5 Ways to Save Money on a Babysitter

Families searching for ways to save money need to look at how much they are spending on babysitting service each year. Hiring a babysitter in an already strained budget can put quite a damper on that much needed night out for parents. Most families don't even realize that there are alternatives to hiring a babysitter and ways to save money on this service.

Planning a Night Out on a Limited Budget

I have this problem with being totally obsessed with saving money these days. Maybe it's my degree in finance that makes me this way. Or maybe its because my family has been living solely on my husband's teacher salary for the past three years. For whatever the reason, I need a break from crunching all these numbers and need a night out to forget about all our financial woes. Oh wait, babysitters can be really expensive - especially when you are living on an already stretched to the max budget and have multiple children - but never fear I have come up with 5 ways to help cut the costs of hiring a babysitter.

1. First and foremost, always try to find a family member to watch your children. Typically family members will be willing to watch the little ones for free or at least a smaller fee than hiring a babysitter. If you ask a family member who has children of their own, be kind and return the favor when they are in need of a night out on the town.
2. Find a church, school, or other organization who hosts a parents night out. These kind of events will be posted in newspapers, social media sites like Facebook, or on school/church bulletin boards. They usually have set hours on a particular night and will either charge by the hour or have a set fee for the designated time scheduled. I have seen many of these lately that have reasonable rates and will often lower the rate on multiple children.
3. Get together with a group of friends or neighbors who also have children and make a babysitting cooperative. If you can get 4 to 5 families willing to participate, this cooperative makes a sweet deal for all involved. Based on a rotating schedule, each family will volunteer to watch everyone's kids once a month. The trade is one night of craziness with a lot of kids to get 3 to 4 nights of free babysitting service!
4. If you are going out with another couple who also has children, try to find a babysitter who would be willing to watch both sets of kids for an arranged price instead of by the hour or by how many kids. Many babysitters will be excited for the chance to make the extra money. If the babysitter is looking for more customers, he or she will also love the referral and the opportunity to work with another family.
5. When looking for a babysitter, try to find a younger one like a teenager who is just starting out. Typically, teenagers that are just getting into the business charge less than older, more experienced babysitters. I would recommend looking in your church, work, or any other organization you are affiliated with for teenagers that you already know and would trust leaving your children in his/her care.

If families use these helpful tips on ways to save money on a babysitter, this expense of babysitting service will be drastically reduced. Thankfully, I have a wonderful set of parents and in-laws who are always willing to help out when we need a break from the kids. But there have been a few times when both sets of grandparents have been busy and we had to look at the above ways to save money on a babysitter.

So if your family is living on a limited budget, consider using the above ways to save money on a babysitter to help you enjoy that much needed and well deserved night out. Your budget will thank you!