I also cut down on things for my own family to save money and then didn't feel as bad about spending on the daycare when my own kids were part of it. Now I basically have everything I need so only need to buy consumable items which sucks come tax time. What I am doing is creating things for the daycare and claiming that so my crafting habit is being subsidized in more than one way by my daycare. Working on plastic canvas shamrock puzzles ( three hearts and a stem).

For sure making your own from scratch saves money for the most part. I don't do much that needs craft supplies as the kids don't appreciate the effort given their age and we have more fun playing with things like the shamrocks. A lot of crafts use scraps from my crafting or recycled items too since it is about the process and you know the parents aren't going to keep everything.

I don't do daily journals anymore so saves on paper and ink - I know email is an option but why start something I don't plan to keep. Haven't had a parent at an interview upset by the lack of a journal in many years.

Cut down on my cleaning so for example bedding is not washed weekly by every 2-3 weeks instead - I mean really 5 two hour naps is only equal to one 10 hour sleep in their bed at home and it gets the chance to air out daily. That saves 2-3 tubs of laundry a week.

Scaled back snacks too and it helped with eating.

Don't do any outings so no money there at all for travelling or admissions.

I find I am at a point where I need to buy a shaped cookie cutter or fancy muffin pan or something to make up some expenses. I try to put the money into things that if I stopped doing daycare I could use myself but that while I am doing daycare they benefit from. I am 28 years in (oldest child is 30 and I still have some of her toys in use).