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the Yellow Pages of almost any area of the country. Applicants are pre-screened by the agency, which will save you time and energy. Using an agency may also be more costly than a private arrangement.

3. Reconsider (this option only pertains to double-income families.)

Many families have found, after closely looking at their finances, that a second income is not really necessary, and that the mom can afford to stay home with the kids! Some "lifestyle" sacrifices may be necessary, but for some families, this can be done.

Many have found that at the end of the year, the family's second job- after subtracting day-care costs, transportation (gasoline especially!), parking fees, business clothing, meals eaten out, taxes, and other work-related expenses- hasn't contributed all that much to the household income! Considering that daycare alone can easily cost $10,000 per year (more or less, depending on where you live), you may need to take a good hard look at the numbers, and decide if the second job is really worth it.

Next, you can look at where you can make adjustments in other spending habits. What changes can you make to save money? Sacrifices are unavoidable, but they may very well allow you save money on day-care... and stay home with your kids!

Learn more about this author, Christine Conte.
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