Mike Lopata´s last blog post..The Changing Landscape of Flagship Universities

- get a roommate. We live with a single 25 year old male coworker of my husband’s. Helps a lot with the rent and utilities, and food , since they contribute $$ to the groceries.
- Take online classes. Though not cheap, they generally let me study during times that kidlet is napping and / or someone else is home to watch him.
- use drop in childcare. Ikea has up to and hour and a half, if you can study in the restaurant, many bookstores and libraries offer storytime
- there are a few chains of drop in childcare centers (a local one is kidspark please note this is not an endorsement or anything just a suggestion). The centers offer up to five hours a day and up to 15 hours a week of activities and such for about $8 an hour plus a yearly registration fee.
- use a high school or middle school student to supervise and play with kids while you are in another part of the house doing homework — you can generally pay a bit less or trade out tutoring.
- food – use smart and final stores. These are restaurant supply stores. Cheaper than costco and you don’t have the yearly fees.
- food – if you are in the northeast or midwest you can shop at Aldi’s. Cheap.

I am sure others have more suggestions. Hope these help.

-make from scratch whenever possible (We make homemade breakfast sandwiches with the toaster oven and microwave, very little effort, much cheaper and healthier)
-make stuff and freeze it
-clearance and mega sales are your friends- if you are patient you can find nearly anything on clearance
-entertainment- make use of free college concerts and cheap music fundraisers, this year we had X amount of fun money we discussed how we wanted to spend it and what we decided was a zoo membership and a DS. The kid already had one so now we can play on games. The zoo membership paid for itself in two visits. (Check for special rates our local attractions have a plus one feature which is an adult plus one person and is about half the cost of a family membership.)
-don’t carry cash (this may just be a personal thing)
-Used bookstores are awesome. There is a regional chain which clearances out books and videos for 1-3 dollars. We get a few videos (on VCR tape) and we have new movies to watch.

Personally I have never had to leave my kid in paid care. Until this semester my sis watched him (she is disabled and can’t work) while he did his school work. With a turn in her health he has come to class with me or gone to the school library where one of the librarians will keep an eye on him for a bit. It has worked out really well,

Amanda´s last blog post..Assumptions