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These days that baby sitters demand more than just a fixed fee in exchange for their services, babysitting costs can easily hurt your wallet. The average cost of babysitters is around $12.75 an hour for one child and this number varies depending on where you live. If you and your spouse are both working, baby sitting costs can indeed break your budget. Not only do you not go out on dates anymore, but you also have a hard time earning and saving at the same time. If there is no way for either one of your spouse to stay at home and watch your little ones, then consider the following ways on how you can save on child care.

1. Parent co-ops. Parent co-ops need to be discussed among other families in your neighborhood. This is a good way to have somebody babysit your children without putting too much financial pressure on the both of you. Parent co-ops work by babysitting for other families’ children. You babysit for them when they need you to and they babysit for you when you need them to. There are parent co-ops which are formalized. However, the downside of being in a formal group is the fact that you may not know the parents who are going to babysit your children well. Therefore, what others prefer is to have parent co-ops among close neighbors. The best thing about this is the service is free. You just have to make sure to return the favor every once in a while.
   
   
2. Nanny sharing. If you only have one child, hiring a babysitter to watch over him or her might seem to be a waste of money. Ask your friends and neighbors if they have nannies and ask those who have if they would be willing to share the nanny with you. Most nannies are capable of taking care of children and besides, your child would want to have somebody to play with as well, anyway. The good news is, nannies’ rates are at least 30% less than babysitters.
   
   
3. The Gym Childcare. The good thing about gym child care is applying for a full membership will entitle you to an hour or two of childcare per day. Of course, different gym memberships have different contracts so make sure that you check each one of them out first. So, if you are one of those parents who just need to have an hour each day to tend to your responsibilities, this option would be a good choice for you—besides, you can take advantage of the gym equipment as well.
   
   
4. Playgroups. A lot of cities offer classes to small children. Look for early childhood programs that do not require the parents to stay. These classes are being offered at $5 to $10 per hour. You may not actually care what your child learns but he or she will surely enjoy painting, gymnastics, cooking, etc.
   
   
5. Tweens or Teens. Most parents these days do not bother asking tweens or teenagers for help with babysitting. It is because of the fact that parents feel they aren’t responsible enough. However, these teenagers have very good and affordable rates. And if you are a stay at home parent or working from home, hiring them could be a good option, since you can keep an eye on them.
   
   
6. Grandma and grandpa. Grandparents absolutely adore their grandchildren and who better take care of the children than them? Yes, they might break the rules and feed your children ice cream all day long but the fact that you will be comfortable knowing that your kids are in good hands is enough to overlook those little things.
   
   
7. No childcare. If childcare services are breaking your bank, stop availing of them. Instead, adjust your priorities and make your schedule work so that you can be at home to stay with your kids.
   
   
8. Split the shift. Instead of regularly hiring a babysitter, you and your spouse may decide to split shifts. In this way, there would always be one of you who could stay at home with your children and you will only have to hire a nanny every once in a while.
   
   
9. Keep them busy. When you are one of those parents who just need an hour or two to answer phone calls and reply to emails, instead of hiring a nanny, why not just keep your children busy instead? Yes, you might not want your kids to be watching TV or playing on the iPad on a school night but you can tune those gadgets into something educational. Not only will you get your children out of your hair but they will also be learning at the same time.

The need for babysitting is inevitable especially when you and your spouse are both working. The services may indeed be necessary but the costs just simply aren’t especially if they are adding financial stress and pressure on the both of you. The need to check your credit scores in relation to babysitting might seem unimportant; however, in the financial aspect, it is. When you know your scores, you can determine your financial standing; therefore, you can easily narrow down your options and decide on which babysitting option best suits not only your budget but your lifestyle as well.