https://boards.hellobee.com/ Pregnancy, Baby and Parenting blog, by Hellobee en Sat, 09 May 2026 21:58:28 +0000 https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare/page/2#post-258372 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 14:17:21 +0000 chrispygal 258372@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Daycare costs are about 15% of my salary so financially it makes sense for me to go back to work. We would be tight on just one salary, even though DH does make a good salary as well. With one child in daycare we will still be able to put some money in savings every month. If we had a second child, we'd probably break even and/or have to cut back in areas. This will play into our decision whether or not to have child number two. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-258138 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 12:10:55 +0000 purrpletulips 258138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>DH and I both owned houses when we got married so when we sold mine we basically swapped a mortgage payment for a daycare payment. Now that #2 is almost here we are having to look at either 1) tightening our budget even more or 2) taking DD out of daycare and looking into an in-home care provider who would be less money but not as stimulating for DD. It is tough, our biggest thing is to budget really really carefully.</p> <p>DH would love for me to become SAHM but our health insurance comes through me and it wouldn't be feasible for us to live on only his income and pay for his health insurance. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257884 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:26:18 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 257884@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@HeatherlovesKenny: I'm going to write a post about it I think. I don't want to get hate comments on how cheap we pay. haha. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257876 Tue, 14 Aug 2012 09:18:40 +0000 HLK208 257876@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrs. Sunglasses: DH thinks that this is what the US should do...or at least more companies should offer child care as a benefit. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257674 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:23:53 +0000 Mrs. Sunglasses 257674@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a province that child care is cheap. Families get help from the government. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257670 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 23:03:55 +0000 MamaCate 257670@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Budget, budget, budget! I am the breadwinner in our family (DH is in school) so my working anything other than full time was not even worth considering. We pay about 1/4 of my gross pay in daycare costs. We already did not do a lot of extra things (coffee out, dinner out, lots of movies etc), so we are just really careful about where we spend. Luckily this is semi-temporary as in 2 years DH will graduate and make more than I do, and we will reconsider. </p> <p>One thing to note is that not all daycares charge by the hour--ours is a weekly cost for the slot, regardless of if LO is there 4 hours or 40. Something to ask about... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257620 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:37:18 +0000 CupQuakeWalk 257620@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I won't be working until LO is of kindergarten age anyways...so he'll be in school when I do work....but even that is expensive because we'll be sending him to private (Muslim) school....So, I'll basically be working to pay for his tuition and the other child we hope to have by then too. It's tough.....but yeah, kids = expenses!</p> <p>My only recommendation to you,if I were in your shoes, seeing as family has helped you thus far is to see if someone can take your LO for mornings....or 1 day-2 days a week....Just cutting the # of hours you have to go to daycare will cut your costs. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257618 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:35:59 +0000 ChelseaRose 257618@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My mom is a retired preschool teacher and will be watching our LO. There is no way we'd be able to afford a daycare center or nanny. My husband makes less and doesn't have benefits (insurance, retirement, etc.) so he would stay home or just work the days that I'm off (Fri, Sat, Sun; 4/40 schedule) if we didn't have my mom to help. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257606 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:26:07 +0000 Shimmer 257606@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Yeah, I considered daycare in our situation until I found out we were having twins... and then it just didn't make sense anymore. I'll be a SAHM and when the boys are a little older I'll consider going back for per diem work to keep my skills up to date. DH recently got a better paying job as well, which definitely cements our decision for me to stay home! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257595 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 21:11:09 +0000 AprilK 257595@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Our place in Chicago was $2140 a month... there were others that were a little cheaper, but not by much. So.... we moved. We wanted to move back to Indiana at some point regardless and I got a new job that offered relocation so we were able to get out of our condo without having to take a massive loss.... now we are paying $960 a month which is MUCH easier to swing.</p> <p>So I guess moral of the story is good jobs and moved to a place with a lower cost of living? </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257579 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:45:44 +0000 winniebee 257579@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Child care is absurdly expensive in Boston (2k a month for full time daycare, more for a nanny). We have to live here while DH is finishing his residency and also until then I will continue to make 2x his salary. I'm going back 4 days (even though the pay cut doesn't make sense financially) and my mom is watchig T one day a week. It will be tight but I think we are getting a nanny the other 3 days. I used to spend money on clothes - I don't now. We also used to go out to nice meals - we don't now. Also no after work drinks etc. Basically without those things we are citing over $500 a month. We wont be saving much but that's life. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257570 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:40:38 +0000 matador84 257570@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I would have to stay at home if we had another. Childcare is 685/month where LO will go--that is with early care/late care (7:30-5:30 5 days a week). It does get less expensive as he gets older, but not a whole lot. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257561 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:27:36 +0000 PrincessBaby 257561@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Daycare is less than 25% of my monthly salary for my job... Sometimes I WISH my job was a lower paying one so that I could make a reasonable argument to be a SAHM. Although we'd be fine on just DH's income, it would be silly for me to walk away from a pretty awesome paying position.</p> <p>The grass is always greener.... </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257555 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 20:17:50 +0000 yoursilverlining 257555@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We're lucky to both have very good jobs (of course, we're "older" and have student loan debt from obtaining the necessary education, and spent years of working our way up before either of us thought of TTC). That's the biggest answer to how do we afford childcare.</p> <p>The other is putting off other plans. We wanted to purchase an apartment building within the next few years but daycare at $1400/month is basically that second mortgage. So, that plan most likely has to be put off for a few extra years until LO is in school. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257485 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 19:01:21 +0000 Andrea 257485@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It depends on how much you have leftover after paying for child care. It's better financially for DD to be in daycare than for me to be a SAHM. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257435 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 18:11:07 +0000 Rubies 257435@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We knew how much it would be so we're just cutting back in other areas to make it work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257429 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:52:42 +0000 KT326 257429@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We just make it work. We pay almost as much as our rent, which isn't cheap either. We both make about the same amount and still have some left over after all the bills are paid. It isn't much but we can almost have the same lifestyle as we did before baby was here. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257425 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:49:33 +0000 Bookish 257425@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We live in a lower cost of living area, and the average day care costs are about 500-800$/month. We are currently TTC, and are hoping to have the entire first year of day care in savings by the time I have a baby. It definitely is a concern of mine, but it makes no sense financially for me to stay home (work is paying me to go to grad school and I have the cheaper health care program by far). Therefore, we are saving like mad! It's crazy expensive, even where I live! </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257418 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:31:44 +0000 Mrs. Jacks 257418@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Mr jacks had to get a better paying job for it to make sense to get a nanny. Otherwise he'd still be at home with the girls :) </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257400 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 17:16:23 +0000 amy 257400@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It really does come down to the % of income you have left over to know if it is worth it for you to work. My husband and I both have well paying jobs and for me daycare had to be less then 25% of my salary for me to continue to work. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257295 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 15:44:26 +0000 pelikila 257295@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>For us it comes down to picking what is important. We've cut back drastically on some things but kept other things and luxuries in the budget so we could make room for childcare. It means adjusting our timeline a little in respect to selling our house and upgrading, but it is a decision we made that fit us. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257202 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:53:05 +0000 DillonLion 257202@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@regberadaisy: Same here. My employer covers my health insurance premiums 100% so it is a really good deal. If I didn't work we'd have to put me on my husband's plan for $600+ a month or put me on a private, cruddy, cheap plan with no maternity coverage for baby #2. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257199 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:51:49 +0000 regberadaisy 257199@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>@Mrsbells: ditto.</p> <p>We make enough to cover chidcare and still have money left each month. The biggest actually is health insurance! If I didn't work and we had to go to a family plan there's NO way we can make ends meet. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257198 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:51:43 +0000 LuLu Mom 257198@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We will be cutting back, and we use Flex spending through my work that allows os much money a year to be pre-tax which helps for child care cost. Otherwise just being frugal and watching, it is necessary for me as I will be going back to work so we have no other option. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257188 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:47:33 +0000 mediagirl 257188@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>My husband and I both make about the same amount of money. Because of this, we can't afford to have one of us stay at home. We found a "reasonable" daycare in our area for $1000/month . It's not ideal but it's better than the bigger daycare that cost $1600+ out near our offices. We did the math and found we have enough to cover bills, continue to fund ira's and 401k's and have just a little left over for savings. It's going to be horrible for 5 years but after that, things will be easier. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257183 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:45:49 +0000 blackbird 257183@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>Good jobs =\</p> <p>I want to do in-home. It's cheaper. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257171 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:41:32 +0000 dookie32 257171@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>We had an idea of how much day care was going to be before we even entertained the idea of having kids and made sure it was going to be affordable within our budget. It definitely seemed impossible to afford the equivalent of another mortgage payment per month but you figure it out somehow. We just cut back on a lot of things we used to spend money on (eating out, traveling, clothes, etc). </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257142 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:33:30 +0000 Mrsbells 257142@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>It is very expensive, but its still the cheaper option compared to me staying home and not making any money at all </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257138 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:30:18 +0000 DillonLion 257138@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>I assumed childcare was going to take up nearly all of my take home salary. But, when we actually started touring childcare facilities, it only ate up about 50% of my take home pay...so we are able to swing it. All of our bills are covered with DH's salary and we are using the other half of mine to finish paying off debt.</p> <p>ETA: Once we have two kids, I'll stay home, since daycare would then be eating up all of my salary. </p> https://boards.hellobee.com/topic/how-do-you-afford-childcare#post-257121 Mon, 13 Aug 2012 14:24:18 +0000 Clementine 257121@https://boards.hellobee.com/ <p>great question...right now we have MIL watching him at a steal but we know she doesn't want to do this long term, so we're trying to crunch the numbers ourselves. </p>