Last daycare check!!!

[Deleted]

I just wrote it this morning and it was just for today, so only $22.  No more daycare! 

[yogiii]

Time to spend foolishly

[HoneyBBQ]

I CAN'T WAIT.... 2 more years. LOL.

[yogiii]

So do you need after care or no?  I've got a long way to go if we're counting before/after care.

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2015 10:33:13 GMT -5 yogiii said:

So do you need after care or no?  I've got a long way to go if we're counting before/after care.

Before school care is free, but I don't think the bus gets there until right before school starts anyhow.  Honestly, I'd prefer to drop him off at school early on my way to work and let him get the free breakfast there, but he's pumped on riding the bus and it's the last year his brother will be on the bus too so he can learn about the transfers and all that from him so next year it won't be scary doing it alone.

After school he's going to go to the YMCA.  It's $160/month, but they pick him up from school, have all kinds of activities (including free swim lessons) and homework help for the older kids, and it's the same $160/month no matter what.  No school days and early releases he can go too, even last minute snow days are free.

There is still the Summers though, but I'll worry about that in 9 months.

[ken a.k.a OMK]

We do free after school care for the gs's.

Second week of school and gs#2 has strep already. A classmate was at the doctors too with strep.

[steph08]

Aug 31, 2015 10:31:42 GMT -5 HoneyBBQ said:

I CAN'T WAIT.... 2 more years. LOL.

3 more years (all-day pre-k) here unless we have another...

I miss that money.

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2015 10:42:30 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

We do free after school care for the gs's.

Second week of school and gs#2 has strep already. A classmate was at the doctors too with strep.

Aaack.  Illness is the only thing that messes with my new great deal, and our school loves to send home at the slightest indication of a problem.  Older son got sent home with "pink eye" all the time.  I don't think he ever really had pink eye.

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2015 10:31:24 GMT -5 yogiii said:

Time to spend foolishly

I'm thinking I need to up my 401K January 1st when my FSA drops or my tax situation is going to get messed up.

[yogiii]

I'll be doing something similar to you for after school care next year except the Y does it right at the elementary school (so no free swim lessons!) and it's more like $325/month

[Deleted]

Ouch.  This (the Y) was more than what I was paying the school for after school care last year ($4/hour and I was normally there in 1.5 hours), but this will let me keep him there up to almost 4 hours for the same flat rate and then the swim lessons. 

[NomoreDramaQ1015]

I am counting down till Abby is 4 and can go to public pre-school.  $248 a month for before/after care during school which is a hell of a lot cheaper than full time daycare.  

We'll be filthy rich after we're done paying daycare.  Or at least it'll feel like it.

[Deleted]

To be fair, I just wrote a bunch of other checks though. So it's not like I'm swimming in money now.

$90 snack fee (for the year)
$100 into lunch account
$54 school pictures
$60 Immersion trip for older son
$215 Swim team for older son
$366 payment for scout trip
$600 YMCA membership renewal (I get $150 reimbursed through work later)

[yogiii]

Yes daycare ends but their "needs" suddenly become much more expensive.

[Wisconsin Beth]

WE've got the kids signed up for before school care this fall. 

DH: "How much is the school care going to cost?"
me: "$95.00 per week."
DH "OUCH!"
me: "It's actually cheaper than what we're paying now."
DH: "WHAT?!  You're kidding me."
me: "Nope.  H is $100 for most weeks and your Mom is $20 per week which equals $120 most weeks.  Our cost is going down $25 a week."

[Wisconsin Beth]

Aug 31, 2015 11:07:32 GMT -5 yogiii said:

Yes daycare ends but their "needs" suddenly become much more expensive.

Yeah, outfitting a nonstop growing boy every 3-6 months isn't cheap.  I made the kids try on winter coats and snowpants yesterday.  They fit!  So we're off the hook on buying those until Jan. or so.  We have a history of outgrowing the damn things when the selection is non-existent.  But if I buy the larger size now, they'll not grow until next summer and then jump 2 sizes.  Damn kids. 

[giramomma]

Aug 31, 2015 10:42:30 GMT -5 ken a.k.a OMK said:

We do free after school care for the gs's.

Second week of school and gs#2 has strep already. A classmate was at the doctors too with strep.

My DS missed the first 2.5 days of school to illness...Had some sort of viral stomach bug thing. I was just glad he didn't give it to anyone else in our household <<off to knock on a wood-laminate piece of furniture.>>

Last school year, my ILs watched #3 for one day a week for us. I think they miss it. They've been pretty happy to take her while we transition to a new schedule.

[giramomma]

Aug 31, 2015 11:10:00 GMT -5 Wisconsin Beth said:

Aug 31, 2015 11:07:32 GMT -5 yogiii said:

Yes daycare ends but their "needs" suddenly become much more expensive.

Yeah, outfitting a nonstop growing boy every 3-6 months isn't cheap.  I made the kids try on winter coats and snowpants yesterday.  They fit!  So we're off the hook on buying those until Jan. or so.  We have a history of outgrowing the damn things when the selection is non-existent.  But if I buy the larger size now, they'll not grow until next summer and then jump 2 sizes.  Damn kids. 

My DS never did that.

We got to experience the wake up the next day and nothing fits growth spurt.

While we were on vacation.

In French speaking Canada.

I speak French, but it's been a few decades.

It was interesting.

[Deleted]

I have to get a new winter coat for older son this year and I'm not sure about snow pants.  I think younger is good with hand me downs, but I'm sure older will need some. 

Older son is eating me out of house and home now too.  I went to Sam's Club two weeks ago to buy a bunch of stuff for school lunches and a good chunk of it is gone already.  Luckily they only have two full days of school this week.

[Angel!]

Aug 31, 2015 10:42:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

After school he's going to go to the YMCA.  It's $160/month, but they pick him up from school, have all kinds of activities (including free swim lessons) and homework help for the older kids, and it's the same $160/month no matter what.  No school days and early releases he can go too, even last minute snow days are free.

I'm jealous. I pay $85/week & that only covers after school. No school days are an extra $30/each. Activities almost always cost extra too.

After adding in the costs of breakfast, lunch, snacks, no school days, & activities, I'm not saving nearly what I thought I would over full-time daycare. Especially since I was getting a major discount by having 3 in full-time care.

[ohmomto2boys]

Congrats on the last day care payment!  We are into our 3rd year with no daycare (other than summer care which only cost us $1100 for 9 weeks of 1/2 day care).  However, it seems we are more broke now than when we paid daycare.  Go figure......

[Deleted]

Aug 31, 2015 11:56:07 GMT -5 Angel! said:

Aug 31, 2015 10:42:12 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

After school he's going to go to the YMCA.  It's $160/month, but they pick him up from school, have all kinds of activities (including free swim lessons) and homework help for the older kids, and it's the same $160/month no matter what.  No school days and early releases he can go too, even last minute snow days are free.

I'm jealous. I pay $85/week & that only covers after school. No school days are an extra $30/each. Activities almost always cost extra too.

After adding in the costs of breakfast, lunch, snacks, no school days, & activities, I'm not saving nearly what I thought I would over full-time daycare. Especially since I was getting a major discount by having 3 in full-time care.

Part of the reason for the deal is you have to be a Y member.  If not, it's $200/month and doesn't include the no school days for free, so I guess you can figure another $50/month for the family Y membership.  I could just get memberships for the kids at $140/each, but then my work doesn't give the discount, so it's only $170/year more for the family.  I keep saying I'm going to get my money's worth out of that, but I never go.

[gooddecisions]

Congrats! I am paying almost $30k/year for two in full time care. Next year I will have 3 in full time care and it will be about $45k, almost $800/week. I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10. 

[Deleted]

Sept 3, 2015 13:37:50 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Congrats! I am paying almost $30k/year for two in full time care. Next year I will have 3 in full time care and it will be about $45k, almost $800/week. I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10. 

[taz157]

Sept 3, 2015 13:51:30 GMT -5 minnesotapaintlady said:

Sept 3, 2015 13:37:50 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Congrats! I am paying almost $30k/year for two in full time care. Next year I will have 3 in full time care and it will be about $45k, almost $800/week. I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10. 

Yeah that!

[Wisconsin Beth]

Sept 3, 2015 13:37:50 GMT -5 gooddecisions said:

Congrats! I am paying almost $30k/year for two in full time care. Next year I will have 3 in full time care and it will be about $45k, almost $800/week. I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10. 

Holy Mary Mother of God. 

[Deleted]

Sept 3, 2015 14:01:12 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10.

Daycare until 10? The kid can't be home alone for a couple hours after school before then?

Depends on the kid I suppose.  Plus, you still have Summers and no school days that are all day.  I wouldn't want to leave a 9 year old home alone all day for an extended period.  I think my son was staying home on some snow days and stuff then, but he's 13 now and I still paid for half the summer of camps and classes.

[TheHaitian]

Sept 3, 2015 14:01:12 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10.

Daycare until 10? The kid can't be home alone for a couple hours after school before then?

Summer camps are not cheap; at least not in my neck of the woods.

Also maybe 9-10, but I would not leave a 6,7 or 8 year old at home by themselves judging by my brother and sister; even just a couple of hours.

[gooddecisions]

Sept 3, 2015 14:01:12 GMT -5 Sum Dum Gai said:

I calculated that each kid will be about $100k for daycare expenses alone from infant to 10.

Daycare until 10? The kid can't be home alone for a couple hours after school before then?

One would think, but based on all these articles I keep reading about parents being arrested or cps being called on 10 year olds being home alone or walking outside alone, I fear 10 may be too conservative. I was waiting on somebody to say better make that calculation include through 12 

[zibazinski]

Don't get hosed by those awful school pictures. They're terrible and expensive and the school gets a huge cut of the fee.