Cutting The Cost of Babysitting

Findababysitter.com the leading UK childcare search site, has revealed new figures to show the true cost of all types of childcare, up and down the country. The data of 1288 registered childcare professionals has revealed the average cost of childcare in the South is 22% more expensive than the North, with as much as 36% increase for exactly the same service you’d get if you were 100 miles further north.  It’s probably no surprise to you if you’re a working mum, or a parent in need of a spot of babysitting. Recently we were looking for a new babysitter and one one girl emailed to say she charged a hefty £10.00 an hour. Factoring in two cinema tickets and a bag of popcorn a night out would have cost us around £60.00. For me one way round cutting the cost of this kind of childcare has been to swap babysitting duties with other mums. Another recent cost effective tactic has been to use our neighbour’s teenage daughter who charges way less than £10 an hour. She’s only 16 but her mum is right next door and the kids love her. Of course, it isn’t always easy to find a sitter if you’re new to an area and while there are sites a plenty you can go to my tip if you prefer someone with experience (always good if your kids are younger) is to ask a local nursery if any of their girls do babysitting. I have also been known to ask mums in playgroups and even in cafes for tips. As with anything it’s a numbers and gut feeling game. The more people you ask, and the more sitters you meet the more likely you are to end up with a babysitter worth her weight in gold (without of course having to pay her that much). So how do you find your babysitters? Let us know.