How do people afford daycare??!??!?!?

Question

I recently found out that we are going to have to start paying for my daughters daycare. At first we didnt have too cause we didnt make enough money. Plus i was a single mom and qualified for the Tea program which just pays for her daycare. And now im freaking out cause its like were getting married in less then a month!! {september 22nd} and we have to start paying for the daycare! It's 85 dollers a week!! even if they dont go that week. Like if there out for christmas break they still get the 85 dollers even tho daycares not open! Its not that i dont think they deserve the money cause they do and proably a lot more! It's just i dont know how were going to swing it. With rent, electric, car payment,insurance,gas for the car, cable, cell phones, groceries, now this...!!! Its aggervating cause its like were not supposed to get married or something cause everything bad keeps happening to us!!! yikes!! HOW DO PEOPLE AFFORD DAYCARE??!?!?!?!??

Lol yeah well i wasnt figuring her into my finances for another 10 years...lucky me.....sweet 16...kinda a suprise ya know!??! lol but either way i'm doing for my own..its just frusterating cause we wanna be married but..its like damn bills are bad!!!! haha

Yeah We do need cell phones if she gets hurt how am i going to call anyone if i dont have a phone??? no we don't have to have cable it's 40 a month.....

Answer 1

I get my daycare price cut in half because of where I work. I pay $250 a month for my 2 oldest for afterschool care. My youngest, my husband's family watches him while hubby is in class.

I know how you feel though about it being bad to be married. When I worked elsewhere, my oldest's childcare was fully paid for. My hubby and I both worked at the time. Then, my husband became ill, and he was hospitalized for months. They pulled my son from the program because both parents were supposed to be working parents. (No slack for a family in crisis, my husband almost died!)

Answer 2

I am a single mother and a childcare professional. First off childcare is just like any other bill you have, it is a service if you do not pay your light bill it gets turned off same with childcare no pay no stay. I understand where you are coming from it is pricey, but there are programs that can help pay a portion of your weekly fee if you qualify. Make a budget and stick to it 85 isn't much I have single mom's that pay almost 200 a week and never complain they may not have the best material things but they work and pay bills I respect these woman.

Answer 3

Girl, I know what you mean!! But seriously if you're paying $85 a week that's a lot cheaper than most. I know it's hard but you are going to have set your priorities as your child coming first.

You can also try other programs such as food stamps, Medicaid, and other lifeline assistance. Hang in there, sooner than you know it, your child will be in public school!

Also, make sure you and your husband do this as a team, stick together as a family. Alto of times money can break up marriages and relationships. Don't let this money situation get the best of you.

Answer 4

My mom watches my two boys Tuesday through Friday from 7 a.m. to 4 p.m. and we pay her $800 per month. This is the largest bill we have...it's even more than our rent!! Compared to what we would pay to a daycare center, we're getting a heck of a break, but it's still a lot.

We recently moved to Georgia, but when we were living in Michigan, we had our two sons in daycare part time...Monday through Friday from 7 a.m. to Noon, and we paid $300 per WEEK for this. Granted, it was a great center, she provided all the meals and snacks, did fun projects with them, etc., but that's still a lot. It's really ridiculous what places charge to watch your child.

Answer 5

I pay $115 a week. I knew it would be expensive but I figured that into my finances before I decided to get pregnant. My daughter only goes for 3 hours a day, but I still have to pay the full time rate since she takes up a spot.

Answer 6

Not to be rude, but you should have thought of that before your daughter was born. I am glad you are doing the right thing and getting married but daycare/children are VERY expensive. I worked in a daycare for 5 years and I know how much it costs. You go to school, get an education, a better job, get established, and then have children. Thats the way it is suppose to be. I had older parents (late 30's) now thats not really older, but its older compared to how young people have children now, and they seemed to have no problem paying the daycare fee. They had finished college first, gotten good jobs, then started their family.

Answer 7

Yeah, it's expensive but please take into account that daycare is a tax credit when you file your returns. Or, if you or your hubby to be's employer offers a "cafeteria plan", you can have pretax dollars withheld from your paycheck each month and you get reimbursed when you submit receipts for childcare or medical out of pocket expenses. When it is pretax dollars, it benefits you because you are getting taxed at a lower rate, say you make $20,000 a year, you have $368 dollars a month put into the cafeteria plan at work... Uncle Sam only taxes your on your income tax for $15,581 instead of the $20,000 you actually made.

Answer 8

I know what you are going through. We sat down and figured the cost of me working.... dress clothes/uniform, gas, lunch, etc...
Then we decided if I would be bringing in enough money to cover those costs plus day care, plus a little extra. We decided that it was better for us that I stay home. You may find that with both incomes you really can do day care. Check for someone doing it out of their home, it's usually cheaper. Also, check with family.... you never know..

Answer 9

For a husband and wife that both work it is almost cheaper to cinch up the straps and cut back in areas that aren't need and have the wife stay home. By the time you figure what your paid and then what daycare and gas in the car plus lunch out everyday is.
I have had to do that and we aren't missing the money just the things that weren't really necessary to begin with.

Answer 10

It's rough - I pay $125 a week for my daughter to go to home day care and that's CHEAP around here - for her to go to Minnieland or La Petite or a place like that, it would be $200+ a week.

Have you looked into someone who does it out of their home? Usually that's cheaper -