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I have been asked by a couple of people how I can offer low rates and provide everything for my children. I provide Baby Formula, Baby Food, Meals, Snacks, Milk, Juice, Diapers, Pull-Ups, Wipes, and a Preschool Educational Program.
For years, I only provided meals and an educational program. Then I began having parents that would forget to bring their child's diapers, formula, and drop their child off saying that they forgot their children's items and then they would leave and go to work. That left me here with a child who had a diaper or two for the day, some little bit of formula in the bottom the can, basically no supplies because they FORGOT them and went off to work. Then out of the blue, I would have to call my substitute over and run out to buy the items that the parents forgot to bring. After a few times of that, I decided it was less stress on me if I just bought it and knew that I was fully stocked at all times myself. So, that's the reason that I provide everything.
The way I afford it is by writing everything off. Yes, I have to pay for it upfront, but I also write it off as business expenses. I buy the store brand and I buy both diapers and wipes by the case. That saves a little money. By writing off everything, in the end, it pretty much balances out.
The preschool educational program: I use a lot of hands-on items that are reusable for the course of many years. Such as the plastic counting teddy bears, puzzles, games, beads with letters on them that you put on a string. They are made to last for years, so they are in just a good of shape today as they were years ago when I first bought them. These things I bought years ago and are not a continuous expense for me.
I also bought my curriculum books a couple of years ago. I mix a couple of ideas from the different curriculum books and create my own curriculum. I used to buy a boxed curriculum. But that was fairly expensive and it was more of a cookie cut type curriculum. I played around for a while with creating my own curriculum and found that it is much less expensive, and I can gear it and tweak it to match my current children's interests and abilities much better than buying some pre-made curriculum. So, my curriculum really just costs the price of paints, glue, paper, crayons, and things like that which are fairly inexpensive.
Also, no one really knows my expenses. And not that it is anyone's business, but since so many are concerned with my income and expenses, I will answer your questions as to how I can afford to do what I do on low rates. First of all, I typically run with 6 to 8 kids (When I had to close for surgery, I had 7 daycare kids) at $80-$120/week and am on the food program which with 8 kids, pays me about $200/week. So lets say I have 8 kids at $80/wk, that give me $640/week and then add the $200/week food program on, I would make $840/week. (Now, lets look at this on the low end. Lets say I offer care at only $50/week and only have 4 kids. That's $200/week plus $100/week from the food program. Which totals $300/week. That is still a little over what a typical employee working at a retail job brings home. They make an average of $8/hour times typically max of 35 hours/week which totals a gross of $280/week! Yeah, I'd rather offer lower daycare rates and bring in $300/week than have to work at a retail job all day long to bring in a gross of $280.)Then, I also go to college and get loan money from that, and my ex-husband pays me child support which covers my house payment. If I need him to, he will pay other household bills for me. For example, he paid my all of my bills for me when I was off work for surgery. I pretty much just covered the gasoline in my car (which by the way he gave me a couple of years ago and is completely paid off) and I paid for things like toiletries. He also pays for anything my children need - shoes, clothes, money for going to the movies, pizza for sleepovers, etc. So, not that it is anyone's business, and I certainly don't see anyone else laying out their personal/business income and expenses here, but there you go. That's how I can afford to live off my income - with help from college loans and the ex.
Why does the ex pay for things for me that most exes wouldn't pay for and why do I let him? Probably because we both know that he is the reason we are divorced - he did a few things wrong in the marriage and wasn't the best husband or father. I think being the financial provider is the only way he knows how to be a husband or father and I think he's trying to make up for past mistakes by doing the only thing he knows how. I let him because I would rather be home taking care of my personal children than leaving them home alone and having to take on 2 or 3 jobs. Allowing him to help pay for things has allowed me to be home with my children to monitor them and parent them rather then leave them at home all evening /weekend while I worked. He and I have discussed me working more to relieve him of paying some of my bills. But we both would rather that I be here for our kids and him provide financially whatever we as a family need above what I receive as income from one job.
However, in a couple of years, after my youngest (now 15 1/2 ) is 18, he will not be willing to help me, and I am fine with that. So, I have about 2 years to get my ducks in a row to be able to not need to lean on him financially. Which is partly why I have started going to college for accounting. So by the time he stops helping me, I will have a college degree in accounting which will hopefully help me raise my income. I also have been for a few years slowly working towards earning my degree in Early Childhood Education. I keep thinking that I should speed the Early Childhood Education classes up so that by the time my daughter's 18, I could have both degrees! Oh, and I take my Early Childhood Education classes through Penn Foster Online College. You never have to leave home and go to a college. I am earning my Accounting degree through Baltimore County Community College and am doing my best to take as many classes as possible online. So I am home even though for my children even though I am working towards both degrees. I typically begin my schoolwork at 9pm (that's when my daughter goes to bed and household is completely quiet. I have no distractions from children, the phone, or my dog!). I finish my schoolwork typically around 1 am. Then get up at 6:30am to get ready for daycare. Of course, I work on my schoolwork throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, I also try to go to church - not as often as I should, but I try to get to church every couple of weeks.
So, there you go, there's my life in a nutshell.
So, that's how and why I provide what I provide on a low income level.
For years, I only provided meals and an educational program. Then I began having parents that would forget to bring their child's diapers, formula, and drop their child off saying that they forgot their children's items and then they would leave and go to work. That left me here with a child who had a diaper or two for the day, some little bit of formula in the bottom the can, basically no supplies because they FORGOT them and went off to work. Then out of the blue, I would have to call my substitute over and run out to buy the items that the parents forgot to bring. After a few times of that, I decided it was less stress on me if I just bought it and knew that I was fully stocked at all times myself. So, that's the reason that I provide everything.
The way I afford it is by writing everything off. Yes, I have to pay for it upfront, but I also write it off as business expenses. I buy the store brand and I buy both diapers and wipes by the case. That saves a little money. By writing off everything, in the end, it pretty much balances out.
The preschool educational program: I use a lot of hands-on items that are reusable for the course of many years. Such as the plastic counting teddy bears, puzzles, games, beads with letters on them that you put on a string. They are made to last for years, so they are in just a good of shape today as they were years ago when I first bought them. These things I bought years ago and are not a continuous expense for me.
I also bought my curriculum books a couple of years ago. I mix a couple of ideas from the different curriculum books and create my own curriculum. I used to buy a boxed curriculum. But that was fairly expensive and it was more of a cookie cut type curriculum. I played around for a while with creating my own curriculum and found that it is much less expensive, and I can gear it and tweak it to match my current children's interests and abilities much better than buying some pre-made curriculum. So, my curriculum really just costs the price of paints, glue, paper, crayons, and things like that which are fairly inexpensive.
Also, no one really knows my expenses. And not that it is anyone's business, but since so many are concerned with my income and expenses, I will answer your questions as to how I can afford to do what I do on low rates. First of all, I typically run with 6 to 8 kids (When I had to close for surgery, I had 7 daycare kids) at $80-$120/week and am on the food program which with 8 kids, pays me about $200/week. So lets say I have 8 kids at $80/wk, that give me $640/week and then add the $200/week food program on, I would make $840/week. (Now, lets look at this on the low end. Lets say I offer care at only $50/week and only have 4 kids. That's $200/week plus $100/week from the food program. Which totals $300/week. That is still a little over what a typical employee working at a retail job brings home. They make an average of $8/hour times typically max of 35 hours/week which totals a gross of $280/week! Yeah, I'd rather offer lower daycare rates and bring in $300/week than have to work at a retail job all day long to bring in a gross of $280.)Then, I also go to college and get loan money from that, and my ex-husband pays me child support which covers my house payment. If I need him to, he will pay other household bills for me. For example, he paid my all of my bills for me when I was off work for surgery. I pretty much just covered the gasoline in my car (which by the way he gave me a couple of years ago and is completely paid off) and I paid for things like toiletries. He also pays for anything my children need - shoes, clothes, money for going to the movies, pizza for sleepovers, etc. So, not that it is anyone's business, and I certainly don't see anyone else laying out their personal/business income and expenses here, but there you go. That's how I can afford to live off my income - with help from college loans and the ex.
Why does the ex pay for things for me that most exes wouldn't pay for and why do I let him? Probably because we both know that he is the reason we are divorced - he did a few things wrong in the marriage and wasn't the best husband or father. I think being the financial provider is the only way he knows how to be a husband or father and I think he's trying to make up for past mistakes by doing the only thing he knows how. I let him because I would rather be home taking care of my personal children than leaving them home alone and having to take on 2 or 3 jobs. Allowing him to help pay for things has allowed me to be home with my children to monitor them and parent them rather then leave them at home all evening /weekend while I worked. He and I have discussed me working more to relieve him of paying some of my bills. But we both would rather that I be here for our kids and him provide financially whatever we as a family need above what I receive as income from one job.
However, in a couple of years, after my youngest (now 15 1/2 ) is 18, he will not be willing to help me, and I am fine with that. So, I have about 2 years to get my ducks in a row to be able to not need to lean on him financially. Which is partly why I have started going to college for accounting. So by the time he stops helping me, I will have a college degree in accounting which will hopefully help me raise my income. I also have been for a few years slowly working towards earning my degree in Early Childhood Education. I keep thinking that I should speed the Early Childhood Education classes up so that by the time my daughter's 18, I could have both degrees! Oh, and I take my Early Childhood Education classes through Penn Foster Online College. You never have to leave home and go to a college. I am earning my Accounting degree through Baltimore County Community College and am doing my best to take as many classes as possible online. So I am home even though for my children even though I am working towards both degrees. I typically begin my schoolwork at 9pm (that's when my daughter goes to bed and household is completely quiet. I have no distractions from children, the phone, or my dog!). I finish my schoolwork typically around 1 am. Then get up at 6:30am to get ready for daycare. Of course, I work on my schoolwork throughout the day on Saturday and Sunday. Sunday, I also try to go to church - not as often as I should, but I try to get to church every couple of weeks.
So, there you go, there's my life in a nutshell.
So, that's how and why I provide what I provide on a low income level.
You do not have to explain yourself to anyone.
I heard a good saying from a pastor a few years ago."Chew the meat and spit out the bones"
Some advice you got such as changing your ad about the refund if not satisfied is very good advice.
The kids in your pictures look happy and well taken care of.
Big Hugs!!!
and God bless your tender heart for helping low income families
:hug:
but then again I have not finished reading this.
so I'm just going by all the ones I clicked on and the very opposite could be true.......but it was a good many. Idk if anyone else noticed that or even thought anything of it at all, but probably not, seeing as that it's not particularly relevant I don't guess
!
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