Money, Money, Money, Money

It's tough out there. Everywhere you go you hear of people losing their jobs. As self-employed business owners we too are feeling the pinch. Less people having jobs means less parents are in need of daycare. Add to this fact that some daycare providers also have spouses out of work and it is a disaster in the making.

Today I received an email request to write about budgeting and methods to reduce daycare costs. We're all aware that operating a daycare means paying for overhead expenses. Additional costs associated with operating a business from home include everything from additional electricity to food to craft supplies. How then, in these tough economic times, do we tighten our money belts and save for our own family's expenses while still offering top quality care we can be proud of?

With a little brainstorming and a small amount of research time I have come up with some cost-effective ways to provide all that we want and still be able to lay our heads down at night with the security of knowing the mortgage will get paid.

The largest expense daycare providers face is that of food costs. There are many ways to cut down on the cost of feeding those always empty bellies belonging to those hungry, hungry gaffers that run around your home all day. I guess we could duct tape them all the the floor in an attempt to expend less calories and therefore require less nourishment to replace all the calories lost through play but somehow I imagine the parents, and the Children's Aid Society might take issue with that. And, as much as I might love to have a quiet, solo vacation I was thinking of somewhere more tropical than steel bars and a concrete slab.

Casseroles are the mainstay of a budgeted menu. Budgeting does not have to equate "cheap" as far as nutrition and taste are concerned. Tuna casserole provides more protein per serving than any other quick lunch you can serve that would be gobbled up in minutes. A meagre can of tuna can cost as little as seventy cents a pack and offer as much as thirty grams of protein. Combine two cans of tuna with a half a package of egg noodles, a can of creamed soup and a cup of milk and you will provide five hungry bodies with lunch for under $4.00. What other nutritious, kid-friendly meal can you serve for less than one dollar a portion? Swap out the tuna for ground beef, and the creamed soup for a can of tomato paste and you now have homemade beefaroni for under $5.00. Have any left over cottage cheese in the fridge? Toss it in too and you have another protein packed lunch.

Fresh produce can be expensive. There are methods, however, to take advantage of fruits and veggies that are priced less than average and still get all the nutritional benefits. The next time you are in the produce aisle head straight to the back. You will often find packaged produce marked down on a miscellaneous cart near the back wall. Often times these discount packages are jewels in the rough. A marked down package of apples can become inexpensive apple sauce, apple muffins or apple cake. In fact, these apples make a terrific version of "baked apples" that will have the kids asking for more. Simply peel, core and slice the apples. Place them in a glass bowl and sprinkle with cinnamon. Place the apples in the microwave for one minute. Stir and cook for an additional minute. Viola! Baked cinnamon apples the kids will love - and all for less than a dollar! You can make similar items with reduced carrots, zucchini and pineapple. All of these fruits are great for making muffins. My favourite is picking up bananas that, on the outside appear brown. Inside these aesthetically repugnant bananas are sweet, acidic delicacies that make the best banana bread you will ever taste. You will often find reduced bananas for less than a nickle each. What a great bargain! Mix up a loaf of banana bread for less than seventy five cents. And while you're making that banana bread toss in some of that apple sauce you made from the reduced apples for half of the butter asked for in the recipe. You will have a healthier, cheaper version ready to eat in less than an hour. Kids love baked goods. Why not save a few pennies and feed them high quality food they love?

The second biggest expense daycare providers face is craft supplies. I am the first to admit to being 'craft challenged' but even I can come up with some cost effective solutions to getting glue and glitter all over everything. One of my favourite ideas was tweaked from a craft a fellow daycare provider posted on a forum I frequent. Everyone has those Saturday sales flyers that flood your front doorstep. Why not make use of that free paper and give your kids something to do on these brisk fall days? Cut out Halloween items from the flyers and allow the kids in your care to make collages of all things Halloween. The best part is that you don't even have to provide the paper! Have the kids paste their cut outs right on to another piece of flyer paper. Once finished cut out a square box from the centre of their master piece and discard the edges. Before you will be a beautiful collage of Halloween art that any parent would proudly display on the refrigerator.

Fall leaves and pine cones can make for another inexpensive fall craft. Leaves make great collages as well. Pine cones can be transformed to pretty art with some glue and glitter or paint. And while you are collecting those pine cones save a few for Christmas decorations the kids can glitter and take home to mom and dad. Fall leaves can also be used to make autumn inspired napkin holders for the family table. Simple cut strips of paper and then roll into a ring and staple. Glue a leaf to the front and you have cute table accessories the kids will be proud of. Or, if you have ample time on your hands take old cans, tape the top edge with duct tape and allow the kids to decorate the sides with more of those leaves you collected. Who doesn't need another pencil holder?

There are cost savings all around you. Kids aren't fussy; they just want to have fun. So get out there and find inspired, and cheap ways to do it all for less. Your wallet will be fuller, you'll sleep better at night and your home will be filled with the sweet smell of baked goods.

For concerns, advice or suggestions I welcome your email at judytrickett@yahoo.ca