Beat the Childcare Costs

Open social media, watch the news, speak to your friends, go to the grocery store - and one topic will be unavoidable; the rising cost of living.

Then add on the fact that the UK has some of the highest childcare costs in the world comparable to salary, and you can start to feel quickly overwhelmed. However, do not fear; there are a multitude of options available to help combat the costs of childcare, and general rising costs of living. We have included some top tips for you here...

Price Comparisons and Shop Around - We are all familiar with price comparison websites for utilities and insurance providers (and their related meerkats and opera singers). However, before any notable purchase you should put the item into a search engine, like Google, and compare the results that come up for where you can get the item for the best value. You can do this for everything from a new washing machine to a new child’s toy. When you search an item in Ecosia not only does the search engine show you various purchase prices from different sites it also shows you the shipping cost so you can factor this into the total price. Also, don’t forget that using a new website for the first time often comes with welcome offers and discounts you can use by signing up to their mailing list, this can further offset the purchase price too. So, even if an item is the same price on two websites, if you haven't used one before it is worth opening the site to see if they have this type of offer that you can take advantage of. It can be worth taking the time to shop around to make those savings - big and small they all add up. 

Generate Extra Income - There are a multitude of ways for you to generate additional income around your childcare responsibilities. For instance, you can sell clothes and toys that no longer fit or you no longer need on the “Vinted” App, you could also sell children’s clothes and items at a local “Mum2Mum” market, or if you have a background in education you could even take on additional ad hoc work, such as with a supply teaching agency. 

Buy Preloved - The benefit of the online and local options to sell on your child’s items mentioned above is that you can also buy from these too. Not only is buying preloved more sustainable but there are bargains out there for lightly used items. As parents we all know how quickly children outgrow clothes, have clothes they never wore or wore once, and we are familiar with the pile of toys that they barely or never played with. It makes so much more sense to buy preloved where possible, where prices are much more reasonable, especially for children’s clothes that only last a few months! 

Childcare Funding - Ensure that you stay up to date with the various childcare support funding options available from the UK government, especially if your personal circumstances or childcare needs change. Do not miss out on available support to offset the incredibly high costs of formal childcare!