Savvy parents reveal their nifty tricks on how to save £4K a year in childcare costs – and it’s so easy

AS parents, one of the biggest expenses we face is that of childcare.

In fact, according to the Government Money Advice site, the average cost of sending a child under two to nursery in the U.K. is £138 a week, for part-time hours, or £263 on a full-time basis.

GettyParents can claim free childcare through the government[/caption]

However, some savvy parents have come up with various ways to try and cut costs – with some even managing to save up to an incredible £4,000 a year.

Through the government, many parents are entitled to free childcare.

Those who are eligible – dependent on income – and are parents to two-year-old children, can claim up to 15 hours of free childcare, up to a maximum of 570 hours per year.

Once a child is three or four, they are entitled to 30 hours of free childcare – again dependent on parents’ income – which provides 1,140 hours per year.

Or, they can claim 15 hours for three or four year olds, making 570 hours per week.

“How would this work in practice? Well, one example is seen with those living in Kensington or Chelsea,” Tom Church, Co-Founder of money-saving community LatestDeals.co.uk, said.

“You may be able to claim free early education for three and four year olds, up to 15 hours a week for 38 weeks. The rate paid is £6.90 per hour, so this means you could claim up to £103.50 or £3,933 a year!’

To find out how much you’re entitled to claim, use the Childcare Calculator on the Gov.uk website.

Other money-saving tricks include to look into tax-free childcare, tax credits and universal credit for childcare, asking for nursery discounts or requesting flexible working hours.

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