Buttoned Up Expert: How Parents Can Get More Free Time at Zero Cost
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Everyday Life Experts Featured Kids Savings Expert, Amy Suardi
How Parents Can Get More Free Time at Zero Cost
By Buttoned Up’s Savings Expert, Amy Suardi of Frugal-Mama.com
Do you have a friend with kids of similar ages? Why not start a babysitting swap?
How it works: You watch her children one day; she watches yours another day.
Frequency: Twice a week, once a week, every other weekend — you decide.
Length of time: One, two, three hours at a time. A whole afternoon. Even overnight! Imagine being able to go out late and sleep in.
Location: Each other’s houses. A park, library or playroom.
Rules: As opposed to a babysitting co-op, a swap is beautifully informal. Nonetheless, to smooth the road ahead, try to agree ahead of time on points such as:
• What if someone is late in picking up or dropping off?
• What if an unexpected sibling or friend needs to come along?
• Is screen time allowed, and if so, what kind and how much?
The possibilities are endless with exchanges between friends. What about:
• Trading off every Saturday night with another couple?
• Taking turns walking kids to school?
• Exchanging houses for a week and calling it a staycation?
Amy Suardi writes about saving money & making life better at Frugal Mama!
[...] How Parents Can Get More Time to Themselves at Zero Cost at Buttoned Up this week, I write a short-and-sweet list of how to get started trading babysitting [...]