable being with them. By breaking up the childcare into bit that each family can handle, everyone will benefit
Pretty much, you just set up a schedule that works for everyone, which would allow for people to have special nights out, daily afterschool care, or full weekend coverage. Plan on a quarterly basis to keep it flexible, open, and fair. It would be even better if you make a pact to offer special activities, low or no cost, for the children, such as learning certain skills or participating in certain free community programs when they are in each family’s care. That will keep the kids from being bored and the families from feeling overwhelmed.
Another possibility is to get your own family involved. Many people have a young or unattached relative that would probably love to mind your children. If you have a relative that is a college student or that would like to stay someplace for practically free, then a live-in situation could work for all of you. With everyone trying to save a few dollars, your family could really save a lot of money.
The cost of weekly childcare at a professional day care center can run a family upwards of $300-400 per child. Just by having a live-in childcare arrangement in place, a family realizes a huge saving. Cost-reduction for live-in childcare could be as much as 75% or about $200 savings per week. It’s definitely worth it for everyone involved. The children get the attention and love of a family member, you get peace of mind that your child is safe, and the relative gets to save a few dollars which could really help them to manage their own costs of living.
Your family will appreciate the saving, cost reduction, and opportunity to try a new way of getting your childcare taken care of with these two easy methods. During this economy crisis, everyone is looking for alternatives that will work for their families. Reducing your child care expense could be just the break that your family budget needs!