10 Ways to Spend Smarter

Share a Babysitter With a Neighbor

If you spend hundreds a month on childcare, consider splitting the services with a friend or family member. Maureen Dempsey, a 34-year-old mother in Brooklyn, saves about $400 a month by splitting the cost of a nanny. Four days a week, Dempsey drops off her 15-month-old daughter, Clemens, at a friend’s house, where a sitter watches Clemens and another child of the same age. “Besides saving us a bundle, this arrangement gives my daughter a built-in playmate,” says Dempsey. To find a sitter share in your area, post a message on care.com, a website where parents and providers can list their needs.