It's been almost five months now since I opened my child-care business. As time goes by, I've found some ways to save money, cut costs and make my supplies last longer. 

I've always been good about budgeting my money. But during this economic downturn, I've been extra careful about spending. One of the ways I save is by using coupons when I go grocery shopping and buying things that are on sale. Sometimes when I'm at the store, I ask myself, "Do I really need this?" If the answer is no, I don't buy it.

Now that I'm home all day I've noticed an increase in my electric bill. Last month I tried to conserve. I used natural lighting, turned off the lights on my fish tanks during the day and cut down on my use of the CD player. These little things worked: Ny bill this month was nearly $20 lower than it was the previous month. 

To make my supplies last longer, I cut my paper towels in half for the children. They have small hands, so all they need is half a paper towel.They use dish towels in the kitchen. Each child has his own, and I replace it every day.  

I recycle household items for arts and crafts projects, such as polystyrene foam trays, paper towel and toilet paper tubes, egg cartons, etc. The kids love it, and their parents do, too.

If you know of any other ways to save money and cut costs, I'd love to hear from you. And I'll let you know if I come up with any other ideas.