I used to run a daycare during the summer when I was home from college in my parents’ basement. I took care of 4-5 children under the age of three for eight hours a day, five days a week at a cost of $50 per week for each child. wow! What a deal! These days you can’t find a babysitter in my area for less than $10/hour and that’s on average for 1-2 kids. In fact, there is absolutely nothing cheap about raising children these days. With 7 kids in the house, the word “budget” takes on a whole new meaning for us. Especially with 3 teenagers in need! Trust me, they don’t get less expensive as they get older, they cost more and more as they go through each stage of life. Once they’re past the diaper and formula stage (a huge expense in itself) and can talk, it’s game over. You will hear “I want” or “I need” daily for many years.

During the summer, when they are home, I am convinced that all my bills increase. Electricity, groceries, activities, babysitters and the list goes on. How can you keep your expenses down while managing a happy house full of kids during those long summer months? Depending on the ages of your crew, there are several things you can do to keep a budget in place.

If you have teens at home who are too old for summer camp but too young for a full-time summer job, help them find a part-time job close to home. As summer approaches around here I start getting calls from friends who need a “mom’s helper”. My daughters are great with kids and the moms appreciate the extra hands! They can earn the extra money needed to support their summer activities, including dinners and movies with friends or weekly shopping trips to the local mall, and my wallet can take a much-needed break.

If your children are of school age, look up your local recreation department’s list of summer camps. They are usually quite inexpensive and can keep kids busy for at least half the day. For free activities consider trips to the library, parks or in our case to the beach. My kids love to run through the sprinkler in the backyard chasing each other with cans of cheap shaving cream. We’ve also been known to raid the local Family Dollar store for cheap craft activities. They spend hours at the kitchen table during our daily pop-up summer thunderstorms creating masterpieces to display for their dad when he gets home. In general, there are plenty of options to keep your kids entertained over the summer without breaking the bank.

There is nothing wrong with making your children waste conscious. It will eventually help them become financially responsible adults. During the summer, buy in bulk and schedule specific snack times between meals to eliminate snacking that can ruin your grocery bill. I have also taught my children to turn off the lights when they leave the room and we play a game before leaving the house to see who can turn off the most lights.

By implementing a plan and following it, you can keep summer costs to a minimum while managing a house full of happy kids.

For more great tips and tricks focused on helping you as a mom, visit my site at http://www.moremomtime.com to sign up for my free 5-day series, “Happy Mom Equals Happy Kids.”