It's almost August which means Halloween is practically tomorrow, Thanksgiving/Christmas is next week, and 2025 will be here in the blink of an eye.
Here's 5 quick ways to save money as a daycare provider before 2024 ends:
#1. Think savings first.
In this economy, saving money will help your daycare stay afloat during tough times. Before you buy new toys or play equipment for your daycare, ask yourself, "Does the daycare really need this or do I just really want it?"
Grow your daycare savings consistently each month by saving 10% of your weekly daycare income.
#2. Join the Federal CACFP Food Program.
For those who don't know, the Federal CACFP Food Program is a food program administered by the federal government to reimburse providers a portion of the money they spend each month on food in exchange for serving healthy daycare meals.
Sign-up is free, reimbursements are paid monthly, and reimbursements can range anywhere from $400 - $1000 per month (depending on the number of children in care).
#3. Buy daycare supplies on Amazon in bulk.
Purchasing daycare supplies off Amazon in bulk saves time and money.
Rather than use gas driving from store to store, Amazon allows you to purchase daycare supplies (ex: pencils, crayons, markers, paper, paper towels, drawing paper, paper towels, toilet tissue, etc) and have the daycare items delivered to your home.
Amazon also has amazing discounts for Prime members and you can set up monthly deliveries for commonly used daycare items.
#4. Use a simple, weekly bookkeeping routine.
As a new daycare provider, I wasted so much money simply by not tracking my money.
A simple, weekly bookkeeping routine to track daycare expenses will help you track daycare income and expenses, set aside money for taxes and savings, and the good news tracking your income and expenses doesn't have to be complicated.
To track your daycare income, expenses, and savings in 1 hour (or less) each week, grab the Ultimate Daycare Financial Planner HERE
#5. Use a cycle daycare menu.
Cycle daycare menus not only save money and cut costs, they will also save time meal prepping.
Similar to the cycle menus used in public K-12 schools, daycare cycle menus are menus where meals are predictable and routine.
The most common cycle menu is the monthly cycle menu where meals (breakfast, lunch, am/pm snack) for week 1,3, and 5 are the same and meals for week 2 and 4 are the same.
Cycle menus are cost effective by allowing providers to buy food items in bulk because meals are rotated throughout the month and provide enough meal variety where daycare children will never feel they are eating the same thing.
For a done for you 30 day daycare cycle menu click HERE