WiseDollar

During the school year, sending your kids to school each day serves a couple of purposes. In addition to educating them for the future, you will also have a place for them to go while you are at work (for part of the day, at least).

Of course, when school lets out for the summer, you lose that benefit and you?ll need to make other arrangements. Unfortunately, those arrangements can be quite expensive, and they can quickly put a dent in your budget.

To help you cut back on the expense of summer childcare, we have listed four cost saving ideas below.

Look for Camps

If your child plays sports, or takes part in other activities, you may be able to find local camps that run during the summer. This is not a plan that is going to last all summer long, but it might be able to help you out for a week or two.

Of course, these camps aren?t free, so you?ll need to compare the cost of such a camp with the cost of other childcare arrangements. In addition to solving your childcare problem, camps are just a great way for your kids to have fun and interact with others.

Work from Home

Depending on the age of your kids and the nature of your job, you may be able to work from home on occasion to reduce your childcare bill. This is only going to work if your children are at just the right age ? old enough to mostly occupy themselves during the day, but not old enough to be left at home alone.

If your kids are too little, they will need your attention through the day and you won?t be able to actually get any work done.

Family Help

For those with local family, asking for a bit of help in the summer may be possible. This is most often the case when it comes to retired grandparents who can watch the kids during the workday.

Even if you only take advantage of this arrangement once or twice during the week, you could wind up saving a significant amount of money over the course of the summer.

Shop Around

At some point, you may have no other option than to take your child to a childcare business for at least some of the days during the summer. If that is the case, you would be wise to plan ahead and shop around for the best combination of rates and service.

Remember, this is somewhere you are going to be leaving your child for several hours, so you want to be comfortable with the business and their reputation. Don?t just shop on price alone ? make sure that the price you are paying also comes with the kind of service and care you expect for your child.

Childcare isn’t cheap and when you have to pay for full-time childcare in the summer, it can be hard on your budget. Use these ideas to find a solution that works for your family and your? budget.

Where do your children go in the summer? Do you have other ideas to save on childcare?

Photo courtesy of: eklisgirlbuh

As a parent, you have a lot on your plate. You need to teach your kids so many things on a day to day basis, along with handling your own work responsibilities.

It can be overwhelming at times, so it is tempting to cut corners and keep things as easy as possible. However, if you are willing to go the extra mile and teach your kids how to budget, you will be doing them a huge favor as they move toward adulthood.

Believe it or not, you can start quite young with the idea of a budget. Even though these early budgets will be quite simple, they will lay the groundwork for what is to come later in life. Let?s take a look at how this might work.

It Starts with Chores

One of the most important lessons that comes from budgeting is the understanding that nothing comes free in life. Even though you would gladly give what you have to your child, it doesn?t do them any good to get everything for nothing.

This is where chores come into the picture. You can think of household chores as your child?s first job, even if it is an informal one.

When your child reaches an appropriate age, have them help with a chore that is safe and reasonable for their age and size. If you choose to do so, you can attach a reward to the chore as a form of payment.

For small children, this probably won?t be money, but rather something like a tasty treat or a new toy after they have completed the chore a certain number of times. As your children get older, you can start to think about making the reward financial. Then, you can work on a budget.

A Child?s Budget

Your kids don?t have their own bills, but you can still sit down with them and establish a budget for the money they earn from chores.

For example, let?s imagine that you are giving your child $20 per month for the completion of a few chores (the amount is up to you, of course). Talk with your child about what that amount of money can buy, and speak with them about the importance of saving along the way.

So, maybe you will suggest that they save at least $10 per month, while using the other half to buy a couple small things. When you are at the store, you can point out prices and explain how money works.

As time goes by, your child?s budget will naturally get more and more complex. At some point, they will be able to drive and will need to pay for the costs that come along with a car. Also, they will head out into the real world and get a job of some kind, allowing them to have their own source of income.

By laying the groundwork early with a simple budget, the realities of the adult world will be much easier for your child to handle. Good luck!

How have you taught your kids to budget? Did your kids do chores?

Photo courtesy of: David Kessler