Day Care: WWYD?

Breezer80

We went to 10 different places and have narrowed it down to 2. One is an extra 15 minutes away (in the opposite direction of work, so really its an extra 30), the other is $25 more per week (one is $200, the other is $175). All other things being equal, what would you do?

Keep in mind, money is relatively tight, and I am NOT a morning person - see my problem!?

HappyTXChick

Hmm, sounds like you'll have to decide which is more important to you, the extra $$$ or extra sleep. 
Good luck!

donnycornelius

Well, the more expensive daycare will cost $1300 more per year. 

The daycare that is farther away will cost an extra half an hour of your time.    Assuming a 15 minute drive is at least 10 miles, that's an extra 20 miles every day.    Let's say your car gets 25 miles to the gallon.   You'll drive an extra 5200 miles per year, which is 208 gallons of gas.   Gas right now costs maybe an average of $2.50 (but may increase).    So, you'd spend around $520 extra in gas every year.    The savings then would only be around $800 total. 

Does that help?  

Covergirl137

Once you factor in the extra gas, drive time, probably being late more often, etc. the extra $25 a week isn't going to be that big of a difference.

cabo_kate

I would pay more for the convenience of the DC being closer. 

ljlkm

donnycornelius:

Well, the more expensive daycare will cost $1300 more per year. 

The daycare that is farther away will cost an extra half an hour of your time.    Assuming a 15 minute drive is at least 10 miles, that's an extra 20 miles every day.    Let's say your car gets 25 miles to the gallon.   You'll drive an extra 5200 miles per year, which is 208 gallons of gas.   Gas right now costs maybe an average of $2.50 (but may increase).    So, you'd spend around $520 extra in gas every year.    The savings then would only be around $800 total. 

Does that help?  

The savings will be $800 per year, but to save that $800, you'll spend an extra 1040 hours driving (an hour a day x 5 days per week x 52 weeks per year).  That works out to 77 cents per hour.  So every time you get to sleep in an extra half hour, you're paying $1.54.  I'd definitely pay that for an extra half-hour of sleep!

Breezer80

thanks ladies ... this day care thing is SO HARD!!!!