* Buy supplies in bulk from places like SAMS club & Gordans (non-perishable foods, cleaning supplies, etc.).

* Ask parents or even businesses for donations (toys, books, art supplies, extra clothing, bottles, even some furniture). Just be sure it is safe and in good condition.

* Plan activities early and set a specific dollar amount that can be used--and DO NOT go over it.

* Find a great children's consignment store, and rotate items and trade them in. "Our units are theme based, so I box up things from one theme, keep the very best and trade in the ones the children were not really interested in or that I won't have trouble finding the next year. It's also a great way to rotate books and puzzles. Those items are usually really inexpensive at consignments!"
 

* Garage sales are a great place to shop, just be sure that all items are in good condition and safe. ( I make up receipts & take these along with me and have the person running the sale sign them for me so that i can use them as tax deductions at the end of the year)

* Buy in bulk, especially during all the school sales, and hit the dollar stores for items like baskets and bins.

* Consider making certain items mandatory for parents to bring. Schools require certain supplies, and it is not unreasonable to have some of the same requirements for childcare.

* Ask parents to rotate snacks or implement a take-home "snack basket." The concept is that the basket goes home on a Friday, the parent and perhaps child "shop" for some acceptable snacks that provide the occasional opportunity for a child to bring personal favorites to all, and then the basket is brought in filled on Monday. Let the child whose family furnished the snack basket distribute the snacks and serve as the official "helper." Parents are typically quite willing to assist with snacks, and I even offer suggestions or create a list of snacks on the "do's" and "don't's" list. (i.e. some may not allow peanut products if a child has an allergy or no chocolate).

* I have instituted a "special" month for each family and since II have 12 families in my childcare it works out great ( but yours could be a special month for each child ect.). That family is ask to help support a special activity that is outside of my standard fee/budget, and parents can help create a memory or plan something special for all. Activities have been as simple as ordering pizza or purchasing Happy Meals, attending the zoo, going to a $1 movie, making a special craft (supplies provided by the parent), or even renting a special video.

* Consider a "helping hands" request. At my home I periodically post hands with above-and-beyond supplies that are being requested (such as glitter--certainly not a necessity but kids love it on their crafts). There is no pressure; parents can opt to pick up a "hand" and return the item on their own schedule. Since I don't need these items, I can continue without them; if someone brings something in, such as the glitter, it will be quite obvious with the bring-home craft project.

* Take photos of children and ask for parents to take turns developing the film. Request scrap booking materials as well. Explain that it is for an end-of-the-year memory book of their child, and parents will eat it up. It's good PR for the provider too! I have done this for a couple of years now and the children treasure these special books.

* Don't wait--just ASK! Everyone wants the best for their child, and if an additional enrichment activity, supply, or snack is possible because of spending a little extra, it is well worth it.

*I realize not everyone will have the computer to do this, but I use to do yearbooks and now I do DVD's. a picture may say a thousand words, but a video says it all. I record the children with my camcorder doing crafts, acting silly, whatever throughout the year, then at Christmas as a Christmas present, I burn it on a DVD. One year I caught a child on video that was telling Santa how deeply disappointed he was with his present. He was so adamant about it. I know that years from now he will get a good laugh out of it, A memory he would never remember (he was 3). I say this stretches the dollar because it saves money from processing film, copying photos and on paper to put the pictures on. The parents love it and all you need is a DVD burner. Most camcorders are already set up to download to your computer with a fire wall. The DVD's are about 1.00 each