What Are Your Favorite Low-Cost Best Practices?

[MsLaura529]

If you find any info on any of this could you please share! I did some research and couldn't find not one grant for the state of MI! That was a few months ago, but maybe I was looking in the wrong places?.

I was looking last month and couldn't find anything.

[e.j.]

I have the parents bring one bottle each of SPRAY ON MIST sunscreen for the summer. I use whatever bottle is handy for everybody and it takes about a minute to cover all the kids.

I do this, too. I also ask them to provide a sunscreen stick for the kids' faces. That way, I don't have to worry about getting sunscreen in their eyes. Makes applying it very easy.

[daycare]

I use free cycle, craigs list for new toys and furnishings.

I use coffee filters at snack time, saves on having to wash dishes all over again.

Cloth towels for hand drying

I never throw left overs away and always find a way to put it back into food in a different way for the next meal or next day. I freeze it as well if needed.

One fun low cost snack I just learned about that has been a huge hit. I take the cupcake tray fill it with both a small amount of canned low sugar fruit and fresh fruit, place it in the freezer in the morning and then by PM snack we have a frozen fruit snack cup. BTW I use the rubber cupcake sheets.

I don't buy a curriculum that is pre-made, I only use whats free on the internet and make my own.

any food we don't eat we save it and take it to the farm to feed the pigs..Of course this is same day or next day only.

When I need supplies to make something I always put up a supply request sheet from the parents. I ask for recycled or gently used items and 99% of the time always get them. Hey if it benefits the kids why not...

[2grls4us]

I have asked the parents to each bring either a gallon of milk or healthy snack/breakfast item. 2 of the moms pay every 2 weeks and one weekly so they bring something on the weeks they pay. Really helps me save. I have just told them to keep from increasing my rates this would help me and they all understand. I think within the next couple of weeks I am going to assign a certain week to each parent that way it makes things more fair. Or just flat out raise rates. Not sure how to work all of that out but going to give it a shot. I go on vacation next week so will start the week after.
I have also been looking for some cost cutting ideas also. I do coupon and shop at Sam's. I try and save where I can.
My great buy recently is I found some fun and nice cardstock posters at the Dollar Tree store. For $1 I got 2 posters 2 ft x3ft. The kids really liked them.

[spud912]

I send out monthly supply lists to families. They don't have to bring in anything, but most of them bring something. It really helps! I include everything from the staples (tissue, toilet paper, paper towels) to food items (fruit, yogurt, vegetables) to arts and crafts materials (recyclables, paper plates, paper, paint, crayons) to theme-related supplies. I've also made it clear that if their children have a super runny nose to bring in an extra box of tissue. This really helps because I think it takes some guilt off of the parents from bringing in their semi-sick child and it makes me a little less annoyed at wiping noses every second.

Another thing that REALLY REALLY helps is getting books at the library. They may not have some books I really want for a specific theme, but they do have a good amount. I could own 2 books (which I don't...I'm guilty of buying too many ) and still have a huge amount of books available to the kids thanks to the library.

Lastly, I have to give kudos to Pinterest for supplying me with an endless amount of semi-cheap (or free ) ideas.

[butterfly]

I have asked the parents to each bring either a gallon of milk or healthy snack/breakfast item. 2 of the moms pay every 2 weeks and one weekly so they bring something on the weeks they pay. Really helps me save. I have just told them to keep from increasing my rates this would help me and they all understand. I think within the next couple of weeks I am going to assign a certain week to each parent that way it makes things more fair. Or just flat out raise rates. Not sure how to work all of that out but going to give it a shot. I go on vacation next week so will start the week after.
I have also been looking for some cost cutting ideas also. I do coupon and shop at Sam's. I try and save where I can.
My great buy recently is I found some fun and nice cardstock posters at the Dollar Tree store. For $1 I got 2 posters 2 ft x3ft. The kids really liked them.

I really like the idea of parents bringing supplies. I'm going to try to remember this the next time I do contracts. I'll have to mention this and see if I have any takers... I just increased rates, so I don't feel that I can now ask for this too. Great idea though!!!