Jan 2, 2026
Working parents across America face a dark financial reality: childcare costs can rival or exceed their rent or mortgage payments.
For example, in Springfield, Massachusetts, daycare runs nearly $24,000 annually, with the national average in major metro areas topping $15,000, according to LendingTree research (1).
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But, on LinkedIn, Catherine Collins Alford, author of Mom's Got Money: A Millennial Mom's Guide to Managing Money Like a Boss, recently shared an unconventional solution that helped her manage twins while building her freelance writing business: join an upscale gym with quality childcare facilities (2).
When her brother asked how she worked from home when her twins were young, Alford shared what she calls her “very best trick”: despite her “frugal nature”, she spent $200 monthly on a gym membership — and the math worked decisively in her favor.
For five years, Alford took her twins to the gym nearly every day, where background-checked staff supervised them and organized crafts for 2.5 hours.
During that time, she sat onsite writing articles on her laptop while enjoying free coffee. Sometimes, instead of working, she'd take a lengthy shower using premium products and spend half an hour blow-drying her hair — “luxuries for any new mom, especially one without any family members close by.”
Alford's calculation: Using the gym conservatively 20 days monthly for 2.5 hours per visit equals 50 hours of childcare for $200 — just $4 per hour for two kids. This also enabled her to “continue growing my freelance writing business without taking that much time away from my kids (2).”
The impact of unsustainable childcare costs
On a Reddit parenting forum, moms and dads across the U.S. describe childcare costs as "a second mortgage” or “another rent”, with several families spending $2,000-$3,000 or more monthly per child (3).
Childcare costs are also driving mothers from the workforce: According to KPMG research, labor force participation among mothers with children under five dropped 2.3% between December 2023 and August 2025, with college-educated mothers experiencing the steepest declines (4).
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Bloomberg notes that faced with working solely to afford daycare, women are instead choosing to decrease hours, opt out of promotions or leave entirely — with some having fewer or no children due to cost pressures (5).
And the issue has become politically potent. Zohran Mamdani's campaign promise to provide free childcare for all New York City parents helped propel him to victory as the city's next mayor (6).
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What to consider
Of course, Alford's strategy works best for a specific group: remote workers with flexible schedules, living near suitable facilities, with children old enough for group care but not yet school-age.
Even if the gym hack fits, there are constraints. Gym childcare centers may cap sessions at a few hours, insufficient for full workdays without creative scheduling. They often close on holidays when you might still need to work. And, it's possible that facilities may question parents treating occasional-use services as daily childcare.
Plus, quality of care will vary. It's a good idea to visit multiple facilities during operating hours to observe staff-to-child ratios, cleanliness, activities offered and how caregivers interact with children. Background-checked staff and engaging programs matter.
What to do when gym childcare won't work
While the gym childcare hack won't work for many families, the innovative thinking it shows is a valuable model for managing childcare costs, one that requires planning, creativity and commitment. Here are some ideas to consider:
Start saving early
Before pregnancy, direct money into a high-yield savings account specifically for childcare. Many now offer rates above 5%. Even $100 monthly over three years creates a $3,700-plus cushion.
Maximize the child tax credit
For 2025, the federal child tax credit provides up to $2,200 per qualifying child under 17, with $1,700 potentially refundable — meaning you receive money even if you owe no taxes (7).
Explore employer benefits
According to CNBC, some companies offer dependent care flexible spending accounts (FSAs), allowing you to set aside up to $5,000 annually pre-tax for childcare (8), which effectively discounts costs by your tax rate. Others provide on-site or subsidized childcare or partnerships with local providers offering employee discounts.
Consider alternative arrangements
Talk to your friends or neighbors about splitting a nanny's cost with another family, consider family-owned daycare providers (which can be cheaper than commercial centers) or coordinate schedules with a partner to minimize paid care hours.
Investigate state assistance programs
Many states offer childcare subsidies for qualifying families. Contact your state's social services department or visit Child Care Aware of America's website (9).
Article sources
We rely only on vetted sources and credible third-party reporting. For details, see our editorial ethics and guidelines.
LendingTree (1); LinkedIn (2); Reddit (3); KPMG (4); Bloomberg (5); New York Times (6); IRS (7); CNBC (8); Child Care Aware of America (9).
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With a writing and editing career spanning over 13 years, Emma creates and refines content across a broad spectrum of industries, including personal finance, lifestyle, travel, health & wellness, real estate, beauty & fitness and B2B/SaaS/tech. Her versatility comes through contributions to high-profile clients like Moneywise, Healthline, Narcity and Bob Vila, producing content that informs and engages, along with helping book authors tell their stories.
